# Have we forgotten WWII?



## Grumpy Ol' Man (Sep 21, 2017)

Our community has an auditorium called the Peace Memorial Auditorium.  It was built in the 50's and dedicated to the 101 servicemen from our county who gave all in WWII.  Over the years, the community let it waste away.  Lights were not repaired, they were "stolen" for use elsewhere.  Air conditioning was never installed so no one wanted to use it during summer weather.  Broken seats were not repaired.  It had virtually been vacated... abandoned.

 About 2 years ago, the City wanted to rip out the inside of the structure and turn it into offices.  A number of WWII veterans still living, along with families of those who had fought in that conflict, became organized in an effort to save the memorial.  The City Commission at that time did not want to spend a dime on rehabilitation of the structure.  After the organization said they would raise the money needed to refurbish it, the Commission said if a certain amount was raised... it was well over $1 million... they would match the funds.  That Commission, of course, never thought they would need to come up with the money.

 In the two years, the organization came up with the required amount for matching funds.  They have begun work on the foyer, wanting to highlight the 101.  Many of those no longer have family in the area.  Many of those who do have not kept track of memorabilia from a couple generations ago.  

 An uncle of my wife's was one of the 101.  Some years ago, she ended up with a trunk containing what was left of the things reference his service.  That trunk had been in our basement for years, with no real time nor interest to dig through it.  My wife was not even born when her uncle was killed.  When we saw the plea for memorabilia, I brought the trunk upstairs so she could begin going through it.  Wow!!!

 An old uniform.  What appears to be ALL the letters he wrote home to his Mother and Father.  His funeral service folder.  His induction paperwork.  His pilot training graduation.  (He was in the Army Air Corps.  There was no "Air Force" back then.  He piloted a bomber, flying missions in Europe.  His plane went down over Germany 5 days before the Nazis surrendered.)  She found his last letter home, posted the day before his plane went down.  He told his Mother if he ever say one inch of German soil again it would be too soon.  Said his plane had over 50 holes in it from enemy fire, but was still air worthy and they would keep flying as long as they could.  The next day, the plane went down and the entire crew was lost.

 A couple representatives from the organization will be here tomorrow evening.  They are excited about our "find".  We will, of course, donate everything they can use to the Memorial Auditorium project in hopes the items will assist in telling the history of that time.  Been an interesting few days as my wife has been going through an "old forgotten trunk from our basement".


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## Falcon (Sep 21, 2017)

Nice post GOM....Thanks.

Time flies and people forget  or lose  interest.

But the participants  NEVER  forget !

  I am one of them.


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## Butterfly (Sep 21, 2017)

We should NEVER forget WWII, and what it cost us in lives snuffed out in their prime and the damage suffered by the survivors of those wars in maimed bodies and psyches; the same applies to the Korean War, Vietnam, and the conflicts in the middle east and elsewhere in the world.  

Donald Trump needs an intense course in the actual costs of war in human suffering before he rattles that sabre of his.


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## Roadwarrior (Sep 21, 2017)

Born mid '45.  Interested in everything about it.  Watch all WWII documentaries.  Currently on Episode 8 of 'Band of Brothers' on Amazon.  Respect & honor all those who served.  Thank You.


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## jujube (Sep 21, 2017)

That's really interesting, GOM.  Good post.


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## hangover (Sep 21, 2017)

Most everyone that was in WWII is now dead....so the horrors of it went with them.....now everyone thinks war is a video game, except for the few that have been to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.

The last time this country had war here was over 150 years ago. I hate it when tv shows or movies glorify war. There is no glory in being killed, or killing.

With the advancements of medicine, we have thousands and thousands of half soldiers coming home. It's not the missing arms and legs, it's the memories that haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Since WWII, war has become the base economy for the USA. Without war, we go into recession. Got to keep building that war machine.


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## Trade (Sep 21, 2017)

hangover said:


> Most everyone that was in WWII is now dead....so the horrors of it went with them.....now everyone thinks war is a video game, except for the few that have been to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.



There are a few of us Vietnam Veterans still around too Dude.

And don't forget Korea.


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## RadishRose (Sep 21, 2017)

Grumpy I really hope that memorial gets revamped. I wasn't here yet but my father served and he and my mother told me many things about the war when I was growing up. I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for the veterans and for that generation.


