WWII Photos (and Stories) of Our Loved Ones

[obiwan]

My Uncle Dale was a marine and served in the Pacific theater, was part of the group of boys who took Iwo Jima Island back. He was awarded the purple heart for injury in the line of duty. Carried shrapnel for the remainder of his life.

My Uncle Marvin was a seaman, served in the Navy in the Atlantic, his ship was hit by a German torpedo just after he went top side.

I have pictures of them in uniform someplace and will scan them. I also have pictures of my Grand Mothers Brothers graduating from boot camp heading off to WWI.

 

[Mustang]

My grandfather was a Tech-Sargent in the 5th Army Air Force. He worked on the brakes and hydraulics of the planes. He is the one I spoke with mostly about the war. Stationed in New Guinea, he saw some action and received a purple heart due to shrapnel from a fragmentation bomb.

My great uncle had also served in the Pacific Theater. The only thing I really know about him is that on Christmas Day, My Grandfather and him (brothers), had Christmas dinner together in New Guinea. It was pure coincidence that they met up! He died in a car accident 15+ years before I was born, so I never go to meet him .

My other great uncle (grandfather's brother in-law), was part of the Normandy invasion. He never talked about the war...refused to. He did bring back a German SS helmet, which I have .

My wife's grandfather, was in the Navy, and stationed in the Pacific. Of the family WWII veterans, he is the only one who is still with us. I'm intending to go with him to WWII unit reunion this year, which will be awesome! I also intend to sit down with him and his wife and interview them about their lives, especially the WWII years.

My wife's great uncle, was in Patton's Third Army, and his son gave me all of the stuff he had brought back from the war...the official Third Army "Diary". The official Third Army map, which shows all of their actions. Her uncles personal diary, in which he doesn't elaborate much, other than to say "today we entered such, and such city". It's very cool. I'm glad I was given those things.

 

[KilroyCD]

My father was in training for the invasion of Japan when the war ended, so he never saw any overseas service. For most of the war he was classified 4F as he had flat feet. Once they relaxed that restriction, he was finally inducted into the Army. Until that time, he worked in defense industries, building aircraft engines with Jacobs Aircraft Engine Company, aircraft instruments with Bendix and ships at the Chester Shipyard. He also played trumpet in local Big Bands during that time.
My uncle served in the Navy, and he was involved with the D-Day operations. Unfortunately, he passed away before I was able to find out much about that from him.

 

[Naphtali]

Hiya, I was just wondering that maybe some people would like to maybe talk about the WW2 veterans in their family? Like my grandpa for example, he was in the Marine Corps. He was in the 4th Marine Division and fought in the Marshall Islands and on Saipan where he got wounded. He was shot by a Japanese machine gun. He was hit 4 times in his left arm and 3 times in his left side. He was really lucky to make it. I'm extremely proud of him, that he fought and sacrificed for his country. He truely was part of the greatest generation. So maybe some others would like to say something about WW2 veterans in their family?

Many years ago, I made a tape recording of my father (Pacific Theater) and mother (home front) discussing their experiences during the war, plus bonus material that includes information about other family in European Theater. Of the four participants on the tapes, I am the only one left. I have converted the tapes to several digital formats, but I do not have the skill to clean up the material -- that is, to minimize the static and other detritus. I also have the reminiscences of Colonel Max Goldman -- whom I mistakenly referred to as Max Shapiro in another thread -- in memory.

 

[Chas]

Military service in my family goes back to the US Civil War. However, I only have details going back to:

My paternal Great-Grandfather: Northwest Rebellion, 1885http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North-West_Rebellion

Maternal Great-Grandfather- CEF WWI. Wounded and gassed.

My Paternal Grandfather: 29th Battalion, CEF. Wounded 3 times, gassed and fought at Vimy, this is a picture of his unit: "Tobin's Tigers

Dad's older brother, John: RCAF 1938-1945. Flew as an instructor in the Commonwealth Air Training Programme - trained bomb aimers. Was wounded in a training accident but flew some 20 or so op's in Avro Lancasters from '43-45.

My Dad: Doug. RCNVR 1941-1945; Battle Of The Atlantic, served as a signalman on HMCS Moose Jaw, HMCS Saskatoon & HMCS Huntsville. He also worked on the early stages of the HF/DF system. He passed away in '06.

My mum lost two cousins: one is buried in Italy; he died fighting in the British 8th Army; the other died on HMS Prince Of Wales near Malaya.

