Sitting in the backyard w/ my 99 year old pop and he's talking about WWII, ooh and we're having a beer

[txramfan]

Pop use to enjoy watching 12 O clock High the tv series but no other WWII type tv show. Now he and mom enjoy Western tv shows and movies and John Wayne movies using the dvr.


Not a war story
Years ago , 30 or so , pop and my uncle who also served on a B17 were at an air show and they considered going up again. Pop decided he'd used his luck up already and my Uncle agreed , they didn't go for a ride.

 

[txramfan]

I miss my father more and more... when he was starting to get dementia the VA was going to do a MRI on his brain but x-rayed his head first.... hunk of steel about the size of a quarter in his brain from a little stint he did while a Marine back in Korea the Winter of 1950, actually it was still Fall... 10 days November into December, when the temperature dropped to 30 below and something like a 80- 100,000 Chinese came at him and his buddies.

I have mad respect for men like your dad and all those who fought n bled n gave the ultimate sacrifice.

A friend of 50 years, who heard my dad tell about his mission supporting the Battle of the Bulge , his father was also a WWII vet the same age as my pop. His dad dropped into France in June of 44 ( I'm not sure if it was the night of d day or the next) lost part of a foot to a landmine a few weeks after landing. Never heard him talk of course I was too young n dumb to think to ask and learn.

 

[Uncle Howie]

txramfan-

I knew I’d be hitting “Like,” just by the title of your post.

The stories were just a bonus! 👍

 

[2Late45]

You are so blessed to be able to spend time with him. One of the founding members of my club was a B-17 ball turret gunner. Man the strories he used to share. Have never met another man of his short stature to command such respect...

 

[bookemdano]

You don't know how much I envy all you guys with good memories of your
father. Only good memory I have of mine was when he died. He worked
me like a borrowed mule and treated the mule better. My absolute
earliest memory of him is when I was about 5. He'd owned a sawmill
at the time. 6 days a week he'd harness up ole Jim, a Clydesdale. My job
was to ride Jim from where the logs were dropped off where my uncle
would pound the dogs into as many as 4 logs and I'd guide Jim to the
mill about a 1/4 mile away. If I didn't get there in time so he didn't have
to wait I'd get a whipping goofing off. Usually with a leather belt. And
that is the best memory I have of him because I loved that old horse.
Yeh, I really do envy any one with memories like most of you have.
Dano

 

[SmithMPguy]

I can echo all the above comments. Treasure those times & memories.

My Dad was 11th Airborne in WWII. Pacific Theater.

My grandfather was in the 11th during ww11

 

[SmithMPguy]

Contender if you have not read this book you should. It was written by one of the pows rescued. And it about the 11th.

 

[txramfan]

Another beer, Bud because I don't like IPAs and Guinness in too heavy for pop and another new story. Well not much of one just in yakking pop made after comment about what they tuned the radio to during missions.
Because of radio silence the BBC was listened to outbound and back. Pop commented it was strange to hear the BBC announce a town had just been bombed...minutes after they had.

Pop also told of the listening to Axis Sally in the officers club and she said the clock was x minutes fast where he was, it was.

Pop doesn't like listening to music, music is what they listened to on the BBC during missions.

 

[Selena]

When I first started volunteering at IVH it seemed like over half the residents were WWII veterans. As a volunteer I was able to interact with them on a personal basis. I went as far to carry a voice recorder and when they started telling their stories I would record them. Very few talked about the war but some of the first hand impressions of life in the 30's and 40's were incredible. Today there is only 5 left. While I bent a lot of the rules.. (ok shattered more than a few) I don't regret any of the little niceties I did for my TOB's. OK, swiping my brother's trumpet was more than a little overboard but if you could have seen Victor playing "In The Mood" you would understand why I'm not losing any sleep over it.

Just remember the vets of Korea are the new endangered species and they deserve to have their stories told as well. It doesn't take much to get them talking. Just be willing to listen.

 

[cpt-t]

txramfan: I envy You more than I could ever put into words. Shake Your Dads hand and give Your Dad a big old hug on the neck. And tell Him they were from me. True Men like Your Father saved Our Country and the whole World back during WW11. And they should be told every day, several times a day how truly special they are. True ((( HERO`S ))) every one of them.
GOD BLESS THEM ALL:
ken

 

[contender]

SmithMPguy,, thanks for the info. My Dad didn't talk too much about his experiences in the Pacific theater. However,, he did comment on how tough the Japanese were. He respected them.
He also caught a juvenile monkey on Latye after they invaded. He kept her with him a lot,, and left her with a house boy when on patrol etc. After the war,, he smuggled her home & she lived until Jan 1977. I was raised with a monkey around.
He didn't have any pictures of them over there,, but he did have a small pocket diary he made some notes in occasionally. We discovered this after Mom passed & we got all of Dad's stored stuff. (Dad passed before Mom.)
I'll look into that book. Thanks,

 

[SmithMPguy]

SmithMPguy,, thanks for the info. My Dad didn't talk too much about his experiences in the Pacific theater. However,, he did comment on how tough the Japanese were. He respected them.
He also caught a juvenile monkey on Latye after they invaded. He kept her with him a lot,, and left her with a house boy when on patrol etc. After the war,, he smuggled her home & she lived until Jan 1977. I was raised with a monkey around.
He didn't have any pictures of them over there,, but he did have a small pocket diary he made some notes in occasionally. We discovered this after Mom passed & we got all of Dad's stored stuff. (Dad passed before Mom.)
I'll look into that book. Thanks,

Your very welcome. That is a good memory to have. I have his jump uniform and jump wings that he was discharged with. Have a few more pictures

 

[txramfan]

So pop asks if there is a cold one , of course there is and we head out back. Almost sneaking off from mom. We sit and talk about what's happening now , what's needed and talk some politics( I'd give his views here but don't want this political ), and pop tells a story I've heard before and enjoy hearing and thought you folks would appreciate.

Back in El Paso my uncle, pops future brother in law, was learning the art of navigating a B 17. It was hot , the beer was hot and the decision was made to load a B 17 with some beverages fly to 20,000 and return to base. They did and I'm told my uncle drank some of that cold beer.

Only time I heard this uncle ask if anyone would like a drink ( or saw him drink) was the day we buried Gramma , his mom. We were in his driveway after the funeral and Uncle asks if anyone would like a beverage. My jaw dropped and I joined him in toasting .

Wasteful spending was part of our conversation, before the beer story which pop figured burned a thousand gallons + of fuel.

 

[Bobberfishin]

My Dad was a B-24 pilot in WWII. I have his Bomber jacket patch, field glasses & photo album from back then. He's been gone over 38 yrs & I miss him every day. He really didn't talk much of those days, must be some hard memories to shake