[planenutsfrog]

Early in his 30 years long career in the French Air force, my dad did a tour in Indochina in 1952. He was then posted to North Africa, where he would stay from 1953 to 1961. He has been a mechanic and aircraft electrician.

His immediately younger brother, did a similar career in the Navy, wich included several tours in Indochina. Notably taking part in amphibious actions with the "Dinassauts" (River Naval Assault Divisions).
Almost constantly at sea for 30 years, he had been in all the campaigns of the French Navy ! He was a radar operator. He died recently from cancer.

[Nimrod48]

My father ( 90 in December ) served in the Royal Navy though he hardly talks about the war I do know he served in the Med & on Russian convoy duties two of his ships were HMS Relentless & HMS Velox, he claims one of his first duties on joining the Navy was to stand guard at Chatham docks armed only with a broomhandle with a nail on the end, I can only think that this was post Dunkirk when weapons were in very short supply!!.

[aeroeng]

My Dad was in the Army on his way down to Cuba when the missile crisis settled down. My brother-in-law was a Marine in Desert Storm. My father-in-law was an Army helicopter mechanic in Vietnam. My Grandpa and an Uncle were in the military but I don't think they were involved in any conflicts.

[duxford]

Pictures of my father: 2-22-44 from San Antonio; then he went to Europe after D-Day. Transportation. He was a Pennsylvania RR engineer before the War. Then divorce. I was born in 1941. He stayed in, with re-enlistment in December 1969. He smoked (like all), and died of lung cancer in 1978 at age 64. You will note a resemblance from my father to my son (in Afghanistan). I was not in the service. I wish I knew more about my father's military service. I had his Purple Heart and his Good Conduct medal.

[Merritec]

Tank Nut

A BIG Thank You for starting this Post. I have to admit this has been the best post I have seen on this forum. First post to bring tears to my eyes and has really reminded me to be thankful of our vets.
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the models that we forget the men and the stories behind them.

[timbo]

Originally Posted by JustPlaneNuttz

My Mom served in the Royal Canadian Navy for the whole thing. She did spend some time in somewhere in the UK for a year or so. She did mention Bletchley Park a couple of times. Not completely sure of what she did. When I was a kid, if it wasn't flyin' I wasn't in to it(??!!) so I never really investigated. Now I suspect she may have had something to do with code. Not 100% sure though. Regrettably, she passed away in 1998 leaving a lot of stories untold.

I spent a short term in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserves back in the early 70s. No biggy.

If she was at Bletchley then she definitely had something to do with code - probably setting up and running one the the enigma decoding computers that were there.

[IXEC]

My late father served in the Army Engineer's 818th Engineer Aviation Battalion as C Company's 1st Sergeant, in WW II. They built all kinds of airfield for the USAAF. For two years ( 6/42--6/44) they built concrete runways in England. Then they built on the Continent, mostly at the front, from 6/44---9/45. He didn't talk about the war, I found info about him in research. He died of cancer at 62.

My 90 year old uncle ( mother's side ) served in the Navy. He put troops on the beaches on D-Day. I'm not allowed to talk to him about it. His younger brother also served in the Navy on a Destroyer as a 40mm AA gunner in the Pacific.

My father lost a cousin at Leyte Gulf after his ship was sunk by a torpedo.

His other cousin was on Omaha beach on D-Day, I remember he would talk after a few drinks, and mutter about having to swim through blood and guts or drown, and seeing every kind of horror. He died of ALS at 50.

My other uncle was in the Seventh Army's 242nd Infantry Division in WW II. He's 93 and talks openly about the war. He was a cook. He tells about his company getting wiped out and losing 156 men in under 6 minutes at the battle of Hatten. His unit had only been on the Continent for 10 days and he ended up being one of only 8 men that survived that 6 minute hell at Hatten.

I have great respect for our service men and women.

I never served, as my father thought it would not be a good thing for me to do. He always said " wait till they come and get you ", meaning , only go if you get drafted. I always thought my dad gave me good advice.

My nephew is a Lt.in Ordnance, and he wants to go to Iraq. He tells me it will " look good " on his resume. I tell him if he get's a resume, I hope he doesn't go.

[kabelace]

My mother and father were in there early teens living in Holland in WWII. Mom never talked much about it as her father my Opa was in the Dutch under ground and was captured. He was lucky and placed in a concentration camp. He managed to survive but never talked about it, and all my mom would say is that he was a different man. He had lost his sole. When he passed away 20 years ago my mother blamed it on what had happened to him in the camp. As a young lad growing up my Dad would tell of the mischief they got into harassing the occupying German forces, Lighting fires at night so the RAF bombers could get a navigation fix. and the American forces at the end of the war. To them at the end of the war the Americans were just another occupying force until the restrictions were lifted. The one story he would tell often happened after the war when the Americans were in charge. To survive he got involved with the black market, well there store house got raided by the Americans and they took everything. So that night they set fires in a park on the opposite side of town from the American barracks and tossed in ammunition, belts of MG ammo and everything else they could find. Well the ammo started cooking off and as my dad put it the Americans came racing out of there barracks all set to fight the war again. As the Yanks were getting ready to deal with the new threat my dad and the rest of the black markaters strolled into the American base and liberated all there stores plus a few extra. As he put it the Americans were none to pleased when they realized what had happened.
At the end of the war when the Dutch government was back in power they brought in manditory military service for all young Dutch males. Well my dad had seen enough deathand destruction and wanted nothing to do with the military so he applied for Visas for Canada and New Zealand. The papers for Canada came in first so thats why in a Canuck and not a Kiwi.

[chiefs70]

My great uncle was in the Marines and fought on Tarawa - million dollar wound there sent him home.
My grandfather was in the Merchant Marines from '42 - 46. He has some very interesting stories regarding U-boats and kamikazes.
My uncle did two tours with the Marines in Viet Nam- recon both tours.
My scoutmaster - like a father to me - was a Slick pilot in the Army - two tours running insertions and evacs including "unofficial" trips to Cambodia and Laos.
My brother did one tour in Kuwait/Iraq as a crew chief on Chinooks.

[BigMo]

My father in-law S/Sgt CJ Navarette 489th Bonbardment Squadron out of Corsica His picture is on the bottom of the page.


The 489th Bombardment Squadron in Corsica- Gunners, Part 2