Memorial Day
I took my dogs for a long walk through the neighborhood this morning and counted exactly two houses (out of at least 100) with flags flying. It made me mad until I remembered there’s no flag flying at my house, either, even if I do have a veteran inside said house. I can’t even express how grateful I am that he won’t becoming a veteran of any more wars and I will likely never have to write anything about him on Memorial Day.
But I want to write something today, because even if I don’t have a flag flying, I do have a family who lost someone in war 64 years ago and this day is for him and every other American who ever died while serving. My uncle Ron is the family historian and has met many of my grandfather’s fellow servicemen, and has put together everything I know about this.
Sgt. Joe Lucas was Flight Engineer/Top Turret gunner in the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody 100th”) in World War II. On August 5, 1944, at Thorpe-Abbott air base northeast of London, he and his 8 fellow crew members rose at 5 a.m., had breakfast, got their mission briefing, and set off for Germany in a B-17 called the Sassy Lassy, along with several other bombers.
At 1 p.m., the Sassy Lassy was shot down by anti-aircraft guns surrounding the FW-190 aircraft factory and the Daimler-Benz tank engine plant in Magdeburg, Germany. My grandfather was never found.
Back in Kansas, Grandma was 20 years old and 8 months pregnant with my dad. Uncle Ron was 4 years old. He knew his father only very briefly; Dad obviously never knew him and was born exactly 2 weeks later.
I’ll never know what that was like for Grandma, or for Grandpa Joe’s parents and siblings, or for the families of all the other Sassy Lassy crew members. All I know is that growing up with this story, I always had a strong sense of what war really means and what real heroes do to become heroes. They volunteer for a job and they put their lives on the line to do that job; pretty simple and yet something most of us will never even think about doing because we don’t have to, because men like my grandfather are doing it for us.
I wish I had more to say, wish I knew more about Grandpa Joe and what he was like, but the fact is all I know is that he died for one of the greatest causes in history, and I am proud to be his progeny.
My grandfather is top row, far left.
Men and women are still doing these jobs today and still dying. Here’s a letter written by a 14-year-old girl to her dad 2 days after he was killed in Iraq in 2003 (via Ace). Michelle Malkin has some good links, and get ready to help me support her in this mission.
I’ll get back to regular blogging tomorrow; today I’m going to enjoy having my man here at home instead of at war, and to be grateful for all the men who are at war. I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this if it weren’t for them and all their forebears.
Feel free to memorialize your friends and loved ones who died for our country, too. Most of us know at least one and they should all be talked about.
Happy Memorial Day my dear. Well said. We owe them.
May 26th, 2008 at 11:57 amThis, and every Memorial Day, I remember the sacrifices of Major Rick Gannon, LtCol Kevin Shea, Captain Brent Morel, LCpl Aaron Boyles, Cpl Jason Dunham, LCpl Chance Phelps, and GySgt Elia Fontecchio. Rick Gannon died in Husaybah, Iraq April 2004. He was killed by insurgents trying to get wounded Marines out of the line of fire. Jason Dunham died in April 2004, also in Husaybah, Iraq. Jason Dunham jumped on a grenade, covering it with his body and helmet to shield other Marines from the blast. I knew a couple of these men. I knew their wives and families. I just came back from a Memorial Service at Ft. Sam Houston, honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and those who have served our country and passed on. At 3:00 local time, it is National Moment of Remembrance. Take time out to look up these fine men. Also, if you see a vet–thank him or her. It may seem like such a little thing to do, but they really appreciate it. And if they are with their spouse or family–thank them, too. We endure the other part of serving our country.
May 26th, 2008 at 12:08 pmI just went over and read the letter by Miss Blankenbecler, and there are droplets of tears smeared on my keyboard and desk. What do you say, how can you say anything at all, when you read this:
I am not a very religious person, but that right there just about ruined whatever composure I had. I was crying the moment i saw that subtitle “known to me as Daddy”. I have to work today at my part-time job, so I am unable to go to the WWII memorial here on the Chicago River. I worked on Saturday, too, when the parade was going on, so I am feeling like I am ‘all talk and no action’.
