What my Dad drove in the war
- Thread starter btrumanj
- Start date
DA_TriggR4Ruger
Hunter
If that's your garage... that's cool. The ceiling does not look like much clearance though. Can you actually get inside there?
deac45
Blackhawk
Now that's a home security system!
Deac45
Deac45
Holy Moly! How many rounds does the magazine hold? :) Uncle Joe, you know the idoit who just happens to be the VP, will be coming after you for having an "assault" thing-a-majig. :lol:
M'BOGO
Buckeye
The guys that drove those big bullet magnets, that Jerry called Tommy Cookers, have my respect. Do you know what unit he was in btrumanj, or where it was he was being bounced around at?
OP
btrumanj
Single-Sixer
M'BOGO said:
2nd Marine Division on Saipan and a few other islands. In Japan in the early days after the bomb.
This is where my Dad rode in the war. Both jobs were made for small guys. Weather was a little different. -40-30F and not much air to breath also a lot of those black steel clouds floting around and planes with black crosses on them :D
Jim,
Really cramped quarters for long flights to the Hinterland and back. :shock:
Tensaw
Really cramped quarters for long flights to the Hinterland and back. :shock:
Tensaw
M'BOGO
Buckeye
btrumanj said:
Those guys in the island campaigns deserve more respect than can be vocalized.
Good pictures with both the tank and aircraft. Tough jobs that people stepped up and did.
M'BOGO
Buckeye
And any of the belly turret gunners were lucky to survive a tour.
Don Lovel
Hunter
My dad was radio man in a half track with the 9th Armored Div when the battle for Ludendorf Bridge at Remagen was happening in the spring of 1945
He will celebrate his 87th birthday on March 23rd
He will celebrate his 87th birthday on March 23rd
btrumanj said:
Hmm, what division? My dad also drove a "Ronson". Sixth (Super Sixth) Armored Divison.
flatgate
Hawkeye
:roll: Wow, that Sherman is awesome! My Dad was on a Half-Track crew until he heard the call for Aviators.
He jumped into the B-17's, hoping for a Pilot rating. He didn't quite "cut the mustard" and was put into
Bombardier training.
Ol' Flatgate setting in the Bombardier's seat in Sentimental Journey just prior to Take Off.
What an awesome experience for me! He was credited with 50 missions during WWII. He stuck it out after the war
and ended up in B-52's, including a bunch of time flying over S.E. Asia.
flatgate
He jumped into the B-17's, hoping for a Pilot rating. He didn't quite "cut the mustard" and was put into
Bombardier training.
Ol' Flatgate setting in the Bombardier's seat in Sentimental Journey just prior to Take Off.
What an awesome experience for me! He was credited with 50 missions during WWII. He stuck it out after the war
and ended up in B-52's, including a bunch of time flying over S.E. Asia.
flatgate
toysoldier
Hunter
M'BOGO said:
The USAAF did an analysis of 1,117 air-battle casualties. Percent killed and wounded, by position:
Bombadiers 17.6%
Waist gunners 20.9%
Tail gunners 12.5%
Navigators 12/2%
Radio operators 8.5%
Top turret gunners 8.4%
Pilot 7.4%
Co-pilot 6.6%
Ball turret 5.9%
from Gunner by Donald Nijboer
There is, however, the poem Death of the Ball Turret Gunner by Randall Jarrell
From my mother's sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur
froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from the dream
of life,
I woke to black flack and the nightmare
fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret
with a hose.