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## hangover (Sep 21, 2017)

Trade said:


> There are a few of us Vietnam Veterans still around too Dude.
> 
> And don't forget Korea.



I was in during Vietnam, but they sent me to Iran. Most of us are now old. 55,000 died for the profits of the war machine.


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## Lon (Sep 21, 2017)

I sure haven't forgotten. It impacted my young life on a daily basis and still does.


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## Grumpy Ol' Man (Sep 21, 2017)

During WWII there was not 24/7 television coverage of the conflict.  People at home did not see reporting from the conflict.  What they saw was the neighbor... the friend down the street... the church elder... the hardware store owner receive a telegram stating their son had been killed in action.  This community was really small back then.  Yet this county lost 101 boys in that war.  

My wife's youngest uncle was just 12 when the uncle I mentioned was killed.  He is still alive, but suffers from progressing ALS.  He and my wife have had a number of hour long phone calls since she began researching this.  Says he remembers when the Army car pulled up in the driveway and brought the telegram and the bad news.  My wife's grandfather was home, but her grandmother was over at a neighbor's home.  Her grandfather loaded the kids who were home in the car and drove over to the neighbor's home.  Her uncle says he still hears... 70 years later... his mother's scream when she was told the news.  There were four boys from just that area along the creek who did not come home.  

I so wish the history... the memories... the mothers' screams... the siblings tears... could be played in our high school and college classrooms.  If the youth of today could feel the heartache... could touch cloth of the casket flags... could hear the patriots reciting the Pledge of Allegiance... while reading the history of Hitler, Nazism, and the aggressive bent all Axis powers were on perhaps we would see less patience with those who would denigrate our flag and our own history even though the 101 from our own county died to preserve that right.


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## Aunt Bea (Sep 21, 2017)

My grandmother lost her 21 year old nephew in WWII, he was a ball turret gunner similar to the one pictured below.  

We still visit his empty grave in our local family cemetery.


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## fuzzybuddy (Sep 21, 2017)

I don't think it was forgetting WWII. Civic auditoriums  are money pits. Just to keep them from falling over costs and arm and a leg.  To keep them up to date is an enormous drain on dwindling tax bases. Nobody is booking them any more. Some are important architectural landmarks, that haven't been used in decades. (I'm not good at this. Hopefully there's pic of Worcester Mem. Auditorium (WWI)> Hasn't been used in decades.


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## Aunt Bea (Sep 21, 2017)

These old money pits were built to honor people that gave more than an arm and a leg.

They should be maintained and retrofitted for new uses instead of being neglected and torn down.

This is a photo of the Gold Star Mothers breaking ground for our local war memorial building that was built to honor their children and the sacrifices that they made to protect our freedom.


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## AZ Jim (Sep 21, 2017)

I lived through WW2 as a kid who did the things we kids could do to support or men and women in uniform.  We were issued dog tags in Los Angeles there was so much fear of us being bombed due to proximity of defense plants.  Both my folks worked in defense plants.  We collected metal, rubber and other items as asked by the defense dept. We bought war bonds, endured air raid blackouts.  _Mom made me get was under the bed for "the battle for Los Angeles" _https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Los_Angeles  We had anti aircraft guns one block from our home. In short and without going into all of it, I damn sure remember WW2, we all should!


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## Grumpy Ol' Man (Sep 21, 2017)

fuzzybuddy said:


> I don't think it was forgetting WWII. Civic auditoriums  are money pits. Just to keep them from falling over costs and arm and a leg.  To keep them up to date is an enormous drain on dwindling tax bases. Nobody is booking them any more. Some are important architectural landmarks, that haven't been used in decades. (I'm not good at this. Hopefully there's pic of Worcester Mem. Auditorium (WWI)> Hasn't been used in decades.View attachment 42394



Excellent point.  Many of the buildings were constructed with asbestos insulation which makes them uninhabital.  The cost of asbestos remediation is significant.  Bringing entrances, restrooms, hallways, etc. up to ADA standards costs money.  So, it is expensive to maintain them.  As maintenance lags, less people use the facilities.  As less people use the facilities, maintenance lags even further.  It's a downward spiral that spells abandonment and the buildings sit, deteriorating further.

