(OT) But fitting for this time of year

[1940plymouth]

I got some sad news this morning, a good friend and co-worker of mine before we both retired from the prison, has passed away. He was on the "Missouri" and present on Sept 2,1945 when the Japanese surrendered.

He also was a 67 year member of one of the local fire depts and a 1926 Seagrave fire truck was his pride and joy that he would drive in the parades.

He will be missed and being that Memorial Day was just around the corner, I would share this photo of Don that I took ten years ago

Gone but not forgotten

[randroid]

'40Plymouth,

Maybe it's that we're getting older and have shed our youthful immortality that makes us more appreciate the deeds of our fathers and what they did as a part of their life. My father-in-law, for example, flew the Burma Hump during WWII. He's in his late 80's now and I enjoy getting to know him better every day.

Perhaps there will be fond memories and historic moments left by each of us when it comes our turn to pass the torch.

Bless Don and his memory.

-Randy

[Edward Roberts]

Speaking for the under-40 sect, I will keep Don in mind on Monday with a salute to him and all the others like him who sacrificed a part of their lives, freedom, and innocence so the rest of us could enjoy ours so fully (and it had better be fully... in payment to them).

I was blessed with a grandfather who not only flew B-24's in the war but loved nothing more than to talk about his experience. Thanks to listening and his memoires I have many rich memories of and lessons from an effort that took place three decades before I was born.

A solute to all Veterans, and especially those who we are loosing at a faster and faster rate. I encourage everyone to sit down and listen before those memories are gone.

[greg g]

My father was a Missouri crew mamber. One of the plank holders, being part of its origial commision crew. He was also present for the Surender signing, and in fact had a small part in it.

Do you know where your friend has his duty Station? Dad was a gun captain in the the rear turret of the 16 inch guns. he was in C division and until his passing was a very active member of the Missouri reunion group. he served as seargent at arms at their annual meeting. He was also in Hawaii when the Big mo was installed at it berth neat to the Arizona, and was manning the rail in one of his original uniforms at the dedicatin ceremony.

I wonder if Dad and your friend knew each other from their service of if your friend ever attended any of the reunions?

As far as dad's parcipitation in the surrender, it was discovered that the table the was initially set up for the ceremony was not large enough to accomodate all the necesary folks. He and another fellow were dispatched to one of the officers ward rooms to unbolt and bring up another table and the green felt cloth that you see covering it i the pictures. They completed their duty about 3 minutes before the Japanese delegation stepped aboard. As such he has a spot about 15 feet from the table from which to observe the signing.

[1940plymouth]

Greg,

Do you have a copy of the ships log?

In it was a photo of Don in the dentist chair.

He was at Pearl Harbor that day your Father was there also. He told me that he was going and afterwards said that he was so pleased that he was able to attend the ceremonies.

I honestly don't remember what his job was on the "Missouri" but he did tell me that he was on one of the battle stations when they were being kit by the Kamikazi

[Charlie Olson]

RIP, Don. Thank you.

[greg g]

That's pretty amazing. I have a lot of stuff my father collected over theyears but I have not gone through all of it. Dad said the suicide plane hit the side of either a 5 inch turret of the armored portion of t Bofours instalation He said there was dent in the armor, and some scorching, and there ware pieces of plane and pilot scatered around but no real damage. this is reported to be a picture of the plane just prior to impact.

[Captain Neon]

My grandfathers had the most important job in the war effort. They raised crops and livestock so that civilians and military alike had plenty of healthy food. I have other now-deceased friends that kept the Hormel plant in Austin MN working at maximum efficiency producing SPAM. As Napoleon stated, and forgot in his hubris, "The army travels on its stomach."

[Greenbomb]

I'm right in the middle of the book "Band of Brothers". The guys that fought WW2 definitely had sand!!! ALL of them!!! May those who are gone rest in peace, and the ones who are left be honored.

[mackster]

That's pretty amazing. I have a lot of stuff my father collected over theyears but I have not gone through all of it. Dad said the suicide plane hit the side of either a 5 inch turret of the armored portion of t Bofours instalation He said there was dent in the armor, and some scorching, and there ware pieces of plane and pilot scatered around but no real damage. this is reported to be a picture of the plane just prior to impact.

WoW! AMaaaziNG! rest in peace Don....

