Thinking about the Vets

[Mike Venturino]

In thinking about veterans yesterday I remembered this photo I took on Guam last year. It is the view the Japanese gunners had of Asan beach as our Marines were landing. My late uncle, James Virse of Belfry, KY was with the first wave (3rd Marines) to hit that beach in July, 1944. He was 18 years old. I stood up there and thought "How did they do it?"

[Hickory]

It is my feeling that our government is conditioning our kids to grow up to be wimps and woosies. So that there will never be another generation of men nor women willing to fight for freedom or have the back bone to fight for anything.
Even in this day and age we are called unamerican or terrorist for wanting to keep what little freedom we have left.

If refuse to stand up now the freedoms we hold dear will be flushed down the crapper.
I better get off my soap box before I say something I shouldn't.

[Marvin S]

I took that same picture last year. Lots of history on that miserable little island. Hickory, there are lots of young and not so young people serving now.

[Hickory]

Marvin;
I shouldn't get so upset, My son is in Afganastan and will be home, or should I say back in Pendelton in a few weeks. My wife and I are going out to California to see him over Christmas.
He's a good young man, I think I raised him right. He made his own decision to join the Marines and is not the least bit regretful.

[bruce drake]

Hickory,

I have been seeing young men and women join our country's service for the last 20 years. Each one comes willingly knowing the requirements set before them to defend our country. And for the last 8 years (longer than WWII and Korea combined), many have been going into harms way to ensure that no more 9/11s strike our shores.

Your son is one of those volunteers who has answered our country's call. We have been fighting a three front war on terrorism without the addition of a Draft which was used to resource every war from The Civil to The Vietnam War. We have also been fighting as an Armed Force with end strengths at the smallest for the Armed Forces since before the Second World War started.

Remember that only 1/20th of the current generation volunteers to fight for the rest of America.

What irritates me most is that when service age men and women tell me "thank you for your service" but then tell me that if they join, it would delay their college or interrupt their job, or their girlfriend is against the war...What part of I'm fighting to give them that opportunity to be slackers don't they understand. They would have a heart attack if the Draft was ever initiated again.

Tell your son Semper Fi, my enlisted time was as a Marine with the 3rd Marine Regiment in the early 90s.

Bruce

[Farmall 1066]

Thanks to all who serve or have served!
As I read more WW2 history, I find myself asking if I would have had the courage, if I would have measured up.........and I can't honestly say that I would. I guess because of the fine job of those before me, I haven't had to find out.

Started watching Ken Burns documentary "The War" last night. GOOD STUFF!!!

Andy

[Rocky Raab]

You honored those guys by your visit, Mike. I've read your thoughts on it, and you were most respectful. I salute you for that. If I see you at SHOT, I'll shake that mitt of yours.

I'm a boomer baby. Both my parents were in the Army, and my Dad drove the Red Ball Express in Belgium. Both my brother and I joined the AF. I did 23 years, about half Reserve time. Flew combat in Vietnam and eventually retired after serving temporary active duty stateside as a Lt/Col during Desert Storm.

Neither of my daughters were interested in serving. My one grandson is only one now, but I'll encourage him to resume the family tradition. It'll be up to him. I'll bring it up to my granddaughter, also.

I personally cannot understand how a person can enjoy what this country offers without making some effort to that pay back - and help insure that it continues. But I seem to be in the minority, more's the pity.

[HollandNut]

The Greatest Generation , is an understatement ..

Dad passed away in 1999 at age 90 , would have been 100 this past September .. He wouldnt talk much , was Air Corps .. Those boys caught hell in Europe flying out of England .. In the early days of the air war in Europe , 25 missions would get you back home , at one time , before the P51 came into service , it was said that it was mathematically impossible for you to survive 25 missions ..

His brother was Airborne and spent the war in Europe working with the French Underground ..

Mothers oldest brother passed away in 2007 , he was a medic in Europe , and hit the beach on D-Day .. His stories would send chills down your spine ..

The post war free world owes a debt that can never be repaid ..