We owe those who gave all to preserve our freedoms the respect of preserving and using these memorials.  Expensive??  Certainly!  We seem to be able to budget dollars to convention and tourism expenditures while forgetting those who died that we could move freely across our Nation.  We seem to be able to budget dollars for economic development so private enterprises can flourish while forgetting those who died to preserve our free and capitalistic economy.  We seem to be able to budget dollars for gymnasiums, ball fields, aquatic parks while forgetting those who died so our youth could participate in sports and not be marching in uniform, bowing to dictators.  

We visited the work going on at the renovated auditorium in our community today.  The foyer is beautiful, with much of the plaques and writings covered until the grand opening on Veterans Day.  The interior still has some work ongoing, but the new gym floor is beautiful and was being utilized while we were there.  New seats.  New lighting.  Air conditioning.  The citizens got together and decided not to allow this facility to fall into further disrepair.  It takes a village!!!  It takes elected officials prioritizing where the existing revenue stream is spent.  It takes neighbors and families working together to preserve the memories of those who gave so much that we could be free.


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## CeeCee (Sep 21, 2017)

My parents and relatives weren't even in the US during WWII, I wasn't born yet and my family was in Hungary so kind of on the other side. One uncle died in Hungary in WW2.
I am a citizen of the USA and have been since the age of 6-7 when my parents became citizens. I wasn't born in Hungary so I think of the US as my home and honor the brave men who fought in all its wars.

I did live through Vietnam and all wars after.  Lots of young men died in Vietnam for nothing sadly.  I have 5 grandsons and I hope they never have to give their lives for this great country.


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## Grumpy Ol' Man (Sep 21, 2017)

CeeCee said:


> I have 5 grandsons and I hope they never have to give their lives for this great country.



The evening twelve years ago when our son broke the news he had enlisted in the Army was "interesting".  The Iraq conflict was "hot".  On one hand, we were confused/concerned why our son would be enlisting during such a dangerous time.  OTOH, we were proud he felt he needed to serve his Country.  The days during his combat deployments were long.  I would pull up the casualty reports each morning to see if any from his unit were on it.  Then one day it was as if a light had dawned.  At that time, he was with the 82nd Airborne... one of the best trained and equipped fighting units in the world.  I dislike using the phrase "he loved his job".  He was a good soldier.  How many people do we know who hate their jobs, hate going to work, have pathetic work ethic, and never seem happy/content.  To pass in an auto accident going to a job you hate... To pass in an work accident at a job you dislike... If our son didn't come home, I knew he would have given his life doing what he was good at, was proud to be doing, and was so blessed to have that satisfaction in his work.  That seemed to lift a burden off my shoulders.
Sure, we still worry about him.  Over the past 3 years he has been assigned to a Special Ops unit.  His deployments with that unit have been such that he could not tell his wife or us where he was until he arrived back home.  On his last deployment, he could not take anything with him that would identify him as U.S. Military.  Worried??? You betcha!!!  
The military has provided our son with countless opportunities he would never had enjoyed in civilian life.  He met our daughter-in-law while in the military.  He has free medical care for his family.  Paid college.  College tuition assistance for their boys.  He will retire at a fairly early age with a nice income, young enough to retire again from a second career.  He loves jumping out of perfectly good airplanes and running marathons... and can't understand why his knees are gone in his mid-30's.  

No, I hope no one loses sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters to war.  I would never discourage a youth today from enlisting as we have seen what the Army has provided for our son... and the pride on his face as his Mother and I pinned his most recent set of stripes on his lapels.


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## Wayne (Sep 21, 2017)

Retired USA here thanks to your son he knows who he is and be proud of it.


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## Wayne (Sep 21, 2017)

CeeCee said:


> My parents and relatives weren't even in the US during WWII, I wasn't born yet and my family was in Hungary so kind of on the other side. One uncle died in Hungary in WW2.
> I am a citizen of the USA and have been since the age of 6-7 when my parents became citizens. I wasn't born in Hungary so I think of the US as my home and honor the brave men who fought in all its wars.
> 
> I did live through Vietnam and all wars after.  Lots of young men died in Vietnam for nothing sadly.  I have 5 grandsons and I hope they never have to give their lives for this great country.



I did 3 tours in Viet Nam and spent time in some of the lovely surrounding countries also as well as other tourist attractions in the area, I have no regrets if if had not been for the politicians we would have won that one, sadly we did not, I lost many friends also there and other places but would do it again.


