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I'm actually not old enough to understand... - 11/10/2006 7:47:51 PM

LTRsubNW

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...this stuff, but, I'd like to say thank you to those who preceded me.

My Dad was one of those who came just slightly after. My Grandfather...just before.

Whoever you are, I have no concept of what you went through, but thank you.

That was remarkably big of you.

Happy Veterans Day.

(Thank you again).

< Message edited by LTRsubNW -- 11/10/2006 7:50:15 PM >

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RE: I'm actually not old enough to understand... - 11/10/2006 7:57:49 PM

Sinergy

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Hello A/all,

My grandfather served on a naval light cruiser in World War 2.

He would regale me with stories about the battles of Midway and the Coral Sea, firing salvos at Japanese positions on Wake Island, his ship getting a huge hole blown in it with a torpedo by a japanese torpedo bomber, shore leave in Australia.

He would sit in his chair as I played on the floor or talked to him, smoking a cigarette, drinking a bourbon on the rocks, and staring with distant eyes out the window at the ocean.

When I went to college I studied the psychological effects of war on the minds of soldiers. No matter what ever happens in life after being a soldier, the memories of war and what one did in it never leave ones mind. He had been dead 7 years when I finally learned about his worldview.

I still miss him.

Sinergy

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RE: I'm actually not old enough to understand... - 11/10/2006 8:15:36 PM

ownedgirlie

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A graduate of Annapolis Naval Academy, my Dad served on a destroyer (I believe the USS Hank but I may not be remembering correctly) in the Korean war. He wouldn't speak much of the war, but he did tell of a night he had watch duty up on the look out tower. He said he should have died that night. There was a terrible storm, knocking the ship around. At one point the ship was rocking from side to side, and my Dad, strapped onto the lookout tower, was swaying off in one direction while the body of the ship was rocking in the opposite direction. Twice he was hit by massive swells and almost taken out. He said that was the night he came to know there is a God.

After that, he served on submarines. I guess he thought it was safer? I know he enjoyed them more; he spoke of his submarine days often and affectionately. He died just three months ago and I miss him, and all his stories. I should have recorded them.

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RE: I'm actually not old enough to understand... - 11/10/2006 9:54:37 PM

juliaoceania

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My uncle served two tours in Vietnam, one of them as a helicopter gunner. He was awarded a purple heart. He was so gunho the first tour, not so much when he came home and settled down to his married life after his second tour.

I remember once when I was at his home he had a Vietnamese boy come and stay with him as an exchange student in the mid 80s. It was the only time he ever talked about his experience at all with me. He said that he felt he owed it to try to help at least one child from there, his eyes were just filled with pain, and he said on one hand he felt compelled to do it, and on the other hand it brought back a lot of bad feelings to have this teen in his home.

He did relate things to my father about his experience, the bulk of which were never shared with me, but there are things that my uncle had to do that no one should have to do, orders he followed that haunt him still, and it says so much about his character he that he tried the best he could to make peace with it the best he knew how. Some scars are not visible on the outside so much...

No matter how one feels about war (and I have made my feelings pretty apparent here...smiles) One cannot fault those who join the military out of a sense of duty to family and country. My uncle actually was a volunteer, he did not wait for the draft. Many of our troops overseas today joined from a sense of wanting to protect their country in the wake of 9-11, one can only say that we should think of their struggle everyday.

I am having a very melancholy night, and I have one friend from college that lost his son in Afghanistan. It is young people like his son exemplified that serve us, and every day should be Veteran's Day. We should take care of them when they would give everything to take care of us.

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RE: I'm actually not old enough to understand... - 11/11/2006 1:00:07 AM

Sinergy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: juliaoceania

I am having a very melancholy night, and I have one friend from college that lost his son in Afghanistan. It is young people like his son exemplified that serve us, and every day should be Veteran's Day. We should take care of them when they would give everything to take care of us.

One of my favorite lines from a movie was stated by Demi Moore in "A Few Good Men" where she is talking about the Marines in Gitmo. I may not have it exactly right.

"They stand on a wall doing their job, and they say to us that we will be safe under their watch"

I had my own personal reasons for not going into the military myself, but I have nothing but the utmost respect for those who chose that path.

Just me, could be wrong, but there you go.

Sinergy

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"Every so often you let a word or phrase out and you want to catch it and bring it back. You cant do that, it is gone, gone forever." J. Danforth Quayle

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RE: I'm actually not old enough to understand... - 11/11/2006 1:08:18 AM

sissifytoserve

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You know...

At one time I really believed I was doing good by joining the military and maaking my contribution..
being the first in the USA born of Dutch immigrant parents.

To this day, I still beleive in the oath with all my heart and soul.

"i will support and defend the CONSTITUTION of the United States...."

you bet..in a second.

Id die for that.

I wont die for EMPIRE or WALL ST. or a corrupt president however.

Nor will I kill the elderly, unarmed men women and children...no way.

< Message edited by sissifytoserve -- 11/11/2006 1:13:00 AM >

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RE: I'm actually not old enough to understand... - 11/11/2006 10:12:37 PM

proudsub

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My dad was commander of a destroyer escort in WWII. A movie called "Proud" was made about their story because it was the first time the navy had an all black crew with white officers. There's also a book and a documentary about it called "Proudly We Served, the Men of the USS Mason". It took 50 years for the navy to award the Letters of Commendation that my dad had recommended for the crew for their heroic exploits during a terrible Atlantic storm. I went to that ceremony in D.C. and met some of the crew members, it was quite an experience.
If anyone is interested here is the site about the movie: http://www.proudthemovie.com/index.htm
and here's a site about the story of the USS Mason:
http://www.ussmason.org/1opt.html

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