Family History Tales

[James]

In another thread our own Para inspired me with the following post:

I know this is a little of this topic, but I was reading the other that the American Vets of WW2 are dying of at the rate of 1,400 per DAY. In our little town I have been collecting some of their stories and photo's and putting them on a CD ROM. These CD's are then sent of to the appropriate Military museums and have been well received there. May be it is me being silly but there are some great stories and photographs out there which need to be collated along with the stories for once the people have gone the thread is broken, as most of the photo's are chucked away with the rubbish as the people dealing with the persons effects just don't know what they are or mean.

I thought it would be interesting to have members contribute stories of family (or their own) that have something to do with military history. My hope is that we can keep some memories alive. I hope we won't see any debates or flaming in this thread. My fingers are crossed.

Both of my grandfathers served in WWII. One was a pilot with the 8th and 9th AAFs. He flew B-26 Marauders out of England and later the continent during WWII. He also flew the DOuglas A-20 and A-26. He left the Army in 1946 and started a sporting goods store in Hoquiam, Washington. WHen The Korean War began, he ran to the sound of the guns and flew Douglas A-26s again. He was MIA in April 1952. He is still MIA - nothing has been learned to date.
My other grandfather served with the Coast Guard during WWII. He was a meteorologist and did a lot of sailing out of Boston from 1943-1945. He launched weather balloons with packages of instruments to help forecast what would be happening in Europe. He told me once that he remembered seeing a lot of empty lifeboats and oil slicks, but they never picked anybody up, alive or dead, during the Battle of the Atlantic. Once, a German U-Boat fired a torpedoe at his ship. He heard the alert, and everyone ran outside - no one wanted to be inside if they got hit! Lucky for them, the torpedo ran completley under the ship and kept on going.

After the war he worked for the U.S. Weather service in Seattle, WA. He was also a volunteer firefighter, and retired as a Chief in 1985. He died on March 13 of old age.

I am eager to read about what stories other members here can tell.

[Buckeye67]

My father just missed WW2, but enlisted in the Navy in 1946. He served on the USS Turner and was there during Operation Crossroads - the nuclear test(s) at Bikini Atoll. I knew that he'd served in the navy, but not that he was present for Crossroads.

I asked him "So you actually saw them light off a nuclear weapon?"

He nodded and grinned and said "Oh yeah... we saw it."

Pretty damn amazing if you ask me. He then described how they sailed into the area after the blast (yeah, complete with radioactive fog/mist and water) to take samples and readings. Fortunately he's not suffered any sort of ill effects from that.

Following his service in the Navy, he joined the Army. He attended basic training at Ft Knox, KY (where I would attend basic about 35 years later) and was later stationed in Italy and Austria as, of all things, a conductor on a troop train.


Good thread, I'm looking forward to reading everyone's posts.

[digrar]

Not much of a military history in my family, but I have two great uncles that served in the islands North of Australia in WWII. They were both in their early to mid 30's when they enlisted, one was a shearers cook and went on to be a cook in a Officers mess and the other was a gunner in the 4th Australian Field Regiment, dragging guns up and down the greasy mountains of Papua and Guinea. No Infantrymen in the family .

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Had an uncle in the Airforce in ww2

Grandfather on my fathers side was in a to important job to be allowed to join. (painter at BHP :P )

Grandfather on my mums side was a QM in the Army. Was eventually kicked out for theft, fraud and running a black market using army supplies (so freaking australian)

[Koen]

My Father's father was studying to become a priest in 1914, when the germans invaded belgium, they fled to france. In 1916 he was mobilised, but because he was in seminar they made him a brancardier. He spent a year in the trenches and worked in a field hospital later on.
After the war, he did not want to be a priest any longer and fortunatelly for me married my grandman.