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## Trade (Sep 21, 2017)

I did one tour of duty from August 1970 to August 1971 in the United States of America's war of imperialist aggression in Vietnam. We were the bad guys, they were the good guys fighting for their country against foreign invaders. We lost and deservedly so. The only thing we accomplished was to prolong the bloodshed. But I am proud to be a Vietnam veteran. No right winger can get away with calling me a pacifist hippie draft dodger.


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## Trade (Sep 22, 2017)

My mom had a boyfriend before she met my old man. I had forgotten all about that until I started thinking about this thread. She had some pictures of him and I found one that I had scanned into my computer a while back. This is him.  



His name was Harold something or other. I guess he might have ended up being my dad except that he went off to WW2 and got whacked somewhere over in Europe, I'm thinking it was in Italy, but I'm not sure. 

My actual old man managed to talk his way into having his job declared "essential to the war effort at home." So instead I ended up with his worthless draft dodging ass for my dad. Somewhere in a box in one of my closets is an actual photo of Harold that has his full name and the date and place he got killed written on the back. One of these days I'm gonna hafta look for it.


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## Falcon (Sep 22, 2017)

The worst thing about  MY  going to war was  worrying about my parents  worrying about  ME !


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## JaniceM (Sep 22, 2017)

I'm sure it's a longshot, but might anybody here be familiar with the hospital ship my father served on?:

http://www.angelfire.com/home/usahsalgonquin/


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## Manatee (Sep 29, 2017)

Kids in New York were issued dog tags, but it was soon found that the older teens were trading them boyfriend to girlfriend.

There are still a few WW2 vets here in our senior community and they are honored every year.  Those of us who were kids then but veterans later are recognized as well.


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## drifter (Oct 30, 2017)

Good post, GOM.


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## AZ Jim (Oct 30, 2017)

Falcon said:


> Nice post GOM....Thanks.
> 
> Time flies and people forget  or lose  interest.
> 
> ...


 As I have said before you are my hero.  As kids my brother collected for the war effort.  While we were doing that you were in Europe keeping us safe.  Bravo and cheers.


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## AZ Jim (Oct 30, 2017)

Manatee said:


> Kids in New York were issued dog tags, but it was soon found that the older teens were trading them boyfriend to girlfriend.
> 
> There are still a few WW2 vets here in our senior community and they are honored every year.  Those of us who were kids then but veterans later are recognized as well.


School children in Los Angeles had dog tags too. Me included.


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## exwisehe (Oct 30, 2017)

No, I have not forgotten WWII. Since I was born in late '38, some of my earliest memories are from uncles and cousins who served.  My oldest uncle Charlie was on his way to Europe after advanced basic training, but didn't make it.  (Read about the torpedo hitting the USS Dorchester --> http://www.americanveteranscenter.o...-chaplains-and-the-sinking-of-the-dorchester/
He was one of those lost at sea.) that is a wonderful account of real courage!

My oldest first cousin whose nickname was "Shady", landed on Omaha Beach as the boatswain and had to make sure all men got off.  He survived, and I talked to him about 2 years before he passed on about the landing there. It was about a couple of months after the movie "Saving Private Ryan" was made.  I'll never forget what he said: "If you multiplied the first 5 minutes of the movie by a factor of 5, it was pretty close to what happened to us on that beach".

I also talked to some of my cousins and another uncle (mom's side) who had been in the Battle of the Bulge.  We called him "Uncle Champ" and he was a very interesting fellow.  I didn't know until later in life of some of the things he experienced and he lived to be 100, and he was my last uncle.  I really hated to see him pass.

I have a friend at church, Abe, who is still kicking and he was a gunner on a battleship in the Pacific.  He was a different man when the war was over and he made a promise to God that he would repent of his sins and go to bible school and become a missionary if he survived.  He did survive and finished school at Bob Jones, then went to Japan as a missionary.   He has been influential in my life and we have had many interesting talks, as I've heard him give his testimony several times, but now at age 95 he has slowed down a little.   But he still plays par-3 golf and is on a bowling team.


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## hollydolly (Oct 30, 2017)

In the UK WW2 is never forgotten,  and it should never be forgotten lest we repeat the same mistakes all over again.... however it does make you think about just how long ago it was. My father would have been 92 years old now... yet he was only 13 years old when the 2nd world war started... and just 19 years old when it finished.

My mother was just 5 years old when it started ....it really was a very long time ago..


Next year will be the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Great war (WW1)


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## Camper6 (Oct 30, 2017)

How does the United States remember November 11.