We take so much for granted in our day-to-day lives, don’t we? I will today be thinking about my late brother, Kevin, who was stationed on the USS Coral Sea and spent many a tour in The Med under threat by Qadafi (who took out his frustrations on not being able to retailiate against US Navy pilots who downed a couple of his fighter planes by bombing a plane load full of Syracuse students, business people and tourists at Lockerbie), CSM Blankenbecler, Sgt. Jor Lucas (your grandmother must be an astonishingly strong person, Rachel, to come through being a widow with two children at 20) and be thankful, humbled and grateful.
May 26th, 2008 at 12:13 pmAll I can say is that I will not forget those who have fallen.
Today is always a sad and tearful day for me. Our flag pole is broken at the moment and I am upset with myself for not fixing it to at least be in time for today.
May 26th, 2008 at 12:19 pmGod bless your grandpa and all those who died to defend our freedoms and liberties. And I’m also glad that you won’t need to write a Memorial post about Rupert.
You can write a Veterans day post about him!
May 26th, 2008 at 12:20 pmBoth of my Grandfathers served in WWII. Two Great Uncles died during WWII, one is buried at the American Cemetery in Normandy. My Father was drafted during Vietnam and served stateside. My Godfather was drafted and served in Vietnam, an experience that still affects him. Another Uncle volunteered for the Air Force, and I currently have a Cousin who is a Captain in the Air Force. I wouldn’t even say that Military service is that strong in my family!
Today especially I remember Uncle Vinnie and Uncle Joe, and all those kids that didn’t get to come home and start a family. There were a lot of families like Gram’s in those days that lost all their brothers.
May 26th, 2008 at 12:43 pmMay 7, 2005
DIE STRONG
RIP, LCpl Lance Graham, San Antonio, Texas.
I remember when I first saw it. He was shooting the breeze with the guys and one of them pointed it out. It was a green band on his wrist. He had had it made in Las Vegas, I think, while on our brief liberty before coming to Iraq.
Less astute people may have thought it was mocking the Lance Armstrong yellow band. This one said “Die Strong.” More astute people knew better.
He was in weapons company, in one of the mobile action platoons, MAP-7. MAP-7 had already gotten an early reputation for finding roadside bombs the hard way. They were the battalion commander’s personal security detail and usually in a hurry to get someplace. And they went just about everywhere with the commander.
But they also did their fair share of route security. Major roads, main lines of communication went through our area of operations and we had to keep them open to traffic at all times. The MAP’s drove up and down the roads every day looking for bombs, looking for muj, looking for trouble.
He didn’t say much, he was laconic. He quietly showed his wristband to me. After he left I listened to the guys talk about it. All agreed that Lance Graham had a great philosophy and admired him for putting it into a tangible form. Of course, being young Marines, they didn’t say it that way.
To Live Strong is important and our yellow shirted hero is right to urge us to make ourselves strong and devote at least a part of our lives and outlook to become physically and mentally tough. That’s not so easily done, but it’s only an incremental step in our lives. What Lance Graham was saying was more profound, at least to us.
Not too long after that, the muj fired some mortars at us up at the dam. I’m pretty sure that no one was hurt, the muj were usually terrible at aiming. We reacted by sending our boats down river where they came under intense fire from the shores. One group of Marines was on the east shore giving support, MAP-7 and a tank platoon section were sent down to assist as well. When the enemy shows himself, we like to oblige him by killing him.
MAP-7 went south of their meeting point with the tanks, turned back north and came to the main plaza, right by the Haditha hospital. We’ve been to that hospital many times in the past, even very recently. The hospital staff was at the least neutral, possibly supportive. They knew they had a lot to gain from us if they cooperated with us.
But on that day, everything was different. Our boats returned to the dam, the enemy was engaged by the Marines on the far side of the river, and the hunt commenced on the near side with the tanks and MAP-7 pushing hard to find them. As they passed the hospital, a truck accelerated at them from a small alley and disappeared again just as rapidly.
It disappeared in a huge explosion. Some murderous muj decided to selfishly seek out paradise and an illusion of a guarantee of virgin attendants. He probably couldn’t find female companionship by any other means. At the same time, machine gun fire and rocket propelled grenade attacks erupted from inside the hospital and from across the street. Islamic fanatics and murderous thugs had come into the hospital very recently and occupied it. They threatened the hospital staff, moved out the patients, some of whom were squeezed into a small area remaining, and constructed fortified gun pits and firing positions. It was an ambush, with MAP-7 caught in the crossfire.