My mother's father did his military service in 1934 in the infantry, he was mobilised at the time of the crisis of Munich, demobilised and then mobilised again in september '39. He was part of a heavy machine gun team in an infantry regiment. In May '40 they were told to retreat without seeing germans and finally dug in around Antwerp. There they saw german helmets approaching and started firing at them, the germans ran away immediatelly, an hour later they were fired upon by artillery. This continued all day long, one of this comrades went so mad that he wanted to attack the german guns, they had a lot of trouble keeping him in the trench, by night the artillery stopped and they found out they were alone, the rest of their batallion had gone. In the dark they went looking for the rest, but saw germans approaching from their back, they hid in a forest, but the germans found them, and so he started his POW-carreer. They were send on a train to germany and had to help on farms under guard of soldiers, they slept in pigs-stables. He was liberated in 1941, got home to find no work so they had a very tough time to survive the war, had to eat all the cats around...

My father was a conscript/Reserve NCO in a tank bataillion in 1960, they were leaving for the congo, their tanks were already in antwerp to be loaded on a ship, when the whole thing was cancelled.

[Scagel]

Some generations back, my great-great-gr...grandmother shot the last indian on the oregon trail.

My grandma was high up in the Alaka State Defense Force and helped stockpile weapons and devise strategies to keep back a possible Jap invasion (her contributions were used to build defense during the Cold War), then attended West Point during Korea, and finally drill instructed at Parris Island.

I know there were/are alot of Serb military folks in my moms side of the family, but I'm not sure of any specifics (embarrasing that Ive neglected half my heritage )

Also, not sure if this is military, but if you've heard of Scagel knives- the guy that started it was in my family.

[RGRBOX]

MY family is rich in military history, from a great, great, great Grandfather who was Col, Carolina who fought for the South in La. My grandfather was in the 6th ID in the Pacific, Island hopping. My Step-Grandfather was a pilot in the Navy and flew the E-1, my Dad was a LRRP in the 1st CAV during Vietnam, my Step dad was an AirCommando in the AF, and was stationed at England AF Bace and in Vietnam. My Grandfathers brothers were in the 101st at Bastogne and the other with Patten when he went to Bastogne to help the 101st. My Grandfathers Cousins were born in Argentina and went over to Germany to fight for the Fatherland because of their Mother, they were SS and never returned. Myself and all, but one of my 5 brothers are or were in the Army. All MOS's from myself infantry, one Artillery, one Medic, and one Supply Spec. I also have a step brother who was in the USAF. And 3 uncles who served in the Army.

[Para]

Many thanks for the kind words James, Now being an old git my my memories of grandparents takes me back a long way. My grandfather joined the 2nd Dragoons as a lad, spent 15 year in India along the North West Frontier during the 19th Century when he left the army after 21 years he joined the Metropolitan Police and become a member of the Royal Protection Squad and was a great friend of Princess Alice. He rejoined the colours in 1915 and served with the Iniskinlings on the Western Front and on one of the attacks he was one of only 6 men from his Battalion who made it back from an attack on the enemy trenches, he managed to go through three years in front lines with out a scratch. My Uncle joined the Royal Engineers at the age of 13 he took all the courses offered to him and got a degree as Quantity Surveyor he was then given a commission and wound up as a Colonel in the RE. My father was more interest in aircraft and joined the RAF, he wanted become aircrew back in the the 1920's when flying was still a daring thing to do. He qualified as a Navigator and later on as a Radio Operator and flew bi planes all over the middle east. He was recalled for active service in 1938 about a year before war was declared and was sent to France in Fairy Battles. When the Germans broke through in 1940 they where ordered to bomb he bridges over the river Mers, as he was married with young children he was ordered to stand down, none of the planes ever returned all where shot down during the attack. He then made his way to Dunkirk and was lifted of the beaches, from their he went went to Fighter Control at Hawkinge and a near miss by a bomb during the battle of Britain moved the 3 foot thick concrete roof about five feet to one side. After the Battle Britain he was shipped of the Canada to help set up the Empire flying schools and to work as an instructor. We next saw him in 1947 as he had to stay on and close things down. My sister had a commission in the Royal Air Force and work as liaison officer during the Coronation in 1953 for the Queen when she was visiting different RAF stations during her tour of the Country, my sister after leaving the the RAF became an editor of a local newspaper then went over to the States, her son joined the American Green Berets as a Soldier and worked his way through he ranks and when I last spoke to him he was then a Major. My wifes uncles and cousins are ranking members of the IRA. Then there is me I wound up as Paratrooper for my sins and was lucky not to still be in jail for some of the strokes I pulled, I think I was one of the last people to be charged with Mutiny on the High Seas and to get away with it after the first mate of our troopship was thrown over the side while we where in Algiers harbour, and I was also down for a court martial for refusing punishment, but the charges where later dropped as their were hundreds of other paratroopers doing the same thing, so they got rid of the CO instead

[James]

WOW.

