[mkfarnam]

I have a disability, so I wasn't able to make it to the Military. I tried to lie my way in 3 times but didn't make it.

[Ted_Foster]

Like Peggy's father, my dad doesn't talk much about the war, maybe even less now than in the past. He once said that he wants to forget. But sometimes, he would drop some of his experiences into conversations. I hope that I'm remembering everything correctly.

Dad turned 18 in the late summer of 1943, and he volunteered to become a Navy pilot. But he couldn't pass the physical, and he was classified 4F by his draft board. Later, the Army relaxed its standards, and so Dad was drafted in the spring or summer of 1944. His division went into action as a part of the liberation of the Phillipines in 1945. Their war was a combination of mountain and tropical warfare, a battle of attrition against the Japanese.

One day, he was firing a machine gun, and one of the bullets cooked off and blew up in his face. He was severely wounded in one of his eyes. After he was taken to the hospital, he also became gravely ill with pneumonia. He was in the hospital for three months. But his eye completely recovered, except for some problems that he's been able to deal with so far.

Just like the rest of you, I feel privileged to have a father like this. All of them subdued whatever fears they may have had, and they went off and did their duty anyway. Thanks, Dads.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by peggydavis

Here's a guy we are very proud of. Here is our son we are visiting on our Maryland trip, at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland.

Peggy, I've also seen the pictures of your daughter you posted on another thread a while back, where of course you also told people what she's doing with her life. Both are fine-looking young people, who are obviously making real contributions to the world. You must be about as proud as a parent can be. And rightly so.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by LadyRobyn

Hmmm... reminds me of a song... Something about a Babyface...

Here is the boy's Grad pic, he turned 18 on a Sunday and left for 'boot' on Monday...

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/jimeezlady/jongradpic1.jpg (broken link)

I kinda like the idea of Peg's son flying around in the clouds, while ours was sneaking around the ocean floor! hee hee

Another son whose mama must be proud as anything.

[ogre]

I'm not sure what others' experiences have been, but I know I had to reach a certain level of maturity to really understand and appreciate the United States. We really have something precious here. Thanks, more than it's really possible to say, to Techienomad's grandfather, LR's brothers and son, Peggy's dad and son, Ted_Foster's dad, Seebeebolt, Synopsis, and (I hope I've remembered everyone here) everyone else who has helped preserve what we have here, along with all the families who have supported them.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by mkfarnam

I have a disability, so I wasn't able to make it to the Military. I tried to lie my way in 3 times but didn't make it.

I wouldn't have made it in either, but I've gotta say I simply accepted that reality. Never tried to lie my way in. The idea never even occurred to me. So thanks for trying.

[techienomad]

I want to give a salute out to a couple of others, my friend's dad - former SEAL Operator and his brother Marine Recon. Both are crazy mugs, but I respect them all the way. My friend's dad retired after the Panama fiasco because he lost a good friend. His brother retired after Iraq I.

[Robhu]

Dad served in WW2 attached to Pattons Division. Fought at the Battle of the Bulge and many other places before that. He never was badly wounded but always had that survivers guilt because only 13 members of his original company survived the war. Most were lost at the Bulge. My grandmother used to tell me after the war he would have nightmares and she could hear him screaming his buddies names or yelling "get them, get them". He never would talk about the war but I guess he said some things to my grandmother when she asked him about things.
He lived to be 83 years old and raise a family. He always ask why was it him that got that chance and not his buddies.
I served during the Vietnam conflict as a crewchief on a Huey helicopter.
Two of my 3 sons are in the military. One did 4 years in the Airforce and then stayed active reserve.
My youngest son was Army and spent almost a year in Afghanistan. When his enlistment was up he turned around and joined the active Air Force reserve and is leaving in two weeks for 6 months training in Texas.
I am in no way saying any of this to boast or brag.
I am just proud that 3 generations of my family have made themselves available to serve our country. It makes me feel good to belong to a family like that and to see my sons carry on the tradition. I'm very proud of them.
I want to sincerely thank all members of any age that have served in the military and sacrificed for our country.
My deepest thanks and gratitude go to the families who have had to bear the loss of a loved one and to those who's sons and daughters have, or now are, serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

[colleeng47]

Peggy and LR, you must be so proud of your sons!

DH did a stint in Vietnam back in the day. He came from a dysfunctional family, so there are no pics of him in uniform, but I saw one that his friend's mother had and he looked like he was about 14 years old. I shuddered to think about my son looking like that and going off to war. . . .

[peggydavis]

We have another son too. He was in the Army reserves. It was the kind of deal that I told him, "Son, where you need to be is boot camp!" It did him a lot of good. This was the quiet period before the first Gulf war, like 1988, so he never was on active duty. "They also serve who only stand and wait." So, thanks son!