In Canada it's called Remembrance Day.  There are parades and indoor ceremonies and laying of wreaths at soldiers monuments. Veterans take part whenever and however they can. 

We also wear red poppies.   World Wars definitely are not forgotten.


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## hollydolly (Oct 31, 2017)

Equally..in the UK it's called Remembrance  day, but celebrated on a Sunday...  we also wear poppies.. and the parades and ceremonies are the same here as you describe, with the exception that the Queen and the royal family  always lay a wreath at the cenotaph as wel...


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## oldman (Oct 31, 2017)

While in Paris a few years back, my wife and I took a day trip (13 hours escorted) out to the Normandy Beaches and then we visited the American Cemetery where over 9000 American soldiers are buried. I have also visited the cemetery in Arlington, VA. I went to those cemeteries not to just take a few pictures, but to thank, pray and cry for the heroes that gave their life, so that the rest of us could live and enjoy the freedoms that we have now. 

My Dad was a career military man in the U.S. Army and was in three wars, WWII, Korean War and Vietnam, but was not a combat soldier in Vietnam. Over the years, he shared some very interesting facts about WWII, although he never spoke much about his involvement in any of the wars. Before I went off to Vietnam, I asked him how he felt when he killed his first man. He told me that if I wanted to keep my sanity that I shouldn't look at the enemy as men, but look at them as targets. He told me that you will be taught to destroy the "target" and he was right. 

Come next May, we are planning a trip to Hawaii, which will be my fourth trip over there. This time, my wife and I are taking two of our five Grandchildren along with us. I plan on making sure that both of them spend several hours at Pearl Harbor. It has been surprising to me of how little today's students know about U.S. History.


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## Warrigal (Oct 31, 2017)

Australians do not forget. 

Buckets of money are being spent this year commemorating hundred year old events of the Great War and 75 year old events from WW II. 

This photo is  typical of the memorials that can be found in just about every small rural town, often in the centre of the main  street.  The names of the local fallen in the first war are inscribed with the names from the second added later.







They are usually small, less  than life size and flowers and wreaths are placed there at intervals throughout the year.

In Canberra we have the magnificent Australian War Museum which is well visited by school children, tourists and Australian families. 

We do not forget.


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## Warrigal (Nov 1, 2017)

Today Australia remembers the fighting on the Kokoda Trail where the Japanese overland southward sweep was halted by relatively raw Australian militia until more seasoned troops could arrive. This was hard and bloody fighting in mountainous tropical jungle of Papua. This was the first time the Japanese were forced back after the defeat of Singapore.



> The *Kokoda Track campaign* or *Kokoda Trail campaign* was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 in what was then the Australian Territory of Papua. It was primarily a land battle, between the Japanese South Seas Detachment under Major General Tomitarō Horii and Australian and Papuan land forces. The Japanese objective was to seize Port Moresby by an overland advance from the north coast, following the Kokoda Track over the mountains of the Owen Stanley Range, as part of a strategy to isolate Australia from the United States.
> 
> Japanese forces landed and established beachheads near Gona and Buna on 21 July 1942. Opposed by Maroubra Force, then consisting of four platoons of the 39th Battalion and elements of the Papuan Infantry Battalion, they quickly advanced and captured Kokoda and its strategically vital airfield on 29 July. Despite reinforcement, the Australian forces were continually pushed back.
> 
> ...






We do not forget.


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## john19485 (Oct 21, 2018)

A lot of the boys I was in the hospital with did not want to go go home, the hospital had their parents come to try and make it more easy for them, but a lot of them lived out their lives in a V.A hospital


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## Warrigal (Oct 21, 2018)

Hubby and I will be travelling to Canberra in early November to see special events and displays commemorating Armistice Day (11/11/1918) when the guns fell silent ending World War I. Australia does remember and commemorates this war and every war since.

While in Canberra I will place poppies on the wall next to the names of two of my uncles who died in WW II. One lies in Singapore, the other in Central Nigeria. I have been to the Singapore grave twice but I will never be able to visit the other uncle. Both died the year before my birth but they are still remembered, as is my father who served in New Guinea but lived to return home.