THanks for the repsonses so far.

[Para]

Talking about war stories, I had thousands of men working for me and I used to get them talking during their breaks in the staff canteen. One chap had been at Nagasaki just before the atom bomb fell on the place.
The Japanese where marching him and many others of to a death camp to be killed as an invasion was expected. He said he got a right beating from the guards for cheering when the Atom bomb went off as felt he would then live to go home. Another chap had been an Ack Ack Gunner on the HMS Baraham when that ship blew up in the Med with a huge loss of life. Another one had been flying Lancaster and was shot down on the last day of the War in Europe after bombing the SS Barracks in what was called the Eagles lair. He landed right in the middle of the barracks square and there where bodies all over the place and he thought God I will now get shot. An SS man came up to him and said today the war is over for you, tomorrow it will be over for me, He was not locked up but it was suggested to him that he should stay put till the Allied troops had arrived for his own safety. Another time we had our boiler man and a former German POW who stayed behind to live in England at the same table. The Boiler man was saying that he was in Destroyers during the war and had helped sink a U boat and gave the number of the boat that they had sunk.
I looked at the Germans face and it was a picture, as he been on that U Boat when it had been sunk. The German who was a big lad to say least leaned over and grabbed the old chaps hand and said okay you sunk me but thanks for stopping and picking me up, At least I am alive to tell the tale. It struck me as odd that the two of them should meet in such a way.
Still I could tell these yarns all days but I will no doubt bore you all to death so I will but out and let some other people get in on this.

[Ratamacue]

My grandfather served in the US Army during the Korean War (1951, I think). Doesn't really talk about it at all, though, and I can't say I blame him.

My uncle served in MACV-SOG during Vietnam, doing recon on the Ho Chi Minh trail inside Laos and Cambodia. We only learned that after he'd gotten sufficiently plastered during Thanksgiving one year :P . He talked mostly of guiding in air strikes and receiving mortar attacks and stuff like that. Once again, I think the fact that he was inebriated was the only reason that he really wanted to talk about it at all.

My other uncle served in the US Army just after Vietnam. He mostly just likes to talk about how miserable it was in the bush stationed along the East/West German border.

[Scagel]

My uncle served in MACV-SOG during Vietnam, doing recon on the Ho Chi Minh trail inside Laos and Cambodia. We only learned that after he'd gotten sufficiently plastered during Thanksgiving one year :P . He talked mostly of guiding in air strikes and receiving mortar attacks and stuff like that. Once again, I think the fact that he was inebriated was the only reason that he really wanted to talk about it at all.

One of my dad's buisness associates was on a student visa to the US from Germany while getting his Master's and was drafted (apparently they can do that) for vietnam. He figured if he was going to do it, he might as well do it right, so he volunteered for the Army Rangers and wound up in Laos. He's normal about 90% of the time, but some of the stress/trauma from his experiences causes him to fall into stange mental episodes every now and then. Very sad considering he wasnt even American when he got drafted.

[Para]

When I joined the Parachute Regiment we had a quite little man as a storeman who had won the Military Medal which is a very gong to have.
We often wondered what this chap had done and it did not take us long to find out. Well he had been parachuted into Arnhem and had been with a small squad os soldiers that had been cut off, sso they dug in and fought off the Germans for days. After a while three German tanks appeard along with a Company of Infantry, well the tanks lumbered up until they where about 50 yards from trenches and opened fire. Well they where out of Piat bombs and they were taking a hell of pounding, during this time our little storemans best mate was blown bits beside him. What did he do but grab a Sten gun and a number of magazines and charged the tanks. He climbed on first tank he came to and stuck the barrel of the Sten gun through an observation slit and emptied the Magazine into the tank killing all the crew, he then attacked the next tank doing the same thing and whole time this going on he was under very heavy machine gun and rifle fire from the supoorting German troops. On knocking out tank number two he then repeated the same thing on tank number three knocking that out as well. Having removed the tanks from that were shelling them he he made a dash for cover and made it unharmed to cheers of his mates. Now they all thought his award should have been far higher than an MM but as there was no officer alive in this unit to submit a report on his actions he could only get the MM regardless of what any one else said

