AlexanderA
Member
Fair enough, but that appears to be a German entrenching tool.
A veteran's day homage
- Thread starter lionking
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Shanghai McCoy
Member
Battlefield pickup...?
Shanghai McCoy
Member
My father was in the Navy and my father-in-law was in the Army during WW2, both in the Pacific. My half brother was a Sea Bee during Korea.They have all passed on now...
I was in the Navy at the tail end of Vietnam then joined the Coast Guard Reserve in 78.
I was in the Navy at the tail end of Vietnam then joined the Coast Guard Reserve in 78.
Thank you! I knew it was armistice day but never knew what it meant.
Ill give that a shot over thanksgiving weekend.
CapnMac
Member
My paternal grandfather was a cavalryman in the Texas Army National Guard during the Great War; he was transfered to the Texas State Guard for WWII. My maternal grandfather was a Machinist's Mate in the Navy in WWII, his ship supported the landings at Anzio.
My mother's mother had 6 sisters and a brother. The brother was lost flying in B-24 over Ploesti. Each of the sisters married a Serviceman. One became a WASP, one was a WREN, two were WACs. The oungests of the sisters married a Marine who spent 1950-53 in Korea.
My father's father had 4 brothers.Two wound up working in Strategic industries (lumber and ship building). The youngest enlisted in the AF.
My father's sister married a Marine who made it through the Frozen Chosin. One of his sons, my cousin proudly served in the 82nd as an MP until a knee injury MDQed him in 1984.
My father was NROTC at o.u. during KW; that armistice was signed his junior year. He made the cut and survived the RIF to serve 23 years, all but 5 of that in the Reserves.
I attended Texas A&M &University, NROTC in the famed Corps of Cadets.
Service personnel are in my thoughts and prayers every day.
My mother's mother had 6 sisters and a brother. The brother was lost flying in B-24 over Ploesti. Each of the sisters married a Serviceman. One became a WASP, one was a WREN, two were WACs. The oungests of the sisters married a Marine who spent 1950-53 in Korea.
My father's father had 4 brothers.Two wound up working in Strategic industries (lumber and ship building). The youngest enlisted in the AF.
My father's sister married a Marine who made it through the Frozen Chosin. One of his sons, my cousin proudly served in the 82nd as an MP until a knee injury MDQed him in 1984.
My father was NROTC at o.u. during KW; that armistice was signed his junior year. He made the cut and survived the RIF to serve 23 years, all but 5 of that in the Reserves.
I attended Texas A&M &University, NROTC in the famed Corps of Cadets.
Service personnel are in my thoughts and prayers every day.
CapnMac
Member
In full detail, after protracted negotiations, and in the convoluted war-related Time shifting (Daylight Savings Time was invented in Germany as Wartime production aid, and imitated in almost all the belligerent nations) it was decided that the Cease Fire mandated by the Armistice would go into effect at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
The actual peace treaty (aka "Treaty of Versailles") was not signed until June of 1919.
Our British and Commonwealth friends wear a red poppy in Remembrance of the poem "On Flander's Fields."
Sistema1927
Member
I truly think that we have lost something in designating November 11th as Veteran's Day. In the UK and the Commonwealth what used to be called Armistice Day is now Remembrance Day, and both veterans and those killed in action are honored. I find that having Memorial Day in May and Veteran's Day in November confuse many folks. I can't count the number of people who want to thank me "for your service" at Memorial Day, not realizing that it is the proper time to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
As I was leaving church today I passed an old man leaning on a cane near the curb; he appeared to be waiting for his ride. I recognized him from the congregation but did not know his name. I smiled and said hello as I passed. He suddenly looked right into my eyes and said "Over 50 years ago I was in Korea!" . I paused , then said "I bet it was cold as hell". He said yes it was , then blurted out the name of the battle he was in and said "I lost three good friends there!". I reached for his hand , he took it , then started sobbing uncontrollably. I wrapped my arms around him and I cried too. Then my wife hugged him and we all cried together there on the sidewalk.
I do not know why he chose to speak to me , but I feel privileged to have had that opportunity to offer him a bit of comfort. I'll never forget him.
I do not know why he chose to speak to me , but I feel privileged to have had that opportunity to offer him a bit of comfort. I'll never forget him.
ontarget
Member
Makes you wonder how long that man has needed to get that off his chest. God bless him.
Never miss an opportunity to speak with a veteran. When they speak, we should listen. When they cry, it’s not because they didn’t get enough “likes” on their Facebook post.
Thank you to all who served. “Et nos in tua debitum”
Old Dog
Member
Just read through this thread and I'm remembering my paternal grandfather who fought with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I ... a quiet man, he never talked much about how bad it was, other than mentioning the lack of food, the cold, the damp, the rats in the trenches. He was twice wounded and participated in several major battles, including Cambrai.
Father served proudly in the U.S. Navy both WW II and the Korean conflict. He only talks ever about the funny stuff, as though he only did tours in versions of "McHale's Navy," though once (later on, when I was an adult) after a few cocktails he spoke sadly of men he'd seen die. I pretty much also have only told him the funny stories from my more'n twenty years on active duty; it just doesn't seem like we need talk about the bad stuff ... but we always acknowledge the bond of service, and even though it might sound hokey to some, the honor, the courage and the commitment. You'll never make friends like you do in the military; I can get together with one of my brothers I haven't seen for fifteen years, and it's as though last saw each other yesterday.
So yeah, Veteran's Day is one "holiday" that causes me to engage in much reflection ... (and too, Memorial Day). To all my brothers (and sisters) -- I salute you.