The Shrine of Remembrance in Hyde Park Sydney has been up graded with a new reflective pool and easier access for all to the lower levels. We plan to see that soon too.

http://www.anzacmemorial.nsw.gov.au/

My mother attended a country high school that was build as a war memorial to the First World War. Because it serves a community need it is well maintained to this day. The school motto is P_ro tanto quid retribuemus w_hich translates as _For so much, what shall we repay?_

https://haywarmem-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/


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## C'est Moi (Oct 22, 2018)

Camper6 said:


> How does the United States remember November 11.
> 
> In Canada it's called Remembrance Day.  There are parades and indoor ceremonies and laying of wreaths at soldiers monuments. Veterans take part whenever and however they can.
> 
> We also wear red poppies.   World Wars definitely are not forgotten.



It's Veteran's Day in the US.   Before WWII it was Armistice Day, then renamed by Congress after WWII to honor all Veterans.


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## C'est Moi (Oct 22, 2018)

Warrigal said:


> Australians do not forget.
> 
> Buckets of money are being spent this year commemorating hundred year old events of the Great War and 75 year old events from WW II.
> 
> ...



That statue looks like Paul Newman.


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## Warrigal (Oct 22, 2018)

The men who answered the call to enlist for service in WW I were the flower of Australian manhood. 
They were tall and very fit. 


The resemblance to Paul Newman is uncanny, isn't it?
Perhaps Paul Newman looks like an Aussie digger ?
(Digger is a military slang term for soldiers from Australia.)


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## DaveA (Oct 22, 2018)

I still think of it as Armistice Day.  My dad served in France during WWI (1917 'til the Armistice in 1918) and fortunately came home without injuries.  He and his brother enlisted together and served in the same unit overseas.


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## RadishRose (Oct 22, 2018)

I wasn't here yet, but from all the accounts of my father and his friends, also my mother who explained a lot to me... I could never forget. I have talked about what I know to my son and to his sons.

Anyone remember the old TV show called "The Big Picture"? Not knowing what is actually was, I would sit with my father and look at it.


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## peppermint (Oct 22, 2018)

Hangover....My sister in law's Dad is still alive at 94 yrs old....He was in WW11....
He lied about his age at 16 yrs old....He was in the Battle of the Bulge...Saw many die.
He made it by someone dragging him out....Woke up in a Military make shift hospital....
He lost his wife from Cancer and a daughter died this year of Cancer....He lives alone,
my sister in law looks after him and he also has a girlfriend....Geez!!!! I know of some 
that are almost 100 years old and fought for our country....God Bless them, all....


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## dkay (Oct 23, 2018)

I have the photo album of my Uncle Bob who was killed in Germany during WW2. It contains the telegram notifying my grandparents of his death, it contains photos, an old postcard, some V-mails. I have the flag that draped his casket. I had never seen any of these items until shortly before my mother died seven years ago.  She told me a very detailed story about him being on leave when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, how he was told to report back to his base immediately, how that was the last time they ever saw him and they took a family picture together before he left. It's almost as if grandma sensed he would never return. I don't know if it's not remembering so much as the constant reminder of pain and suffering we are experiencing in our very troubled world.  Remembrances for too many wars, for 9/11, for the Oklahoma bombing, for every school schooting. It's not that a lot of people don't want to remember but we seem to be so overwhelmed with rembrance and memorials that we appear to be in a constant state of grief. Some who would prefer to try move on from the past by trying to salvage whatever joy and sanity they can take hold of in their lives. They are grateful to our military. I think a day to honor military is sufficient and a day to remember those we loved who are gone is sufficient. I'm not so sure about all of this constant need to remember every single event throughout the year.


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## Olivia (Oct 23, 2018)

A lot of us were born because of WWII, just because of our American soldiers meeting their wives where they were stationed overseas and also a lot of us are the result of the Baby Boomer happening after the end of the war.


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## fmdog44 (Oct 24, 2018)

Dreams are what scare me knowing how I dream. I never went to Viet Nam but I am guessing had I seen action there I may have had trouble in life because of dreams. It is disturbing to watch WWII vets in their very late years in their lives still weeping when they discuss their experiences.


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## rgp (Oct 24, 2018)

I live close to the War Birds museum. They have a B-25 Mitchell there and on one visit, I noticed a change in 'mood' by the hosts/guides. An older gentleman was near the Mitchell. The Mitchell was his plane from WWII . He was 92 [then] used a cane, and guided by his daughter, but Hey!...looked pretty good for his age IMO.

The host that i was talking with said that he [the Vet] liked to come out & visit "his girl" ......The folks at the museum always gave him a little 'alone' time with her.