[Ichhabe]

In the fall of 1944 the Germans decided to withdraw from my county Finnmark in the northern part of Norway.
Due to a Führerbefhel they decided to use the scorched earth tactic. That meant the total destruction of Finnmark and forcing the people to evacuate.
In this mayhem my Grandparents on my fathers side found themselves in.
They lived on an island just northwest of Hammerfest and was in the beginning of November evacuated there first. They were allowed to take 15 kilo pr. grown up person with them. Having 3 children from the age of 1-4(my father was 4) they had to think of them first, so they took most of their belongings that was needed for the evacuation with them. As they were rounded up, they saw the Germans setting their house on fire, killing of the animals and then shipped them to Hammerfest.
There they were for a few days, watching the Germans burning down the town, section by section.
Around November 5 they were again put on a ship and now they were send off to Tromsø.
While they were there they had the pleasure of seeing Tirpitz being sunk on November the 12. from the best seats in the house. They was on a farm about 500 meters from were Tirpitz was.
Then it was on a ship again around November 20, destination Trondheim.
Here they was given quarters inside the Cathredal of Nidaros.
My Grandmother told me how amazed she was when comming in to that building that she only had seen a small photo of, and then watching two nuns sitting and playing cards on some benches inside the church.
In December 44 they where sent further south to a farm in Telemark where they was untill the end of the war in May 45.

They came home to Tufjord in early 1946 just to see that the Germans had really cleaned up the place. Not a plank was standing in a upright position and there were only ashes to see.

Being told these stories when I was a kid, I was amazed to learn that they actually did not feel a grudge toward the Germans for burning down all what they owned in the world. They told me that they understood it was a war, and ugly things do happen. What did it help to hate the Germans. Let the past be the past...

My Grandfather died in 1987 and my Grandmother followed on Christmas eve in 1991. I will never forget them.

[PhillyMobster]

My family has a spotty military background. As far back as I can trace, I had ancestors in the Mclachlan clan in Scotland, who fought in the rebellion of '46, and as a consequence of Culloden, had to leave, and ended up coming to America.

Then I had an ancestor, Joseph Hotchkiss, who served with the 1st Michigan Cavalry under Custer during the ACW, and had a leg blown off at Cold Harbor. I had three ancestors on my fathers side, who were Irish brothers who enlisted in a Pennsylvania Regiment during the Civil War. Two lived through, the other died an unglamorous death in a hospital tent from disease.

My Great Grandfather worked in the Philadelphia Naval Yard as a pipe-fitters assitant from age 16-18, during WWI. On his 18th birthday, he quit his job at the Navy Yard, went to the nearest Army recruiting office, but was turned away at the door. It was November 11, 1918. He spent the rest of his life being mad about that.

My Grandfather is the family member I know least about, actually. He joined the Army in WWII, as soon as he turned 18, but like my Great granddad, he was too late. The only wartime service he saw was stateside.

After the war, he decided to stay in the Army, and was deployed with an artillery unit to Korea. While there, he was injured by a exploding landmine, and spent a little while recovering. After that, rather than being sent back to his unit, he was made a guard at Panmunjom for a while.

During this time, he had become fluent in several oriental languages, and was sent to Vietnam in the 60s as part of some linguistics unit. I don't know when his tour ended. All the information I just put down there came from his mouth just before he died, so if there are errors, it is my fault for not recording them correctly.

EDIT:
I just discovered that my Great-great uncle served under Pershing in Mexico. I don't know any details, but he returned home with a disease (some form of Tuberculosis) that finally killed him in 1917.