[Jim Yergin]

Greg,

Have you ever watched this film of the surrender ceremony?

www.youtube.com/watch_popup

Jim Yergin

[greg g]

said the video was corrupted.

[Jim Yergin]

said the video was corrupted.

Not by me. Sorry.

Jim Yergin

[desoto1939]

This weekend is one of the most important for all us to salute all of are Armed Forces and thank them for what they did inthe past and for what they are doing in the present.

Next weekend I willbe attned a WWII renactment event with my 39 Desoto at the Reading PA, Spatz airfield. This airfield was used in WWI as a training facility for some of our young piolts for WWII.

The event is held during the first weekend in June in honor of D-Day. We have been noticing that less and less of the WWII vets are coming to the event because they are getting older and are dying. They have the old aircraft B17's B25, P51's and all of the other support aircraft that was flying at that time ondisplay. They also have renactment camps of the various campaigns with the real equipment that was used at that time. The reenactors are dressed in correct uniforms for the entire 3 days event.

It is always a great pleasure to meet our WWI vets when they attned and you can always see a tear in their eyes when they are walking around the airfield. I have had the pleaseure of talking with several of these gentleman over the years and I make it a point to always thank them for what they did for this great country.

I will be attending again this June and hope to post some pictures. They also have a nice display of period cars and trucks that they use in a local hometown scene.

Least we not forget and we need to remind the younger generation of what our fathers and gradnfathers did for all of us so we can live in the USA.

Remember to Salute a vet and also current member of our Armed Forces this weekend. This makes them appreciate what they are doing because is is a lonely job a times.

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[james curl]

My brother turned 17 in February after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He also finished high school at mid term and ask my mother to sign for him. He enlisted in the navy and reported for Duty in May of that year to Corpus Christy Texas. Got his basic training aboard ship on the way to Trinidad to join the fleet bound for Africa escorting the troupe ships. He spent most of his working career at White Sands as a civilian employ of the army. He was a weapons evaluator, always looking for the most killing power in the event of an all out war with Russia, or China. Hard for him to accept the trade with China who once was his mortal enemy. He was 85 last February, I still have him, for how much longer I have no idea. I talk to him several times a week, will miss him when he is gone like so many of the others. I was five years old when he left home to fight in the big war. After the war he never came home, while he was gone my father divorced my mom who had TB and was institutionalized and I was living with an aunt and uncle so there was no home to come home to. Talk about having to grow up in a short time, duration plus six months in the navy and home gone all in that time frame. I used to think of the greatest generation as just ordinary people,but now know how extraordinary they were.

[1940plymouth]

My Father joined the Army-Air Force, he was in training to be a pilot when the war ended. The pilot training ended and he went to Japan as part of the Army of Occupation.

My Mother had an older Brother killed in France about a week after D-Day. My first name and middle name are the same as my Uncle's

Dad will be 84 in Dec, so he is of the younger lot that was in World War Two.

I always have thought that Truman saved Dad's life by having the intestional fortitude to drop the "Bomb"

[Captain Neon]

My Father joined the Army-Air Force' date=' he was in training to be a pilot when the war ended. The pilot training ended and he went to Japan as part of the Army of Occupation.

My Mother had an older Brother killed in France about a week after D-Day. My first name and middle name are the same as my Uncle's

Dad will be 84 in Dec, so he is of the younger lot that was in World War Two.

I always have thought that Truman saved Dad's life by having the intestional fortitude to drop the "Bomb"[/quote']

An older friend that I worked summers for as a teenager was also part of the Japanese occupation force. He was in boot camp when Truman dropped the "Bomb." I always felt the same! He had an attic full of mementos from being in Japan. I've always wondered what became of them.

[martybose]

My Dad had just graduated from high school when WWII started. He joined the Coast Guard, and wound up as a Boatswain mate on an ammo ship in the South Pacific. He was on it for almost 2 years, and went though most of the campaigns. I can't imagine being on an ammo ship for 2 years; he has some hair-raising tales of manning a single barrel 20mm machine gun when they were being attacked by dive bombers.

The good news was that he met my mother in New Zealand, and after he made it back to the States talked her into coming over to join him. She has some stories about traveling alone in a US troop ship with a bazillion other civilians; sort of a hard core, long distance dependents cruise.

Marty

Edited May 27, 2010 by martybose
typos