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Thread: Humble Valor

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Humble Valor

    My wife's great uncle was a farmer in eastern Nebraska for over 70 years. He never had children, he had a wife that adored him and a piece of dirt that he took pride in.
    He was a WW2 veteran that spoke little of his experiences - but the SEALS pinning his coffin and placard of medals spoke to his service to this country.
    I respect each and every member of our military service, but am enamoured by the ones that come home - put their honoured time on the shelf, and continue on with their lives.
    Thank you Uncle Richard - and thank you to every member of the service that has and will protect this great nation that I still believe in.

    Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Condolences on your loss. They are the Great generation for good reason.

    My ex father-in-law served in Korea and would not talk a out it. One of the good ones too.
    Don Verna


  3. #3
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    In 1951-'52, My Dad was a Air Force radio operator stationed at Adak Station in the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska.
    They'd sit there listening and intercepting the bad guy's Morse code radio traffic to and from Korea, decode it,
    and pass any good stuff on to the folks in Intelligence..

    Pop said it was so cold there, in the winter, the kerosene for the heaters in their Quonset huts would freeze.
    During off shift hours, they'd do duty on the flight line refueling the planes that couldn't make it back & forth
    from the US & Korea without stopping somewhere to refuel.

    He told of one time when a single seat Fighter stopped in to refuel coming from Korea.
    The pilot got out to stretch his legs, looked around, and told him, "This place is worse than where I came from".

    He mentioned one time that he was glad not to have been stationed in Korea itself.
    He said, "Those guys had it rough".
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

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    My FIL was a Navy Corpsman whose service was in Korea. At almost 90 years young, I believe he's too tough to die, and I mean that in every good way. He saw a lot of it. I hope that when I'm approaching 90, I am as healthy and mentally and physically fit as he has always been. He takes extraordinary measures to disinfect his surroundings, things he has done since the service, and will not go to any restaurant.
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    Condolences for your loss. Those men that we know and love are disappearing fast. Here is an excerpt from the obituary of one of them.

    Troy was a blessed man with a loving family and many friends. He married the love of his life, Virginia "Gin" Michael on September 9, 1944, just before being shipped out to Europe to fight during World War II. They enjoyed 69 years of marriage.
    He enjoyed good health well into his 90's. He was a testimony to what a Christian should be. He was a member of Gaston Baptist Church nearly all his adult life. During his Christian life, he served as a deacon, Sunday School Superintendent, Church Training Director and served on various committees during his lifetime at Gaston. He was the oldest member of Gaston at the time of his death.
    One of his greatest blessings was his ability to communicate with people. He spoke to many schools on Veterans Day throughout his life about his service during World War II. At the age of 94, he was able to speak at Gaston Church on his life as a Christian, and how his faith had influenced him and helped him during his lifetime, especially during the war. He had the kind of voice and delivery that automatically got your attention, and held your attention as he spoke. Audiences were always quiet as he spoke, listening to his every word.
    Troy was blessed, but he also blessed others. He was a caring husband and father and helped family and friends throughout his life. He was active in his community, including being a charter member of Prentiss Co. Farm Bureau, and by serving his country by volunteering for the Army to serve during World War II. Though he would never tell anyone, he was a war hero. He fought with the Third Division through France, Germany and Austria. He earned two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, and many more medals. At the end of his service he had been promoted to Staff Sergeant. In later life, he was presented with the French Legion of Honor Medal, on May 20, 2012. This is the highest French order of merit awarded by the country of France. This was awarded to him for his efforts in liberating France. He wrote a book concerning his war experiences entitled, "An Infantryman's Memories of WWII."
    Troy chose farming as his profession after serving his country. He farmed until he was 77, driving large tractors and combines. As most people know, farming is not an easy profession. He did it because the Lord gave him a love for the land. He enjoyed and derived a lot of satisfaction by planting a crop, watching it grow to maturity, and finally harvesting a good crop.

    If you can find a copy read his book.
    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  6. #6
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    buckwheatpaul's Avatar
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    Thank you so much for a testimony of a man from the Greatest Generation....May he rest in God's loving arms.
    When guns are outlawed only criminals and the government will have them and at that time I will see very little difference in either!

