NationStates Jolt Archive

Yeah, in this thread you post what you know about people you know who were in the military at some time or another for Memorial Day.

I had relatives in the military during the American Civil War, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
Every male of military age in my family (and one who was 12) fought in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. This was three brothers and their father (the father and one brother are my direct antecendents). IIRC, the father and one brother fought in the 2nd South Carolina, and the others in the 4th South Carolina. Ironically, the two in the 2nd were both wounded in the same battle on the same day, which was Malvern Hill in 1864. They all survived the war.

My grandpa was stationed in Alaska during WWII, but he's really old and doesn't remember much now. He was drafted, not sure when.
My step-grandpa (or mom's stepdad) flew B-39s in Korea, but from what I know he didn't see much combat.
My uncle fought in Vietnam. His psyche was badly scarred during the period, so my dad tells me, and he doesn't like to talk about his experiences. It's kinda ironic (don't want to say funny), because I believe he volunteered for the service, and one of his brothers (my other uncle, who's now skizophrenic) was one of those Peace and Love hippies. Yeah, they didn't get along too well.

So tell about your relatives.

my dad was in the army in the late '30s . had a wonderful time at it. saw the world had fun, got out
then they drafted a bunch of ex military in the year before pearl harbor because they knew that sooner or later we were getting into it and better be somewhat prepared

when he was in his 70s he still had dreams that they were drafting him again, no matter how much he protested that he had already served and was old now.

My father fought in Vietnam, but he doesn't talk about it, so, I know very little.

My grandfather was a WWII Naval officer (not sure if he saw combat)

His brother-in-law, my great uncle, fought in the Battle of the Buldge; got a purple heart and then (i think it's called) a bronze star

My friend is with the 1st Armored Division in Iraq.

My grandfather was a German soldier on the Russian front in WWII. He told me this funny story before he died. He was on his way to Moscow and put his rifle down somewhere and forgot it. He stormed Moscow without a gun and still made it out alive.

My other grandfather was forced to fight for Germany in Hungary. Later he died fighting the Russians in Hugarian revolution.

I know one story each from my grandfathers(both WWII):

My mom's side: He was an infantry man, someone I'm guessing who was part of command or something volunteered to scout a hill and the guy in charge (you can tell how much detail was related in this story.....) said, "No, your too valuable." and they sent my grandfather.

My dad's side: He worked the engine room of the USS Pope (I've never confirmed that myself, seems like a wierd name for a boat), a sub-chaser in the Pacific (that becomes important later). He was a proffesional race car driver before the war and worked with his racing buddies. As the story goes, that was kinda common and the engine guys would 'hot rod' their ships and talk smack to each other about their ships speed. The captain of the ship was horrible at docking the ship and people would take bets on how many times it would take to bring the ship in. Again, as the story goes, my grandfather had arranged to be at the helm once after betting it would only take one try and cleaned up. NOW-I am not a military-file and have never bothered to look into the feesibility of that last story, it's my grandpa's story and if it gave him pleasure to tell it I didn't see any need to be a snotty grandchild and take it from him, so if it isn't plausable I don't actually care. The engine room stuff seems likely to me. My grandmother held more of a grudge about the war than my grandfather-when Honda approached him to be one of the first dealers in California my grandmother wouldn't allow it.

There is one more, after my grandfather on my dad's side died my grandmother dated one of the most interesting cats I've ever met who worked tug boats on the east coast. One of the ships he was pushing capsized and took him under. He got disoriented and ended up swimming the length of the ship rather than the width. That's not the most interesting thing that guy told me, but the only one related to the military.

I don't know of specifics, since he's been estranged from the family for more than fifteen years, but my grandfather served in WWII and Korea. In the latter he was a POW for at least six months.

My grandad fought in the British Army in both WW2 and later in Malaya. As for my dad, he fought in the Falklands. He's never talked about it, not to me, my mum or anybody. According to my mum, when dad came back he'd changed a bit. He became distant and far more a harsh person than before. Apparantly he still has nightmares over whatever it was that happened... :(

heh, my family hasn't fought in an open war in over 300 years. :lol: There's a story in my family that originally my family came from cork, and marched to fight the Battle of the Boyne with King James of England. After losing the battle they ran the wrong way and ended up in Co. Down up North, instead of Cork down south. :lol:

My grandfather was in the RAN in world war 2 he fought the japanese im not sure where though and one of my uncles was in vietnam thats all i know.