[Mike Venturino]

While visiting Iwo Jima I walked from the modern airfield in the middle of the northern plateau down to the invasion beaches in about an hour, maybe an hour and a half. It took the Maries three to four weeks to fight their way that distance.
And I was 58 years old, overweight, out of shape, and with a bum knee.

That, more than anything else finally gave me some perspective as to just how hard that fighting must have been day to day. I can't understand how those Marines could climb out of their foxholes every morning and face that carnage again.

I wanted to walk cross country until I got there and saw just what a jungle mess that entire island is except for the places the Japanese keep up. By the way, one of the first things I saw there was a nine hole golf course. Here's a photo showing just how dense the foliage is today.

[sundog]

Mike, thanks for the picture. My wife's cousin passed away a short time ago. He was a Marine and made the landing at Iwo Jima - very early and survived with only a few out of his company. His brother and I were out fishing in my boat one day when all of a sudden he started talking and didn't stop for about an hour and a half. We let him talk. Occasionally he would reel the line or cast, but mostly talk. We listened. We just drifted along. Fishing wasn't so important for a few minutes. As far as his brother knew he had never told anyone. I felt honored. And awed. Les will always be a hero in my book.

One grandson got home from Iraq today to Fort Hood. One more still there.

[AZ-Stew]

I had an experience similar to Sundog's. In 2001 my wife and I were visiting her parents in Indiana. Her father took me across the street to his neighbor's house. The gent had been a Marine who survived Iwo Jima. He talked for about an hour and a half. I wish I had had my digital recorder then so I could have kept what he said about the experience. He's gone now, so there's no chance to repeat the experience.

Regards,

Stew

P.S. Mike, check out the B-17 thread again. I posted some new photos last evening.

[gnoahhh]

My personal hero was my uncle John Lenig. Drafted peacetime, pre-war (the first peacetime draft) he was due to finish up his stint and be home for Christmas, 1941...

Amongst the first GIs to ship out, he found himself in Northern Ireland in Feb. 1942. Fought in North Africa (1st Inf Div), was captured at Kasserine Pass. Evaded his Italian guards and within 2 weeks he and his escapee buddies were back with their units. Wounded by German shell fragment clipping his scalp on the back of his head (which explained the bald spot).

Next up, Sicily. He would talk about the wine, but not the combat.

Back to the U.K. for re-fit, training and absorbtion of replacements. Next time into the soup, Omaha Beach, D-Day,H+12, straight into the bocage. Northern France, Huertgen Forest, etc. and into Germany. Collected a Schmeisser bullet wound in the arm along the way, went AWOL from the field hospital back to his unit because he was afraid of being lost in the "replacement shuffle". A month before the end of the war, in Germany, while being one of three of the original guys left in his company he got stitched through the back, messing up his kidneys. Homeward bound at last. Recovered, but died of his wounds 40 years later. (Kidney failures off and on all of his life.)

Built a carreer post-war and raised a family. Never talked about his experiences with anybody except my Dad, and later, me. When cleaning out the house after he passed (4 years after my aunt) we found his Bronze Star in with the letters he sent home to my aunt. None of us ever knew he had won it. I sat there, 34 years old, and cried like a baby.

My cousin has all of his "stuff", but I have his canteen- the only piece of gear he managed to hang on to- that he gave me when I was a Boy Scout. Every year on June 6 I make it a point to swig some water from it as a toast to him and all the other guys who risked everything for the perpetuation of their country.

"Bless 'em all, Bless 'em all, Bless 'em all,
the long and the short and the tall..."

[Farmall 1066]

Dosen't seem fair that the generation who gave so much to us and our country, are fading away. Seemed like 15 years ago they were everywhere!

As a younnger man I remember many of them, our banker had flown a P-38, the grocer in our small town had survived the Bataan Death March, Alex, who ran the filling station, used to scare little kids by sticking his pocketknife into his wooden leg, lost in France. The auctioneer at the local cattle sale left a leg over there too. Most of the neighbors who farmed around us served. Harvey rolled cigerettes with one hand with 2 good fingers, the rest shot off, Carl had a 7.7 Jap rifle he never would talk about, Ed worked on B-25's. Grandpa was a heavy equipment operator, and had scars on his legs from shrapnel.

