Naval aviator

[Mobuck]

Here's a story about a local man who I had no idea was a pilot in the Pacific naval air battles:
I knew this man as the Father of 2 boys (one my age and one 4 years older) who farmed and taught math at the local high school. He and Dad didn't always see "eye to eye" but didn't squabble in public either-just a couple of older guys who went their own ways. The older Son and I become good friends and my older Son worked for him a bit in the summer hay harvest. Later, I worked for/with him after I retired and when he died suddenly, I took care of the farm until the family could manage it themselves. In those years after that loss, my friend's Father and I got much closer as he needed to have someone to take his lost Son's place in his life.
About 4 years later, he also passed and I again stepped in to buffer the family from the daily demands of farm management. The morning of the funeral, I received a phone call from a very official sounding voice. It was the officer in charge of the Navy funeral detail that would be attending the services. This was a first for me and I began to wonder if there was a bit more about "Bill" that I didn't know. The officer indicated that I had been designated to receive the flag for the family so I should be suitably dressed.
Before the service, I met with the officer to go over the procedure and it finally came to light that "Bill" was a decorated and very successful combat pilot who had contributed significantly to overcoming the Japanese.

 

[contender]

Once again, a member of the Greatest Generation showed why we revere them so. They did their Duty,, they didn't need to "crow" about it. They also were most often quite humble,, knowing that it was War, and as they say; "War is Hell."
As I mentioned in another post,, there is a lot of history all around us,, if we look for it.

Obviously,, this gentleman thought a LOT of you.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Since my Dad was a WWII Vet and a long time member of the VFW. as a pre and teenager I hung around with a lot of Vets both at our home and at the VFW. I also lived on USAF bases during Korea.
I think one of the reason "they didn't need to "crow" about it' was because at the time period everybody was evolved in the war effort in some way. Yes there was a lot of joking about which branch you were in and what you did. But it was all done with respect and also respect was shown for the effort that the Civilians did on "The Home Front." Many on the Home Front had it worse than some of the ones in the Service.

A different time and a different type of person for sure.
Most that I knew just wanted to get on with their life and make life better for Old Farts like me.

JOB WELL DONE DAD. Your efforts live on in you Grandson Grand Daughter and Great Grandson and Great Grand Daughters.

 

[bogus bill]

I well recall the end of the war as I was born in early 1941. I came from a huge family, dad was the oldest of ten. I think I had about 8 uncles in the service counting moms side. It was wild times. Seemed within several weeks they all showed up, most I hadn't seen before. I hardly had seen my dad during the war as he was froze to his job far away as a machinist making airplane propellers. He quit his job, came home and took me fishing on the creek behind the general store my mom ran. He caught a big bass and said something about it being illegal as the season didn't open on them until next week. I scooped up the fish and scrambled up the bank to run and show ma. A stranger was standing there and said, whatcha ya got there son? I am a game warden and that fish is illegal? My dad was following me about 20 yards behind and I pointed at him and yelled, "He made me carry it!" The stranger and dad howled with laughter! I just met another uncle! We didn't lose anyone, they all came back. One uncle did later commit suicide. I think he had PTSD. He had been through a lot of bad action with the 82nd AB. (gliders).
He stayed a bachelor and ran a junkyard. We were very close and I have his flag and metals encased on the wall.
https://i.postimg.cc/RZsYtC4K/Eldon-Bruhn.jpg

 

[bogus bill]

I had a German lady friend (still see her every few years) born in Berlin just a few months after me. Her dad was in the Russian Gulag and was among the very last prisoners released by the Russians in the early 1950`s.
She said when the train full of prisoners showed up all were wearing rags and skinny--except her dad. He was wearing a suit and she said looked like a executive. The Russians had got to him! Her mother immediately divorced him. He was given a high powered government job in east Berlin. My friend was given pass`s to visit him occasionally.
And then I had another GF. She was a war orphan from the early bombing in England. She lived in Newcastle near the Victors plant. A bomb killed her mother. Her dad she said was killed flying a spitfire. The government brought her up in boarding schools. I had gone through a bad divorce and was fighting for custody of my young daughter and didn't stand a chance of getting custody nor even much visitation as I worked graveyard. Ended up having this woman living with me. I was a Lockheed aircraft company guard and at the time we were building the L 10-11 that used Rolls Royce engines. I knew the English Rolls Royce factory rep. He also had been a pilot in the RAF. One day I told him Martine`s story. He started to cry. He had been part of the action that day her mom got killed. He said one German bomber did get through us and dropped a bomb short of the gate to the street at the Victors plant and he knew some civilians died. Small world! Later Martine died at home with me of cancer.