Topic: Reflecting on my Father,
Replies: 18 Last Post: May 30, 2016 11:48 AM by: greatertater
Lespaw79
Reflecting on my Father,
Posted: May 28, 2016 8:53 AM
as both Memorial Day and Fathers Day approach. He was a dedicated Christian, a Great Father, a Big Clemson Fan, and a Veteran of the Pacific Theater(Okinawa) during WWII. Thank You to all Veterans, current military, and families of those who have gone before! Have a Great Memorial Day Weekend! Tell us about your Father and where he served in the military, if you would.
2k®
Re: Reflecting on my Father,
Thank you, and most of the credit should go to the "Greatest Generation"!! I was in the Navy for 23 yrs during the "Easy Time" 1972 -1995. Many separations from family, but nothing compared to my Dad. Parked his tractor and got in a B-24 and flew 29 missions over South Pacific and told me stories that would send cold chills. RIP Dad, you are my hero!!
A coot will usually blink when hit in the head with a ball-peen hammer
TennesseeLadyTiger®
My Dad is still with me and is a wonderful man. He was in the Air Force for 21 years and served in Vietnam. He was injured while there and lives with the consequences of that injury everyday.
I want to take this moment to thank all of our military men and women. I also want to thank their families. I know many of the sacrifices they endure and thank them for being the support structure behind these brave military men and women.
ColumbiaTiger66
CAPT, US Army, 8th Armored, Tank Commander, Angaur, Peleliu. After securing Angaur, his very green tank unit, attached to a rag-tag outfit of reconstituted infantry, saved what was left of Chesty Puller and the 1st, 5th and 7th Marines on Peleliu - one of the great, but forgotten battles of WW2 in the Pacific - one that should never have even been fought, because it wasn't necessary and those islands could have/should have been bypassed. Any Marine has heard of Bloody Nose Ridge, but here is some history of both battles:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Angaur
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Peleliu
A lot of good men died on those two sorry islands, but thankfully my father was only wounded by a sniper with poor aim. He was patched up and back in the fight after a medic picked some of the shrapnel out of his back..... the rest surfacing at odd times over the years.
Immediately after Peleliu was secured, he was on the boats, en route to the coast of Japan as part of the first wave of an assault, when the bombs fell on Nagasaki and Hiroshima...... contemplating an anticipated 90% casualty rates on the first wave. If he were alive today, I doubt he would join those who say we were wrong to drop the bombs.
Those men went through a personal Hell, but most returned and went to work. Greatest generation, indeed.
CarolinaKudzu
How I miss my dad! He saw ww2 approaching so quit his high school teaching job and enlisted in the Army Air Corp before the US officially entered. He became a flight instructor and company commander at Frederick AFB, Oklahoma. He remained safe, serving on the home front but many of the boys he trained never came home.
My dad a staff sargent in WW2
Was not sent overseas, stationed in Chucktown where he met my mom who worked in Western Union office. My grandfather fought in WW1 in France.
GatorBowl
Posted: May 28, 2016 11:06 AM
Sounds like my dad. He also served in the Pacific during the war. He was a radioman on LST 1065. His brother was a storekeeper on LST 912. They crossed paths 4 times during their time in the Pacific. They started taking me to Clemson games in the late 50's. I sure do miss them.
D210tiger
My father left Clemson to join the Navy during WWII. He was a gunner in a B-24 and flew all over the Pacific. I am named for his pilot. He has been in Heaven for twenty years now but he is still an inspiration to me.
BEA ROSE.jpg(15.8 K)
My Dad was a Flight Engineer on B-24's but manned the waist gun when things got hot
GSCtiger
My passed in 94' liver cancer....
Posted: May 28, 2016 12:13 PM
Stationed in Fort Jackson, and served in the Korean War.....
Re: My passed in 94' liver cancer....
Posted: May 28, 2016 1:05 PM
Mine had the same thing.
There are many types of service and all are important. I forgot to mention above that my mother served in a different way during ww2. She resigned her 1st grade teaching job and went to work in the shipyards in Wilmington NC, an office job but needed. Let's not forget the folks at home supporting our troops.
Neal in NC®
My Dad flew a B-17G in WWII
most of his missions were over Germany flying out of London
He is 91 and still living at home with his wife***
tigeranne
Asst Coach [705]
My sweet daddy fought in the Pacific during WW 2. He died in 1991, but would have been 100 this year! I miss him every day. At church yesterday, they played patriotic songs and asked all the veterans to stand up. It was very powerful.
TigerLinks
Thoughts and prayers to those who made the ultimate.....
sacrifice.....and also to good time to thank all of those who served. My dad served in the most hazardous duty (statistically) in WW II as a radio officer in the Merchant Marines on tankers delivering oil and fuel in the Atlantic and Pacific. He worked for Standard Oil of New Jersey and died from cancer when I was 15. Both my brother and I served in the Marines in Viet Nam.
turf2
My dad served 8 years in the US Army during WW II including time in Germany. Spoke very little of his experience there. It was not pleasant and what they saw was horrific. They truly were the greatest generation. Thank you veterans!
greatertater
yes the greatest generation that ever lived here in the USA
So many great men in our church are or were part of that generation. Incredible men.