There were no rear-echelon types or draft dodgers in my family....

 

[TraditionalFrog]

Both of my grandfathers served in the Army during the war.

My mothers father served in the US Army Air-Corp in England and France. He was in the 8th Air Force. Sadly, I know not much more of his story as he talked very little of it. I completely understand.

My fathers father was first stationed in SHAEF HQ Uxbridge/Bushy. He worked the motorpool. He remembers the doodlebugs and parts of the blitz.

He went in to continental Europe on D-Day +3. He ultimately ended up in the 2nd Armored Division (he was a tank mechanic) under Gen. George Patton. He was in many of the major battles of the war. Towards the end of the war he was with a detachment that liberated Dachau (he only recently shared this, as even my grandmother didn't know). He also recalls the march through Potsdam at the end of the war.

My mothers father has passed on but my fathers father is alive and quite well.

A salute to them and to all who served. They truly were a great generation!

 

[Lincsong]

My Dad was in the Army Air Corps. Never got passed Hamilton Air Field in Marin County, CA.

My Mom's Uncle John was in the Phillippines. He was killed and is buried at Golden Gate National Cemetary in San Bruno, CA.

Then there's some other relatives. The family is so big, I can't name them all.

 

[J.B.]

Just remembering my father-in-law who served in the AAF, WW2 (Guam). He passed away in 2001. Love ya, Dad!

 

[Spitfire]

My father was in the resistance in Denmark.
Was involved in several sabotageactions, weapondrops and went "underground" several times, because the groups he was in, were rolled up by german intelligence. Or because members got caught and talked under torture by the gestapo.
I have written more about him here: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=24020

 

[lauwalton]

Two great uncles- One killed on D-day..June 6 1944. He was in the 101st airborne. Another uncle survived WWII, but was killed in a car accident about 14 months after returning home to AR from the war.

 

[Twitch]

Anyone that can, should get a tape recorder and have as many sessions with your WW II participant as possible before they leave us. It may not seem important now but there's no asking them anything when they're gone. Get it on tape!

 

[Cracker]

My maternal grandfather was a freshman in college when the stock market crashed, and he couldn't afford to finish college. After returning home to East Texas to help save the family farm from foreclosure, he hitchhiked to California looking for work. There was none to be had, so he joined the army in '31 or '32 and spent the next several years at Fort Lewis as a BAR man in the combat engineers and participating in early amphibious landing training off the coast of California. He'd mustered out before the war started, and then served as a civilian flight instructor for the Army Air Corps near Tyler, Texas.

My dad's father was a 5th year senior at Texas A&M on Dec. 7, 1941. His senior class was quickly mustered into the military, and he served in the Army as a coastal artillery officer at Fort Monroe, Virginia, and after the war in Puerto Rico.

My great uncle graduated Texas A&M in '45 and served in occupied Japan.

As a kid, I was always disappointed they never saw action, b/c I felt like I was missing out on some good war stories. As an adult, I'm glad they didn't.

 

[AARP]

Hiya, I was just wondering that maybe some people would like to maybe talk about the WW2 veterans in their family? Like my grandpa for example, he was in the Marine Corps. He was in the 4th Marine Division and fought in the Marshall Islands and on Saipan where he got wounded. He was shot by a Japanese machine gun. He was hit 4 times in his left arm and 3 times in his left side. He was really lucky to make it. I'm extremely proud of him, that he fought and sacrificed for his country. He truely was part of the greatest generation. So maybe some others would like to say something about WW2 veterans in their family?

Dear God man. My grandpa was in 2nd platoon, S&S Comapny, 4th battalion, 4th Marine Division. His name was Bill Wangler. He unfortunately passed away a year ago and NEVER talked about the war. One time I asked him about it and he immediately changed the subject. My grandma later told me that his best buddy died in his arms on Saipan. I now hold onto his letters and pictures.

 

[Spitfire]

Anyone that can, should get a tape recorder and have as many sessions with your WW II participant as possible before they leave us. It may not seem important now but there's no asking them anything when they're gone. Get it on tape!

That's why I am so happy that my father went through the trouble writing down his story for my kids.
A more that 280 pages book - and only 3 copies.

 

[RetroMom]

My grandfather on my mother's side was a WWI vet.

My dad and his two brothers were all WWII vets, who served in Europe.

Two of my uncles, by marriage to my mom's sisters, were also WWII vets, and also served in Europe.