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## Leann (Oct 25, 2018)

My Dad was a Purple Heart veteran of WWII. His life after the war was difficult because he went into the military healthy at the age of 18 and was honorably discharged at 23 with a life-altering handicap. He died at the age of 51. I have the flag that draped his coffin in a display case folded in the military triangle in my house. It's in my living room so any one who enters will see it. I'll always remember WWI and I'll never forget my Dad. #lovehim


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## rgp (Oct 25, 2018)

Leann said:


> My Dad was a Purple Heart veteran of WWII. His life after the war was difficult because he went into the military healthy at the age of 18 and was honorably discharged at 23 with a life-altering handicap. He died at the age of 51. I have the flag that draped his coffin in a display case folded in the military triangle in my house. It's in my living room so any one who enters will see it. I'll always remember WWI and I'll never forget my Dad. #lovehim




 Is it displayed in one of those glass triangle cases? I have my dads flag as well, been meaning to get one of those. I'm sure I can find one on-line . I'll look around.


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## john19485 (Oct 25, 2018)

rgp said:


> Is it displayed in one of those glass triangle cases? I have my dads flag as well, been meaning to get one of those. I'm sure I can find one on-line . I'll look around.


 My display case is in this video


[video]https://www.facebook.com/john.mizell.9/videos/vb.531233100/10156139687058101/?type=3[/video]


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## Leann (Oct 26, 2018)

rgp said:


> *Is it displayed in one of those glass triangle cases*? I have my dads flag as well, been meaning to get one of those. I'm sure I can find one on-line . I'll look around.



Yes, a triangle glass case with the insignia of the US Marines.


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## oldman (Oct 29, 2018)

The generations behind us do forget, just as some of us have forgotten about WWI. It seems as history moves on, people tend to do the same. How many of us can explain what affects the Roman Empire had in Europe? Or, who can explain what brought about and then what transpired during the Great Depression? 

My Dad was in WWII and was injured enough that he was sent home from France and given a desk job. The Army wanted to discharge him, but he fought it and was able to make a career in the Army. My dad had told me so many stories about the war that I could probably teach parts of the war. I do have some memorabilia items that dad passed on to me boxed away somewhere. I always intended to donate them to a Legion or VFW for display purposes. 

I have great respect for those that served in WWII.


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## RadishRose (Nov 6, 2018)

I don't know what mad me think of this, but my WW2 veteran dad used to say

"mox-nix" Dos that sound familiar to anyone?

I just looked it up-An American spelling of the German expression "macht nichts" which means roughly, "it makes no difference."

Mary: "Do you want ice cream or pie for dessert?" 

Joe: "Mox nix.  Just surprise me."


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## DGM (Nov 6, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> I don't know what mad me think of this, but my WW2 veteran dad used to say
> 
> "mox-nix" Dos that sound familiar to anyone?
> 
> ...


I served in Germany in the 70s.  Used "mox nix" a lot.  "No biggy" or "it doesn't matter"  
Whenever I encounter a WWII vet I whip a sharp salute.  Those guys saved the world, literally.  Ever read about Hitler's long range plans to take over America?
I watched a 37 year old contestant on "Hell's Kitchen" last week who said (and I quote him) "No surrender....just like when the GERMANS bombed Pearl Harbor:  No surrender".   What a moron!


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## RadishRose (Nov 6, 2018)

No I never read that plan of Hitler's. Never read Mein Kampf or anything he wrote.

I agree DGM, they were The Greatest Generation.


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## DGM (Nov 7, 2018)

While watching AHC a WWII vet was an Army major guarding German POWs at the end of the war.  He recounted how a German officer approached him and inquired where he was from in perfect English.  When the major responded "Bridgeport CT" the kraut lit up.  "What a coincidence!  I was going to govern that area when we took over the US!"  The German then amazed the American major with his precise knowledge of everything he knew about the area.


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## RadishRose (Nov 7, 2018)

DGM said:


> While watching AHC a WWII vet was an Army major guarding German POWs at the end of the war.  He recounted how a German officer approached him and inquired where he was from in perfect English.  When the major responded "Bridgeport CT" the kraut lit up.  "What a coincidence!  I was going to govern that area when we took over the US!"  The German then amazed the American major with his precise knowledge of everything he knew about the area.



Wow.... that's chilling!