I don’t claim an infallible memory, I’m sure I have many details wrong. But here’s how I remember it, from the vantage of a Marine sitting at the dam waiting for the casualties. While the survivors loaded the six wounded and then the five dead into the bed of the seven-ton truck, one Marine kept up a vicious return fire with a machine gun. Another got on the radio and reported the situation. Somehow the tank section got on station and assisted them. The seven-ton was half demolished, and I will have everlasting admiration for the engineers in Osh Kosh making a truck that can take so much damage. Somehow Sgt Pace got that beast back the 10 miles or so to the dam with two shredded front tires, no radiator, and pretty significant structural damage.
I don’t remember where Graham was in all of this, I wasn’t directly there and even this short time has caused me to forget details of the after action reports that were prepared. I think only one Marine in MAP-7 wasn’t hurt, and all behaved heroically. (One Marine, LCpl Corbin, was awarded with the Navy Cross, the second highest award available to Marines.)
Second Lieutenant Slater, the tank platoon commander realized that the wounded had to leave at once. But if they left, he would be stuck in the middle of an urban environment with enemy infantry all around, and he wouldn’t have any infantry support. This isn’t a generally smart idea for tanks. Slater has my undying admiration because he didn’t hesitate. He ordered MAP-7 back and held the scene with his two tanks while waiting for another MAP to assemble and reinforce him.
Eventually, an ad hoc platoon arrived, consisting of the XO, the S-3A, the Operations chief, the watch clerk and any number of cats and dogs. They assaulted through the hospital, put out the fire that the enemy set, and drove out the enemy from the area.
Meanwhile, MAP-7 arrived at the dam. The wounded were piled on the truck, with the dead on top of them, it took a while to sort everyone out.. The H&S company commander hurled himself on top of the truck and created order out of chaos, Unlike the movies, no one cried and looked on in a catatonic trance. No one went crazy. Even the wounded responded to orders or acted without them. Marines acted as Marines have always acted. I remember hearing about Cpl Childress hopping around with shrapnel wounds and a bullet wound, but still jumping in and helping out his buddies.
When we returned home from Iraq many months later, Graham’s parents met us coming off the bus. I talked with them briefly, they stoically smiled and welcomed us home. Pain was on their faces, but they looked proud to be there and see the men who went to war with their son. After I shook hands with his father, he gave me a small package. It was a black wrist band, with his son’s name on it and the words that he chose as his mottto half a year earlier, “Die Strong.”
I don’t normally wear jewelry or faddish gee gaws like yellow wrist bands. I proudly wear that band.
They were strong. They were Marines. Lance Graham, a Marine, a strong man, died like he lived. Strong.
May 26th, 2008 at 1:12 pmGreat words, strong words, LCpl Graham’s parents would be proud! Thank you.
May 26th, 2008 at 2:02 pmJust about every male in my family has served in every branch of the military. Most recently my brother to Iraq as a doctor for over a year. Thank god he made it back safe and all the others but the “what could’ve been” was terrifying.His stories and pictures were horrifying and for a long time he would swerve for apparently no reason on the freeway when he saw rubbish on the road. I’ve always grown up with great respect for our veterans and appreciate all they do. In Hawaii we had families and friends that lost loved ones in training for Iraq…died in helicopter crashes…they still served and were loved…Thanks for making me cry with that little girl’s letter…it brings back the humanity of the ones who serve and reminds us that they are not just numbers and statistics or simple chess pieces on the board of life to gain power and peace in this world.
May 26th, 2008 at 2:10 pmAmen, Rachel. Amen.
To ALL who have served, are serving, or will serve THANK YOU!!!!!
May 26th, 2008 at 2:14 pmPresident Theodore Roosevelt famously noted that the way to national security is to “Speak softly and carry a big stick”.
When I was in the Army from 1985-1989, my platoon Sergeant SFC Motley said something one day that stuck in my head. He said, welcome to 2nd Platoon, we ARE the big stick.
Most people don’t realize that during those years, under President Reagan, we lost more soldiers to the “Cold War,” than we did in the first four year of combat with the Insurgents in Iraq.
That’s right. Let me repeat that. More soldiers died from 1985-1989 in the US and around the world, than did through 2003-07 in Iraq. No, we weren’t in a “declared” war, but we had been at war with the Soviets ( and Chinese by default) for decades.
