Memorial Day Thoughts!

[MoBuckChaser]

Was just thinking of my Dad and his 4 brothers, 5 guys that are from the greatest generation that has ever lived.
All 5 fought in WWII with one brother not making it home alive! Along with thousands of others that fought and paid the ultimate price for our freedom and country!

I won't make it down to Fort Snelling to see my dad and his brothers till we get a rain day. Do any of you visit grave sites on Memorial Day? Any Stories or thoughts?

 

[Deer Kar]

Thank You to ALL Vets!!!!!

 

[sandbur]

I do not visit grave sites as it is too hard on me. However I do remember and do not need to visit grave sites to do so.

I missed Vietnam by a sliver and had a very low draft number drawn. My age group was not drafted. Many of my friends and older cousins are suffering the results of Vietnam and the Agent Orange that was used. I have tremendous respect for Gary Clancy with his outdoor writings and battles against the big C. I see similar struggles in my cousin. One cousin did not return.

These Vietnam vets have a special place in my heart. I can cut them some slack in things that they do and how they react to certain circumstances. Many returned home to a public that did not support them or recognize their efforts.

My step father is a WW2 vet and my father in law is a Korea vet. My Mother and Dad are long gone.

 

[Turkey Creek]

My grandfather is a WWII vet. Thank you to all our Vets! I try to do my best to show my appreciation and support whenever I can no matter the day of the year. It is easy to forget on a day to day basis how much has been sacrificed on our behalf.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Today is a day I remember my friend SFC Dan Petithory. He and I graduated from high school together and we both served in Desert Storm. He was KIA in Dec. 2001 serving with the 5th SFG during the link up with Karzai. Dan is pictured on the cover kneeling (far right) with the Boston Red Sox cap.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Amen to that. God bless all the men that made this country what it is today.. This is my grandpop and prolly the best man I have ever known. He died about this time last yr at age 93. He to fought in WWII and served our country for over 20 yrs. Raised 12 kids! Always put God and family first. After retiring from the Army he helped design and construct the elevator system in the STL arch, Raised wild mustang horses and could shoot pistols and pool with the best of em!!!! I hope I can do my part as he did to make this world a better place.... I don't visit cemeteries either...

 

[MoBuckChaser]

This is My uncle, middle guy of the bottom row. SFC John P Roemhild KIA, North Africa Oct 23rd 1943.
I am very proud to have and carry on with a war hero's name!
Almost everyone in this picture was KIA.
As was almost everyone in my dads unit, in the 13th airborne.
Real Hero's!
Natty, sorry to hear about your buddy....another Real American Hero! thanks for posting!

 

[slugger]

I do not visit grave sites as it is too hard on me. However I do remember and do not need to visit grave sites to do so.

I missed Vietnam by a sliver and had a very low draft number drawn. My age group was not drafted. Many of my friends and older cousins are suffering the results of Vietnam and the Agent Orange that was used. I have tremendous respect for Gary Clancy with his outdoor writings and battles against the big C. I see similar struggles in my cousin. One cousin did not return.

These Vietnam vets have a special place in my heart. I can cut them some slack in things that they do and how they react to certain circumstances. Many returned home to a public that did not support them or recognize their efforts.

My step father is a WW2 vet and my father in law is a Korea vet. My Mother and Dad are long gone.

I too just missed Vietnam Nam. I kept my college deferment long enough to end up in Germany instead. My AIT class was the first one that no one was sent to Nam. I applaud all the support the returning soldiers receive now and think how sad it was the way Vets were treated returning from Nam. It was a nasty war.
My Dad served in WWII along with several of his brothers. One was shot down parachuting into Holland. My Dad saw the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima through binoculars serving on a ship off the coast.

 

[dipper]

Thank you to all

 

[Natty Bumppo]

View attachment 607
This is My uncle, middle guy of the bottom row. SFC John P Roemhild KIA, North Africa Oct 23rd 1943.
I am very proud to have and carry on with a war hero's name!
Almost everyone in this picture was KIA.
As was almost everyone in my dads unit, in the 13th airborne.
Real Hero's!
Natty, sorry to hear about your buddy....another Real American Hero! thanks for posting!

MoBuckChaser, I just got done reading about a half dozen books about Operation Torch, Patton, and the invasion's of Sicily and Italy. One salient point I took away was the degree to which the US Army in North Africa was like a babe in the woods...inexperienced, naive, and soft. Many men, like your uncle and those pictured with him, died as the US Army in its infancy learned how to fight, how to be brutal and merciless, and how to hate the enemy.

Lest We Forget

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

MoBuckChaser, I just got done reading about a half dozen books about Operation Torch, Patton, and the invasion's of Sicily and Italy. One salient point I took away was the degree to which the US Army in North Africa was like a babe in the woods...inexperienced, naive, and soft. Many men, like your uncle and those pictured with him, died as the US Army in its infancy learned how to fight, how to be brutal and merciless, and how to hate the enemy.

Lest We Forget

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Inexperienced was there commanders, one would assume. To Have a whole company of men stopped on a road in the middle of North Africa in the wide open? I guess its all wide open there. I would also assume it was like shooting ducks in a barrel when the German Planes came in and killed most of them. It was Oct 1943. Should not have happened that far into the war. But its war, anything can happen at anytime.

My dad was 16 years old when he lied about his age to join the army after his brother was killed. Then at 17 was in a plane with a bunch of other kids being dropped from the air in the dark on D-Day. How much experience can a bunch of kids have? None, But they got the job done! But No wonder he never talked about it.

That is why they were called the greatest generation.

What is the quote from if I can ask?

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Inexperienced was there commanders, one would assume. To Have a whole company of men stopped on a road in the middle of North Africa in the wide open? I guess its all wide open there. I would also assume it was like shooting ducks in a barrel when the German Planes came in and killed most of them. It was Oct 1943. Should not have happened that far into the war. But its war, anything can happen at anytime.

My dad was 16 years old when he lied about his age to join the army after his brother was killed. Then at 17 was in a plane with a bunch of other kids being dropped from the air in the dark on D-Day. How much experience can a bunch of kids have? None, But they got the job done! But No wonder he never talked about it.

That is why they were called the greatest generation.

What is the quote from if I can ask?

Yeah, you got it...a lot of inexperienced field officers.

That quote comes from Laurence Binyon's poem For the Fallen...often referred to as Referred to as the Ode of Remembrance

 

[j-bird]

I have a few veterans that have served that I am proud of. My grandfather on my dad's side lost his leg in Casino Italy in WWII following Patton - he returned home and started a family. He passed away from Cancer when my father was just 13. My grandfather's brother on my mom's side served and returned as well from Europe. My wifes 2 grandfathers served also - one was a sailor in the pacific and the other was in the army and flew scout planes in Europe. A close family friend served in Korea as well.

To anyone who is serving or has served in the past - please accept my honest "Thank You" for your service, dedication and self-sacrafice. We as a nation can never repay the debt owed - "freedom don't come free".