Unfortunately they are all gone now, so I don't know much about their service. I do have my dad's and grandfather's discharge papers and some photos and other documents of my dads, but I wish I knew more . My dad never liked to talk about it.

 

[BigHairyFinn]

My father and uncle(s) were in the 2nd one (we count them as three, so he was 16 when the Winter War broke, he enlisted during the Interim Peace as a volunteer and served in the Continuation and Lapland wars). Dad ended up as driving trucks though when he enlisted he was a dragoon (horseback) messenger.

Thats my dad on the left... 1943 summer maybe.

And thats mom, age 16 working at a radio factory in 1944 (now thats an espionage photo)

And yes, if you have relatives go there and get them speaking. Or send some kid saying its for a school project.

My grandmother lived through the Civil War in 1918, but she never said anything about it. Once, half by mistake she blurted out "your grandfather, when he was released from the camp, puked blood and did in his pants". So knowing that they were both railroad foundry workers, my grandma was an organizing member of a co-op and as "coming home from the camp" with dysentry in 1918 spelled out grandfather was a "Red". But really that is one of the social taboos never *ever* spoken of.

I had a hard enough time trying to get my dad to speak coherently, but when I was a kid we'd go to the public sauna and the old men would always be running through the Isthmus. My mom spoke more, of the rationing and such, like she got fined for taking a shortcut across the railroad and it was winter and she was more peeved the police made her walk back all the way. The rationing thing was something that effected, when my grandmother passed away and we found in her cabinet a coffee and sugar... "black market stash"...

Don't have much if anything from those days... trinkets and such. One thing I though remember and it still might be at the cottage - a horse blanket my dad nicked from the Army.

 

[DblCoronaMS]

My dad was an Army infantryman in the Phillipines during WWII. Like others, he never really spoke of the war. He did tell an interesting story... he was in the Phillipines sitting on a log having a smoke. A Navy sailor walked up and sat on the other end of the log not making eye contact. After a few minutes the sailor asked Dad for a cigarette. The sailor was his brother, my uncle Pat.

Somewhere around here I think I have a picture of him from that time. It was hanging on the wall when hurricane Katrina flooded my house with 4' of water. Fortunately it was above the waterline but I can't find it just now. It's probably in a box put away somewhere like a lot of other stuff. He didn't leave many pictures or letters and the ones that I did have are long gone now.

This I did find...

 

[SamMarlowPI]

my mothers father was a Navy SeaBee in the Pacific. Rumor around the family was that he escorted and killed a POW but my father was chummy with him back then and found out he did indeed escort a POW but it was a simple task with no killing.

my fathers father, who wrote a letter all about his experience, joined the Army, Engineers, before the war broke out and spent a couple years training in California. Then they got word war was declared and began shipping out. He didn't even know where he was going! so they ended up in England and then found out they were going to North Africa. He was in the battle at Kasserine Pass where apparently all of his squad or platoon or whatever were killed except him and a medic, who he sent back to get reinforcments while he went from MG to MG until all were empty. then took off and got shot through the calf. when he got back he found out the Lieutenant in charge didn't send anyone and apparently it took a few GIs to keep my grandfather from killing the guy. he received a Silver Star and Purple Heart for that. then in Sicily he saw Patton while clearing a mine field. (Patton wasn't in Italy right?) then he moved onto Monte Cassino. after all that he came on home and married my grandmother. thats it in a nutshell...i think thats pretty accurate...

Marvin Chester Rector

 

[Mr. K.L.Bowers]

5 in at one time

My Mother had five brothers in the service in WW II. She remembers the five star “sons in the service” flag in their front window. Three of my five Uncles are still alive and doing well.

This is my Uncle Charles who served in the Pacific, and my Aunt Ruth, who worked in a defense plant.

This is my Uncle Willie, Combat Engineers. His unit was on the Remagan Bridge when it collapsed.

This is my Uncle Floyd, Aunt Ruth again and Uncle Paul. Floyd was in the 99th division and his company was one overrun by the Germans in the opening hours of the Battle of the Bulge. Paul spent the war in Hawaii as an MP.

this is my Uncle Donald. 17 years old. served on a Destroyer in the Pacific.
All returned home without a scratch.

 

[Naphtali]

Cleaning up recordings

Is anyone aware of a Lounger who can clean up recordings of the type mentioned in this thread -- that is, reduce audio artifacts while improving audio quality of recorded information?

Has anyone considered collecting recorded data from those of us who are interested to create a collection of [our] World War II recorded stories?