IT WAS THE 6th OF JUNE AND A KENWORTH HAUL'N LOGS

[MalahatTwo7]

Oh wait... wrong event.

Ok, now that I got your attention, I just wanted to make a short statement of Rememberance for what this day really means to a very great many of us.

Like all people of my "Generation" I am not near old enough to remember the events of World War 2, but I grew up seeing the affects of it. My Grandfather (like so many other Grandfathers) served during the War. It was only by the good fortune (?) of wearing glasses that he was de-selected off the Jump Line prior to loading the gliders etc for the para drops of D-Day.

Even though he did no fighting, he was part of the initial clean up crews in the Camps and other places after most of the fighting had stopped. He never spoke of those days, in fact his War Stories stopped shortly after his arrival in England, sometime around 1942. I used to sit and listen to his tales of Boot Camp in Digby, NS (the same place I did my Basic trg) and then off to gunnery training with the artillery and finally deciding to take jump training because it would "finally" get him Overseas.

Even though he as been gone from Life for many years, I still think of and remember him often, and even more so during days like 11 November. In particular today, because I know that I am here on this Earth, as I sit and write this, the chances of my being here were greatly improved when he was taken off the line at the last minute. That gave me the chance to know him in my early life. There are so very many folks of my Generation who did not get that option.

I was not the first to join the army, but I am the only one to join during Peacetime, well mostly a peaceful time. More by good fortune than anything I have not seen what Grandpa saw, during this past near 20 years service, and I hope I never do. But I am here, doing what I do partly for me, partly for God and Country, but also a large part is in memory of what he did, and for who he was.

He was a Volunteer all through his wartime service.

[EastKyFF]

With all the BS about 6/6/06, everybody (including me) has forgotten D-Day. Thanks for the reminder, and thanks to all our veterans!

[MalahatTwo7]

Didn't anyone else realize that "666" is really 999, but upside down? :D

[CaptainGonzo]

We all owe a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid....

For those survivors of the Greatest Generation.... thank you.
For those who have passed on or made the supreme sacrifice... rest in peace.

[hwoods]

We all owe a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid....

For those survivors of the Greatest Generation.... thank you.
For those who have passed on or made the supreme sacrifice... rest in peace.

All I can add is:


AMEN.

[RFRDxplorer]

All I can add is:


AMEN.


I can't add anything better than that.

[scvfd412]

Well said 27.
My grandfather also served his country during WW2. He came in on Utah beach on this day. Like yours, he too didn't talk much about that time of his life. He's been gone since 1993, but I still think about him daily.
all the veterans get a big thank you from me and my family.

[pkfd7505]

My GrandPa was not in D-Day but he did serve in Africa during the war. Like others, he seldom spoke of it. When I think of the men who fought at Normandy I find myself dumbstruck. Every person in that invasion was a casualty, scars don't run much deeper then those. May God bless you all.

[fireman4949]

My dad was in the Infantry, and was among those in the D-Day invasion force. He also served in Germany, France and Italy.

He almost never spoke of the war, and when I would ask him questions about it, he would give me very limited answers at best.
My dad died at 51, when I was only 10 years old...Knowing now what he must have experienced, I fully understand him not wanting to dredge up the horrors and sadness he had witnessed.

I do remember him telling us a little of when his Division took part in the liberation of a concentration camp in Germany by Allied forces. Even as a kid, I was horrified at what they found there.

I also had an uncle who was a P-51D Mustang pilot in WW-II. He was shot down over Germany and spent 18 months in a POW camp until the end of the war.

God Bless all of our troops...Then and now!




Kevin

[Dalmatian190]

My dad and his five brothers all served in the service, across all the branches, in either WWII or Korea.

My dad (2nd oldest of the brothers) never saw combat; indeed WWII ended shortly after he entered the service. Reading his service records, it was obvious he was training to run equipment meant for the Japanese homeland landings.

My uncle Ed (youngest brother) served with the Marines in Korea...well, why he doesn't talk about the details you soon realize he saw some very heavy and nasty combat.

When I was either a pre-teen or young teen, we're at some family function. I really don't even know how it came out, but my uncle Bill said a few brief sentences about messy jobs that need to be done -- that's when I found out he had worked in mortuary services in WWII removing battlefield dead. If I recall correctly, he did participate in the Overlord operation, although coming on shore a day or two after D-Day. It's kind of funny when you'd see a man of his generation let his guard down for just a few moments and while he didn't say it in words, what he had seen came through in his expression and his eyes.

[NYSmokey]

We all owe a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid....

For those survivors of the Greatest Generation.... thank you.
For those who have passed on or made the supreme sacrifice... rest in peace.


Well said. My maternal grandfather was in the Pacific theater during WWII (landing on many Japanese hot spots with the Signal Corps). He witnessed the signing of the Instrument of Surrender on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay and toured Hiroshima after the bomb had been dropped. He was an amazing man who passed away when I was too young to understand how great he really was.

From what I have been told my paternal grandfather flew Navy PBY planes in WWII. He towed targets behind the plane for the navy ships to practice on :eek: He is also a great man who I am fortunate to still have in my life.

[38ffems]

My grandfather was also in the pacific, Navy, and was also present for the signing of the surrender. He also kept a diary of his entire tour and I will tell you it is absolutely amazing, its what i would call pure history. No BS he just wrote down what he saw, smelled, heard, and was feeling. Its really a great read makes me so damn proud to have a grandfather who was one of the amazing number of heroes from WWII. I am thinking about scanning the whole thing and just keeping an electronic record of it. I would like to let everyone read it but im not sure if he would be okay with it being out in public, its his personal account of what he saw and I can absolutely respect the fact that he probably doesnt want everyone to read it. I have my grandfathers old navy cap and its something that I will always treasure. The only thing thats evil about this day is the fact that a stupid movie has taken away from such a sad and proud day in our history.

[NYSmokey]

38ffems,

My grandfather who was in the Pacific also kept a detailed scrapbook. I was just talking to my grandmother the other day about having it scanned and stored electronically! :eek:

[38ffems]

Thats really cool, im back from college for the summer and my parents have a new scanner so I thought I would put it to good use. I only have one picture and that his ship with the whole crew on deck. I think im gonna go dig up the diary now and do this I would hate for something to happen and lose this record.

[MalahatTwo7]

About all I have from my Grandpa's service are his medals, a green mess tin cup. I also have his dog tags, which I carry with me pretty much everywhere. Until the original string finally rotted through, they hung in my locker aboard ship, and I wore them with my tags during field exercises. Now they sit in the sleeve of my FD folder, along with a set of my own tags.

[whitesox4life]

my great granddad served in wwII along with two of my uncles. one didnt make it home and every year we go to their graves and tell the younger ones what we remember and listen to what we dont. take it i am only 16 i know alot of what my grandad went through over there.


THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR CURRENT AND FORMER SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN FOR THEIR WORK.