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## RadishRose (Nov 7, 2018)

duplicate


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## jujube (Nov 7, 2018)

My father was a medic on a LST during WWII.  He once told me the story of how he performed an appendectomy with instructions being yelled at him over the radio by a doctor on another ship. He came back and started going to school to be a pharmacist but had to drop out when the babies started coming.

The Spousal Equivalent's father was also a Navy medic assigned to the Marines.  He celebrated his 20th birthday patching up Marines at Iwo Jima.  He stayed in and did 24 years in the Navy.

After my father died, my mother eventually met a wonderful gentleman who was a fighter pilot in WWII and retired from the Air Force.  He was shot down over Greece and smuggled by the partisans across the country and put on a boat to cross the Mediterranean to Africa where he was united with Allied troops.  He had some GREAT stories.  When he was shot down, he had two rolls of fresh film in his pocket.  One of the other allied military man being smuggled out was a French pilot who had a camera, but no film.  In trade for one of the rolls, he was allowed to use the camera to shoot his pictures and some pictures they were!  Mom and he had seven good years together before he passed away.


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## Pinky (Dec 28, 2018)

Camper6 said:


> How does the United States remember November 11.
> 
> In Canada it's called Remembrance Day.  There are parades and indoor ceremonies and laying of wreaths at soldiers monuments. Veterans take part whenever and however they can.
> 
> We also wear red poppies.   World Wars definitely are not forgotten.



My father, a veteran, used to walk over to the monument on Hastings Street in Vancouver, with myself and little brother in tow, every November 11th.
I think it did him good to see the other vets there on that day.


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## chic (Dec 28, 2018)

My dad enlisted in the navy after Pearl Harbor. He was in high school. He served on the aircraft carrier Ranger. Both my grandfathers served in WWI. All three emerged safe. Thank God. All three were just teenagers when war broke out. I'll never forget their war stories. It's something that is part of my family history.


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## Aneeda72 (Mar 5, 2019)

Forget WWII? Never!

I grew up with a picture my grandmother gave me.  The picture of her in her Woman's Army Corp WWII uniform, in her living room, where a picture of my dad hung on her wall.  The picture was of him in his WWII Air Airforce uniform.  This picture hangs on my wall.  Her husband served as well. Lots of relatives served during WWII and WWI.  Lots died.

A picture of my mother's father in his WWI army uniform hangs next to a picture of my brother in his Army uniform-Vietnam Era.  A picture of me in my WAC uniform-Vietnam era.  It hangs next to a picture of my husband-Vietnam vet, combat marine.  He worked in supply and tanks.  One of the guys who walked behind the tank as it moved forward.

One of the guys who hitched a ride on the tank and got blown off when it got hit.  Injured his back, recovered in HI, but not a scratch so no Purple Heart.  But awarded the Navy Achievement Metal, two years after discharge, the highest non combat mental given in a combat zone.  (As I understand it.). 

My step father served with Patton, opened one of the first camps.  Only thing he ever said.  Mom's brother was at Pearl Harbor.  I think it's mom's grandmother who got the civil war pension when her husband died. I can trace our family's service in every war we ever fought.

i would like to thank everyone for their service.  Forget WWII veterans, not a chance!!


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## RadishRose (Mar 5, 2019)

Interesting post Aneeda. My dad also served. His glider was shot down I think over France, I was told. He had shrapnel removed years later. I remember the brace he always had to wear. 

My mother went to work in a factory and sold war bonds.

It was before I was born, but I'll never forget all the stories and facts I learned.


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## Pinky (Mar 5, 2019)

My father's name and comments from an interview he did post-war are in a book about the Nisei Japanese-Canadians who fought in WWII. My brother and I have all his Army records as well. I honour his memory and all veterans who died in all wars. 

I look forward to the day when there are no more wars in the world, but am probably naive in that thought.


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## Aneeda72 (Mar 5, 2019)

RadishRose,

Thanks.

Your mother served as well, working in a factory, selling war bonds-that is service.  Staying the course while waiting for a loved one to return or not.  It's all service to a country at war.  

Pinky,

I think there will always be wars, but in today's age, IMO, there no longer have to be boots on the ground.  There has got to be a better way.


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## RadishRose (Mar 5, 2019)

Aneeda72 said:


> RadishRose,
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> ...



What a nice thing to say about the wives who supported the war effort as well! Thanks.


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