    "Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems man faces." President Ronald Reagan

    "We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the law breaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is acoutable for his actions." Presdent Ronald Reagan

  7. #7
    Boolit Master Rapier's Avatar
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    It is good that he got to live for a long time after war in peace. We have a good many that live here in NW FL, some live near the beach, some live in the woods or on a farm.
    “There is a remedy for all things, save death.“
    Cervantes

    “Never give up, never quit.”
    Robert Rogers
    Roger’s Rangers

    There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.
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  8. #8
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    In the mid 90's I was working in a TV/Appliance shop as an electronic technician doing repairs/installs. One of our customers was a really messed up disabled guy. His wife worked and he had bad spots during the day and would call and say his home theater needed some adjusting. I would tell my boss(he was a vet) where I was headed and it might be a couple hours and to call there if something urgent came up. Over the course of a year he opened up about why he was so messed up, I didn't know he was a vet until he started talking. He was a medic in Vietnam and survived 3 parachute failures that splatted him into rice paddies, fist 2 he recovered from and went back to Vietnam. Last one he broke so many bones he had to leave the military on a full medical disability. He talked a lot about what happened, the guys he rescued etc. At times he just wanted someone to sit with him and drink a beer and watch a movie while his wife was at work(she knew me well and didn't worry about anything going on). My boss was okay with it because it only happened 2-3 times a month when he went into a dark place and didn't want to be alone. If he wanted to talk those days I let him, if he wanted silence I respected that.

    When he was out and about around town he NEVER wore anything to show he was a vet. He said he didn't want people knowing. He gave me some of his camo when he found out I hunted, I used it for a couple years with a blaze orange vest over the top when deer hunting. Had someone ask me of I served and I said nope, this was a gift from someone who did and he wanted me to use it. I removed all name tags, patches etc so it was bare camo.

    He moved to NC to be closer to kids, I still talk to him on the phone now and then. One of the nicest and most humble guys I know.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master beezapilot's Avatar
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    My dentist, when I was a kid, was a 22 year old Marine Corps officer on Mt. Suribachi, I can not even imagine how he carried that with him. Didn't have a clue about his service until long after he retired from yanking teeth and was leading an effort to put up a monument to Iwo survivors. A friend of mine is half Chinese, her father came to the USA after WWII with citizenship, I'd only met him a couple of times very quiet guy. He was one of Claire Chennault's Flying Tigers crew, I really wish I'd gotten to hear about that.
    The essence of education is self reliance- T.H. White.

    Currently seeking wood carving tools, wood planes, froes, scorps, spokeshaves... etc....

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

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    My dad was drafted during WWII, went to Fort Riley for cavalry training. Spent a year learning to ride horses. He had grown up on a farm, had a horse kick at him that missed his head by an inch or two. After a year the army decided to shut down the mounted cavalry and transferred him to infantry and shipped him to Europe just as the war ended. Spent his time there as a "guard" for displaced persons that were in the process of being returned to their homes. They had a base where they housed and fed them. During the day they would bus them to town, everyone would go their own way and then catch the bus back to the base. After 2 years of service, he was put into active reserve. Don't know what he did then, but after 2 years he was transferred to inactive reserve. About a year later he married my mom. On the last day of 2 years inactive reserve, he was reactivated and called in to serve in Korea. Mom was pregnant with me at that time and he ended up in Texas, getting ready to ship out. About a month after I was born my uncle took mom and me to see Dad just before he shipped out. He was in Korea for just over a year. In addition to fighting, he also ran field lines for phones. Was offered a Purple Heart for a cut while handling phone wire and refused it. Served his scheduled time there, then was extended because replacements weren't available. Just over a month after he was to be be out, he was driving 2 1/2 ton truck and hit a land mine. It killed the passenger and put a 2 foot long piece of shrapnel through his leg. He then spent about 6 months in the hospital and left with a small piece of shrapnel under his knee cap. When he got home he was not able to handle being around others to well, so my uncle took him to Seattle and they got jobs there while Dad got himself back together, then they came back home.

    I remember him watching Combat, Rat Patrol, and all the Saturday afternoon westerns. As he hit his late 70's he started to change. He had quit watching the war shows and the westerns weren't as available so I'm not sure how he felt about them. At about 80-82 Alzheimer's started setting in and PTSD really got to him. When I was younger he had talked about Korea once or twice with his brothers. All I remember was him talking about the piles of bodies and a small creek that was running blood with no water in it. Just before he died, he was reliving those experiences as if they were happening right then.

