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My dad never talked of his experiences unless I asked....
their memories were not NOT worthy of conversation, it's just that each person's experiences were so personal....watching fellow soldiers die, seeing dead bodies, KILLING other human beings.
Those of us without war experience can never know what that does to a person, the deep emotional scarring.
My grandfathers were the same way. They never spoke about their war experiences. I was also shocked about 10 years ago when I started to trace my family tree. My grandfather (my dad's father) had a cousin who was killed and very highly decorated for the Battle of Midway. In fact, the Navy gave him probably one of the highest honors they can give anyone: They named a battleship after him. My grandfather never spoke a single word about this cousin. I think it was too painful for him because they had been raised together like brothers. It was weird for me to discover this while doing research on my family tree. My grandfather knew him but never spoke about it.
My grandfathers were the same way. They never spoke about their war experiences. I was also shocked about 10 years ago when I started to trace my family tree. My grandfather (my dad's father) had a cousin who was killed and very highly decorated for the Battle of Midway. In fact, the Navy gave him probably one of the highest honors they can give anyone: They named a battleship after him. My grandfather never spoke a single word about this cousin. I think it was too painful for him because they had been raised together like brothers. It was weird for me to discover this while doing research on my family tree. My grandfather knew him but never spoke about it.
Yes, interesting how you found out.....wow, naming a battleship!
the only info I got from my dad was when he was ill with cancer and we were spending a lot of time together. He told me how he was wounded, that his buddies recovered a Japanese sword and gave it to him. How it was to parachute in wartime. He only answered what I asked, no volunteer info.
My grandfathers were the same way. They never spoke about their war experiences. I was also shocked about 10 years ago when I started to trace my family tree. My grandfather (my dad's father) had a cousin who was killed and very highly decorated for the Battle of Midway. In fact, the Navy gave him probably one of the highest honors they can give anyone: They named a battleship after him. My grandfather never spoke a single word about this cousin. I think it was too painful for him because they had been raised together like brothers. It was weird for me to discover this while doing research on my family tree. My grandfather knew him but never spoke about it.
Yes, interesting how you found out.....wow, naming a battleship!
the only info I got from my dad was when he was ill with cancer and we were spending a lot of time together. He told me how he was wounded, that his buddies recovered a Japanese sword and gave it to him. How it was to parachute in wartime. He only answered what I asked, no volunteer info.
DE-694 was a destroyer, not a battleship. Hence, the DE (BB is the mnemonic for battleships). Also, with but one exception American battleships were named after states. The USS Kearsarge was named for a Civil War-era sloop of some reknown, which itself was named after Mount Kearsarge. No person was ever honored with the name of a battleship of the United States Navy.
DE-694 was a destroyer, not a battleship. Hence, the DE (BB is the mnemonic for battleships). Also, with but one exception American battleships were named after states. The USS Kearsarge was named for a Civil War-era sloop of some reknown, which itself was named after Mount Kearsarge. No person was ever honored with the name of a battleship of the United States Navy.
To be technical about it, the Bunch (DE-694) was a destroyer escort, which was smaller than a regular destroyer. Still, it's quite an honor for the poster's grandfather's cousin to have have any warship named after him.
War in the Pacific, 1944-1945, in which the authors suggest that the invasion of Japan was never going to happen, with or without the A bomb.
Well did he know about Operations Olympic, Coronet, etc? The Japanese were not too frightened of the A-bombs, it was the napalm attacks by the US air force, which caused greater deaths and damage, and the fact that 15,000 allied bombers, surplus from the ETO, British and US, were to be stationed on Okinawa. They would have razed Japan to a cinder. So, he may be right in a way, as the air forces would have won it - together with the Soviets who were about to invade Hokkaido.
I have to agree with the OP.
I was born in a military (Navy) town just 1 year after the end of the war.
I used to listen to the vets of both WWI and WWII talk of their experiences.
I served 6 years in the Army, '66-72 and then worked electronics on the nuclear subs for the Navy as a civilian until the based closed in the 90s when I took early retirement.
Military history and the causes of the conflicts has always fascinated me so I guess I too am a fan.
I have noted over the years however than military parades and such seem to be fading.
And since the draft ended (how I entered the Army) many take their privileges for granted and think the military is something that someone else should serve it, but not them.
I am sure as history dictates that someday we will have yet another war of significance and the draft may rear it's head again. And, in accordance with the federal court decision recently, it appears that women may have to register for the draft for the first time ever.
I think it's time that they too due their duty as required in time of need.
During my service time they kept telling me as a draftee at first that I was going to Vietnam which did turn out to be true for many. But they made me a radio operator rather than infantry and I still did not go.
Later, after reenlisting, I found myself in a unit in Germany that was being visited by congressmen and senators and such all the time. No time off and I hated the duty with a self propelled Hawk missile outfit. So I volunteered for Vietnam figuring I would make more rank and serve my time. The commanding officer just threw my request away and would not forward it so I never served in Vietnam like so many of my era ('66-72)
I have to agree with the OP.
I was born in a military (Navy) town just 1 year after the end of the war.
I used to listen to the vets of both WWI and WWII talk of their experiences.
I served 6 years in the Army, '66-72 and then worked electronics on the nuclear subs for the Navy as a civilian until the based closed in the 90s when I took early retirement.
Military history and the causes of the conflicts has always fascinated me so I guess I too am a fan.
I have noted over the years however than military parades and such seem to be fading.
And since the draft ended (how I entered the Army) many take their privileges for granted and think the military is something that someone else should serve it, but not them.
I am sure as history dictates that someday we will have yet another war of significance and the draft may rear it's head again. And, in accordance with the federal court decision recently, it appears that women may have to register for the draft for the first time ever.
I think it's time that they too due their duty as required in time of need.
During my service time they kept telling me as a draftee at first that I was going to Vietnam which did turn out to be true for many. But they made me a radio operator rather than infantry and I still did not go.
Later, after reenlisting, I found myself in a unit in Germany that was being visited by congressmen and senators and such all the time. No time off and I hated the duty with a self propelled Hawk missile outfit. So I volunteered for Vietnam figuring I would make more rank and serve my time. The commanding officer just threw my request away and would not forward it so I never served in Vietnam like so many of my era ('66-72)
I'm totally enthralled. Have read, read, read over the last several years. Particularly into Hitler (3 bios) and the Holocaust, most recently.
Guess this is a lifelong fascination for many?
My dad was a paratrooper/Purple Heart recipient, another reason I became so interested....hard to imagine my dad at 19 dropping into warfare. Still amazed at the courage of so many.
I have been fascinated since childhood. My father was a vet from the European theater, and most of the men in my post-war suburb were vets. There were many Holocaust survivors and former refugees in the neighborhood and I thought it was normal to babysit for people with camp tattoos. Etc.
I do think the Second World War was the major culmination of recent modern history and well worth being a part of our consciousness. I wasn't as interested in the Pacific war, as it didn't involve more than the "usual" empire building/fighting- what I called a "stuff" war, as in, I want your stuff. The European was was an effort to redesign the ideology of the human condition into a dystopia of worldwide proportions. Very different than a "stuff" war or empire for resources.
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