Father served proudly in the U.S. Navy both WW II and the Korean conflict. He only talks ever about the funny stuff, as though he only did tours in versions of "McHale's Navy," though once (later on, when I was an adult) after a few cocktails he spoke sadly of men he'd seen die. I pretty much also have only told him the funny stories from my more'n twenty years on active duty; it just doesn't seem like we need talk about the bad stuff ... but we always acknowledge the bond of service, and even though it might sound hokey to some, the honor, the courage and the commitment. You'll never make friends like you do in the military; I can get together with one of my brothers I haven't seen for fifteen years, and it's as though last saw each other yesterday.
So yeah, Veteran's Day is one "holiday" that causes me to engage in much reflection ... (and too, Memorial Day). To all my brothers (and sisters) -- I salute you.
MedWheeler
Member
My dad did some time in the Air Force (Air Police) before being recruited by the Agency, for which he helped build communications systems for surveillance aircraft. He was involved with the SR71 Blackbird project and was still posted on Okinawa when I was born there. He was out by the time I was two years old. We didn't know each other for decades after that, my parents divorcing shortly after. He died in 2010, about ten years after we had re-established contact. The last two guns he'd owned are with me now.
His father, whom I never knew due to an early death, preceded him in the AF, also having been posted to Naha, Okinawa. Prior to that, he had done some Army time.
I have both men's flags.
My uncle (mother's brother) and his son both retired from the Air Force. Another uncle (an aunt's husband) was Army during the Korean War.
I singed up myself for the Army in December of 1983, with a report date of 29 August, 1984 (after HS graduation.) However, on 06 June, 1984 (40th anniversary of Normandy), I sustained an injury in a street mugging, an injury that, when discovered at MEPS, resulted in my being sent home, so I didn't get to serve, entering civilian law enforcement instead.
Saluting veterans with honor...
His father, whom I never knew due to an early death, preceded him in the AF, also having been posted to Naha, Okinawa. Prior to that, he had done some Army time.
I have both men's flags.
My uncle (mother's brother) and his son both retired from the Air Force. Another uncle (an aunt's husband) was Army during the Korean War.
I singed up myself for the Army in December of 1983, with a report date of 29 August, 1984 (after HS graduation.) However, on 06 June, 1984 (40th anniversary of Normandy), I sustained an injury in a street mugging, an injury that, when discovered at MEPS, resulted in my being sent home, so I didn't get to serve, entering civilian law enforcement instead.
Saluting veterans with honor...
FL-NC
Member
It may be. Growing up, we had an elderly neighbor, when I was a little kid, I found out he was in something called WW1. I remember him using that e-tool doing yard work (when he was still able to). He would dig around the sidewalk with that thing to clear the weeds on the edges, and swing it with considerable force to remove small sprouting twigs on trees. He passed when I was 13 or so, and his wife passed a few years later. His son and daughter were cleaning out his house, and paid me a few dollars to clean out his backyard shed. Like many elderly people at the time who had survived the depression, etc. he wasn't known to throw much away if he had deemed something useful, so there was a lot in that shed. Son and daughter took a few things, but most was determined to be "junk" to be tossed. They passed on the e-tool that I found in the corner covered in rust and cobwebs. I recognized it as a military item, and knowing about his prior service, and remembering how he used it in the yard (and knowing the was these were often employed in trench warfare for tasks besides digging a cat-hole), I told them that it was an old shovel he likely used in the army in France. Son and daughter were unimpressed. I removed the e-tool from the "junk" pile, and took custody of it myself. I don't know if that thing is US, German, or from some other military. I have no idea how it made the trip to his house and ended up in his shed. But I consider it a part of a WW1 vet's history. Its still very serviceable, and could easily be used to dig that cathole, or even defend yourself in hand to hand combat during a trench assault.
Its just a story about an old piece of military gear, but its a true story. I would love to know the whole story, but unfortunately it was buried with that veteran.
GunnyUSMC
Member
To all those that served, Thank you.
==================
The Sound of Thunder
The thunder rolls and the ground shakes.
Sand splashes into the air staining the horizon with smoke and dust.
I grip my rifle tighter and move forward.
The air shakes and then the thunder cracks the sky.
The ground to my front erupts like a volcano with fire smoke and debris.
The Beauty is none like I have ever seen.
I grip my rifle tighter and move forward.
There is nothing else to do, but to keep going forward, into the fight.
War is not glorious as it is written in books.
It is only glorious in the moment. Once you walk among the destruction and dead, and the thunder no longer fills the skies, there is only the feelings of lost and shame.
There is no true glory in the end, only peace for those that die and pain for those that live.
I grip my rifle tighter and await the sound of thunder.
GySgt G. L. Bihm
USMC
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The Sound of Thunder
The thunder rolls and the ground shakes.
Sand splashes into the air staining the horizon with smoke and dust.
I grip my rifle tighter and move forward.
The air shakes and then the thunder cracks the sky.
The ground to my front erupts like a volcano with fire smoke and debris.
The Beauty is none like I have ever seen.
I grip my rifle tighter and move forward.
There is nothing else to do, but to keep going forward, into the fight.
War is not glorious as it is written in books.
It is only glorious in the moment. Once you walk among the destruction and dead, and the thunder no longer fills the skies, there is only the feelings of lost and shame.
There is no true glory in the end, only peace for those that die and pain for those that live.
I grip my rifle tighter and await the sound of thunder.
GySgt G. L. Bihm
USMC
Military service is a brother/ sisterhood; I do believe that the discipline of wearing the uniform serves a lifetime - once a soldier, always a soldier - it is simply unspoken. I am glad I served, I learned a lot and I had a good time. I still tear up when I see a warrior come home to his/ her children - I also tear up when I hear Taps - the service was good for me and my success in life to this day. “Airborne, all the way!”
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