    He did not want me to serve, insisted I get a college education. Was in college at age 17, that fall when the draft numbers were announced mine was 180 or 188, they took up to about 174. A couple of years later I tried to enlist in the Air Force but the recruiter convinced me to go back to school. Ended up getting married and getting a job instead.

    Had a college roommate that got a girl pregnant. He married her but then enlisted, went to Nam and lasted less than six months. Had a first cousin that lost her husband to Nam. Had 2 cousins that served in Nam, one as a door gunner and the other as infantry machine gunner. May have another cousin that served there but I am not sure, I've only seen him 4 or 5 time in the last 50 years.
    Spell check doesn't work in Chrome, so if something is spelled wrong, it's just a typo that I missed.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    My dad served from 1932 through the end of WWII. He was assigned to the 3rd Army, 4th armored, 24th Armored engineers and got to Normandy about the middle pf July. He was a recon platoon Officer and got a front seat going through France and Germany checking out bridges, roads and such in front of the 4th Armored.
    I never saw him talk to anyone about his time in the war except me. Why he did that I'm still not sure. After I was born (1948) he worked for the Corps of Engineers Civil as a surveyor for some of the dams on the Snake River in Washington and Idaho. He was an alcoholic for most of his life and would come home on weekends from where ever he was surveying every three or four weeks. He would drink a half a fifth of whisky and a six pack of beer and start telling me war stories. This went on until about 1967-68 when he retired. I still remember the day he quit drinking, Jan 5th 1973, the day I got married.

    He never said a word about the medals he earned until I asked if he had got any. 2 Silver stars 1 bronze star and three or four purple hearts for minor wounds from shrapnel. Even in later life it still bothered him having to kill some of the German soldiers he encountered close up.

    After high school, I told him I was going to join the Army and his immediate response was no your not.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master

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    They truly were the greatest generation and I have a huge respect for the ones that I got to know. And for the ones that I never met. Unfortunately so many of them are gone.

    My Father-in-law was a WW2 vet and had a few metals that he earned in the Aleutian Islands. He never talked about his service and I never brought it up, choosing to honor his privacy.

    My Dad was a Korean War Vet and never talked about his experiences either. The only thing I remember Him saying was about how cold it was.

    When we first moved here where we are now I was surprised at how many WW2 Vets lived here and that most of them were Air Crew. Pilots, Navigators, ect. One was a Fighter Pilot, another flew Skyraiders in Korea and another flew Helicopters in Korea and Bird Dogs in Vietnam. Being a Private Pilot I had a huge interest in this but most of them didn't like to talk about their time in service. Most of them came home and got married, raised families and led quite successful lives.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master Shawlerbrook's Avatar
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    Condolences to Uncle Richard and his family . My grandmother had 3 sons, Uncle Anthony served in WW2, my father in the Korean War and my Uncle Rocco in Vietnam. All 3 talked very little of their service and loved their families and their country. When I see people today disrespect the flag or those who served it sickens me to my core. Many in our country have no idea how lucky they are to live in this great country and how much they owe to those that put on the uniform to protect and serve .

  14. #14
    Boolit Master

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    No one knows, or can understand, the levels of service performed, the trials faced, the risks taken, the exhaustion, the euphoria, EXCEPT those that served side by side in heated times. Reliving events for those who were not there can't be explained. Words can be omitted between survivors. The stories are there for those that can "see" it. Service is a Small Band of Brothers, and sometimes Sisters, who KNOW because they were THERE.
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  15. #15
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    There was a guy I grew up with that one time his Mom had mentioned that her, and his Dad had eloped to get married
    before he went into the Service. And that was how we figured out he was a veteran.

    Years later, my buddy was in the Air Force, stationed in Germany, and his parents came to visit.
    While there, he commented that "This place sure looks different when seeing it from the ground".
    --"Huh"? After a couple questions, his Dad told him he'd been a B-24 pilot stationed in England 'back then'.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    I lived in gods waiting room, retirement heaven, florida for quite a while, my old business partner had 35 years in, most of it at Patterson AFB. he was a talkative guy and would sometimes get some of these old WWII vets to open up and story time would begin. bust most the time those guys would not go around wearing anything to let you know they were vets and didn't talk about any of that. they wanted to talk about fishing and grandkids and other stuff.

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