I remember one cold February morning helping the Harvey mentioned above round up cattle that had gotten out. Harvey drove everywhere in a beat to death 50's Chevy pickup, minus drivers side door, and this 10-15 degree day was no different! He showed up at my place, and I commented on the cold and wind. His response was something to the effect of "you ain't seen cold unless you were in Belgium in the winter of 1944"! That old bachelor was the toughest SOB I ever met! I bought his battle star, that had been displayed in the window while he was serving, on his farm sale.
I miss those old heroes greatly.

Andy

[Bigscot]

I never served and have always regretted it. The older I get the more I regret it.

My father and uncle served in WW2. My B.I.L. is Col in the Army, one of his brother's is a Col. in the Air Force, another brother is a Ranger, (not sure of his rank) and his sister's husband is in the Army. So I am gung ho and proud of our military and look at them in awe for what they do and have done and will do.

My B.I.L sent the link below to a couple of years ago and sends out every year. I love the story and the song and the video brings tears to my eye's every time. Especially when the older gentlemen walk out.

Check out this link for the story and then click on the video.

http://www.terry-kelly.com/pittance/pittance_en.htm

Bigscot

[StarMetal]

One of the hardest things in life for me to do is stand through the the 21 gun salute and folding of the flag for a fallen vet. I stand proudly.

Joe

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Mike, et al,

it's just how we were raised. God & Country & Family. I always heard it in that order.

When I die and they bury me in the VA cemetery my headstone will have my name and dates of service in Vietnam and the quote "he did not have to be called...".


Rich

[Lead Fred]

It is my feeling that our government is conditioning our kids to grow up to be wimps and woosies.

NO, as Supjects

[TAWILDCATT]

my father and two brothers were in the marines in WW1 in france,the other brother served in Haiti in 1921.my father served in WW2 also in coast guard.Me I was lucky I was AOM3C in naval air flying out of Trinadad on anti sub. most of my friends are gone I have one 90 ys old was a ranger and captured in the bulge.

[Cactus Farmer]

My Dad was in the navy off Guadacanal,my FIL won the DFC in a B-24 bombing the refineries of The Dutch East Indies and I went to Viet Nam. No one sent me a care package! I just did what I thought was the right thing to do,serve MY country,as I suspect my relatives did. I'm afraid for MY country now........God help us!
The Mayan calander ends on Dec 20,2012........we could be toast long before then..............

[MtGun44]

As to the comment that this upcoming generation won't fight, there may be
some that won't but I guarantee that is not true across the board. My
nephew, Capt. Matthew Freeman, USMC earned an appointment to the US
Naval Academy, graduating with an Aeronautical Engineering degree in 2002.
He invited me and my wife, of course with his Mom and Dad and sisters, to
Warrior Day at Quantico, where we got to see him and some demos about
his training to become a Marine officer. He got selected to be a pilot and
spent several years getting trained up, with a stint as a aide to a general.
He spent some time in Okinawa flying, where he met his wife, a USAF medical
doctor. As soon as requests for ground combat volunteers came into his
squadron, he volunteered for ground combat as a "forward air controller" altho
I don't think that is the right term nowdays. His job was to call in and guide
air support for ground troups.
On Aug 7, 2009 he was leading a mission in Afghanistan and they hit a big
ambush. He led his team in clearing the nearest mud building, and fought his
way to the roof to get in position to oversee the battle to call in air support.
He managed to kill an RPG gunner before he was killed. He got the Bronze
Star posthumously.

He was a volunteer, and he fully understood that he may not make it back to
his new wife (2 wks) and his family when he went.

Just know that there are some young men in this generation that are every bit
as brave and committed to what this country has stood for as the previous
generations. We are very proud of Matt, but we sure miss that young man.

I gotta stop now, it is getting hard to see the screen.

Semper Fi, Matt.

Bill