Being ready for the most formidable Armies in the world meant adopting the training philosophy “We train like we fight” , which meant training in ultra-realistic ( and dangerous) scenarios. The training was often very real in that thousands of soldiers were killed in the process of deterring the Soviets and winning the Cold War.
They never issued a medal for fighting and winning the biggest threat on the planet and they probably never will. But the men and women of the era will always know exactly what we were up against and were willing to do what we need to do to keep the Soviets scared enough to the point that they literally spent themselves into bankruptcy trying to catch up with all the things we were preparing for them.
When I think of Memorial Day, I think to the buddies I lost one day, when President Reagan invited the Chinese Army over to witness what was waiting for them if they ever got stupid enough to assist the Soviets in challenging us.
We parachuted onto Sicility Drop Zone at Ft Bragg, while hudreds of spectators, including the Chinese military personnel watched. A gasp went out from the crown as the last plane lost altitude a mowed through several Paratroopers in the air, killing them instantly. A second gasp went out from Chinese as they watched us continue our mission, even as death literally fell all around us. I was one fo the lucky ones who made to the ground alive.
Those troops probably had as much to do with keeping the peace and the fall of the Soviet Union as any single weapon system we employed over ther years. In my mind anyway, that’s how I will always remember them.
For me today, I will honor thier forgotten memory, may they rest in peace.
May 26th, 2008 at 2:23 pmTo my many relatives and ancestors and friends who served in times of war and peace, and came home. To my friends and relatives in service now, around the world. To my mother’s cousin Chester, who survived the Bataan Death March only to die in the sinking of a Hell Ship in the final weeks of the war. To his brother Jim, who like Joe Lucas boarded a bomber in Britain, never to be seen again. And to my father’s two cousins who were pleased as punch to be posted to the same ship, and who remain on duty to this day aboard the U.S.S. Arizona.
May 26th, 2008 at 3:01 pmI have for a long time tried to wrap my mind around the idea that there are those in our country who governed by liberal ideology despise the sacrifice of our servicemen and servicewomen in the pursuit of their high minded politics of emotionalism. I can’t get it. These individuals, the servicemen and women, sacrifice their lives day in and day out for those of us who, shall I say, maybe don’t have the courage to do what they are doing. We owe them more for the price of our freedom and our peace. I am thankful today for Rupert and for the thousands of other men and women past and present who have given of themselves, with the expectation of nothing in return, so that we may have the lives that we enjoy so freely. I am blessed beyond belief and wanted to share my feelings today. Thank you for the post Rachel.
May 26th, 2008 at 4:04 pmGod bless all who kept both our countries free.
May 26th, 2008 at 4:38 pmAlbert Dentino - WWII, died Christmas Eve, year unknown, France
My husband’s great uncle. His family is not good about keeping history alive, so we just found out about Albert 3 years ago. Yes - 3 years ago. Going thru old family photos for a project I was working on, we came across a beautiful picture of a handsome young man and his lovely lady. My MIL confirmed it was her “Uncle Albert” and that he died in a foxhole in France in WWII. “Imagine that” is what she said! He’d never been mentioned before, and I’ve been part of the family for 26 years. Circumstances of his death are lost to time; it is believed he is buried in France somewhere but even the location is lost to the family.
He was 19 years old. My MIL says she “thinks” she has some stuff that may have been his from the war. When I asked if one of the things may be a Purple Heart, she said “yes”. She has no idea where it is - I’ve asked her to look for it, that I’ll keep it safe for the family. She hasn’t done it yet.
It stunned me, and my husband, that the family never talked about it. I think on some level I understand, at least for the hubby’s grandparent’s and their generation - so much loss. But at some point, you’d have thought his story would be told, so no one would ever forget him.
As far as we know, we now have the only 2 photographs that exist of him - one in uniform and one at the age of 14.
I know nothing about him, but I do know that he made the ultimate sacrifice so I could sit here today and talk about it, in safety and freedom.
Thank you, Private Albert Dentino.
May 26th, 2008 at 5:07 pmFloyd Leroy Hunter, WWI, My Grandfather.
William Roy Hunter WWII, Korea, Vietnam My Father.
William Roy Hunter Jr. Gulf War I & II, Two tours in Afghanistan, My Brother.
They all made it back home safe.
I don’t think Memorial Day is about them, but about the ones I’ll never know. The ones who gave their lives in the name of freedom. Those are the people who have my deepest respect.
May 26th, 2008 at 5:17 pmHere’s to:
My cousin: Sgt. Francis P. Ford
Sgt. 134th Infantry, 35th Division
Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts
Dec. 9, 1944
He lies in the Lorraine American Cemetery, St. Avold, France
Thanks, Sarge!
Here’s to Uncle Steve: Flew a B-17 over Germany, a B-29 over Korea, ended as a short Colonel with SAC maintenance wing.
Uncle Jim: Tiny little minesweeper at D-Day, 3 months after leaving the mountains of central Pennsylvania.
Uncle Bud: Medical corpsman in the South Pacific.
Dad: Who made the machine tools to make the weapons.
Here’s to:
May 26th, 2008 at 5:48 pmWilliam “Bud” Morrisey. 347th Combat Engineers and the 817th Tank Destroyer Batallion. Northwest Europe 6/29/44 to 5/06/45. Every now and then he scratches at his arm from the phosphorus burns.
The bodies were still in the water when he landed.
Headed for the Pacific when that war ended.
Thanks, Bud, my favorite next door neighbor.
Here’s a strange one: when I got the picture of the cemetery in Lorraine where my cousin is buried, I took it in to show Bud. What does he do? He pulls out the map he had on the campaign in Europe, his entire itinerery penciled in, and what’s even stranger, he had gone through the town where the American cemetery was located.
Thanks Rachel for giving me a chance to say thanks to my late Dad and late Father in Law and my Mom’s cousin Lt. Louis Breswick, who was shot down and died, Dec. 8 1941 in Hawaii.
My Dad served in the Army during WWII in England and North Africa. My Dad was a “talker” but we never talked about that. He died when I was 23 and I never thanked him for teaching me to love my Country, my family and how to take care of the Flag.
And how to take care of my Dogs and my car and so much more.
God, I miss him. Be sure to thank your Dads for the things he has taught you no matter how painful.
My Father in Law “Bop” was enlisted in The Navy during WWII. He served in the South Pacific. When he came home he married my late Mom in law . When they bought the home my wonderful husband was raised in they put a Flag pole in the back yard. Bop put it up and took it down everyday. He told me that Flag told him he was Home and Free. We miss him too. What great humble men they were! Thanks for the women that loved and encouraged them!
Both my Dad and Bop became Law Enforement Officers in California. Something about giving back to their Country and always having a gun.
Before I close, I must say thanks to two men that served in Viet Nam and came home.
My Pastors, Raul Ries and Dale Goddard. They went to Hell and came home to bring the lost to God. I do not know where I and my family would be today without them.
Thanks to all who served and still serve and to those who gave some and those who gave all so we could live in a better and Free Country.
May 26th, 2008 at 6:30 pmGod Bless!
I am one of those fortunate few who have many veterans in my family, but have not lost any of them to war. Today is a hard day for them, they are the one’s who have lost friends. So do what you can to honor those who have been lost, and let the veterans that you encounter know you appreciate their sacrifice. Give them a hug or a handshake.
May 26th, 2008 at 7:20 pmAnd thank you Rachel for giving all your readers the opportunity to add their veterans to your post. We owe them a debt that can never be repaid.
My maternal grandfather never shipped out during the WWII. He described his service during that time as “nothing particularly interesting,” but he did make a career out of the Navy.
My paternal grandfather served stateside in WWI. His cousin, David Mercure, was gassed in France. He survived the attack. He is enumerated in the 1920 census in a hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts. I don’t know when he died but that is on my list of things to find out.
Paul, the father of girls I went to school with, served as a Marine in the Pacific and saw rough service at Guadalcanal. He would describe a martini as his “power drink.” He died at age 83 four years ago after choking on a piece of meat while dining out. He had played tennis that morning.
I wish I could thank your grandfather personally. Here is some WWII information from ancestry.com concerning him:
World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas
Name: Joseph A Lucas
Rank: Technical Sergeant
Combat Organization: 349th Bomber Squadron 100th Bomber
Death Date: 5 Aug 1944
Monument: The Netherlands
Last Known Status: Missing
U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal
Air Medal
Additional Army Awards
And the barebones information concerning his enlistment:
U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
Name: Joseph A Lucas
Birth Year: 1917
Race: White, citizen (White)
Enlistment Date: 29 Oct 1942
Branch: Air Corps
Branch Code: Air Corps
Grade: Private
Grade Code: Private
Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Component: Army of the United States - includes the following: Voluntary enlistments effective December 8, 1941 and thereafter; One year enlistments of National Guardsman whose State enlistment expires while in the Federal Service; Officers appointed in the Army of
Source: Civil Life
Education: Grammar school
May 26th, 2008 at 7:42 pmCivil Occupation: Optometrist
Marital Status: Married
Height: 65
Weight: 128
Charles Randall - Resting in peace in France, KIA 1918; great-grandfather.
Edward Randall - physically unable to qualify for active duty in WWII–but built LSTs in Portland during the war; grandfather.
Gary Randall - Army Corps of Engineers between Korea and Vietnam, thankfully never saw combat in either place; Dad.
Then there’s me…just a non-military man by the grace of not only God, but the sacrifices of men and women who are far more brave, selfless and courageous than I. For them this day, and EVERY day of the year, I fly my Stars and Stripes on my house.
Rachel, although you don’t have to fly a flag to be a patriot, I’m happy to report that of the eight homes in my cul-de-sac, four have flags, one houses a WWII/Korea Navy veteran (salty dog and a damn fine neighbor) and another a Navy surgeon.
From the depths of my heart and soul I thank God for all those who fought and fight to preserve this nation, its freedom and provide me with the lifestyle I enjoy every day. There are many ways to sacrifice, but the definition is the same: giving up something important to one’s self for something essential–and in many cases that “essential” benefits many, many others.
Thank you.
May 26th, 2008 at 8:04 pmTalking w/an older gentleman a few years ago, the discussion came around to the military- I asked him if he had served.
“Oh yeah”, he replied. “Most everyone did in those days”.
I pressed on- where did you go?
“Well, I was over in France, y’know, at Normandy.”
Then he quickly added, as if in apology, “But I was only there for the first three days ‘cause I got hurt & they sent me back…”
Yeah, ONLY the first three days at Normandy.
Such are these men.
Thank you Charlie, & thank you Sgt. Joe Lucas.
May 26th, 2008 at 8:29 pmThanks for posting the letter from Jim’s daughter. I cried when I first read it in 2003 right after Jim was killed. I served with Jim in the 82nd in the late 80s and early 90s but we only really met at USASMA in 2003. A good man, too soon gone.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:40 pmBut my son, was able to call home today from his overseas posting. If we can wrap this up in the next 7 years then my youngest won’t have to go like my great grand father did in France in 1918, my dad with the 11th ABN during the Korean War, my godfather with the 187th in Korea, my cousin with the Marines in Viet Nam, me and my brother and my cousin in DS/DS and now my son with SOF in South East Asia and my nephew with the Marines.
I haven’t read that letter yet, because I just know that I’m going to cry when I do. And I can’t possibly do something like that because I’m British, so I’ve been putting it off until I’m alone.
Kim (http://www.theothersideofkim.com/) just reposted an erm…post about another veteran that he knew and was one of the biggest influences in his life.
You know what? I have pretty good self-esteem; I know my faults and admit to them, and I know that despite them I’m still basically a kind and decent person.
Courage, though? I don’t know. Sometimes I face my fears but other times I take the easy way out. Whenever I read the ‘Unsung Glory’ posts on Misha’s site or similar posts on other sites then frankly, I’m ashamed of myself.
Happy Memorial Day to all you Yanks (and to the Southerners who object to being called Yanks; I’d probably have to duck real fast if I ever forgot myself and referred to my gf and her family as “Yanks”!).
And God bless anyone who’s serving over there in Iraq or Afghanistan; those of us who are Christians pray for you and those of us who aren’t still have you in their thoughts daily.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:43 pmKris, in New England
If your kin is burried in Europe, try contacting the American Battle Monuments Commission.
When my cousin, Sr. Betty, finally had a chance to visit her brother’s grave, they were a great help.
info at:
http://www.abmc.gov/contact.php
May 26th, 2008 at 9:57 pmMy grandfather died near Dead Man’s Hill at the Meuse Argon on 11/11/1918 after the 11th hour cease fire. He was the recipient of one final German shot at an enemy head.
My father was killed in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 after leading troops through the mayhem of D-Day and surviving some notable battles along the way.
I was fairly badly chewed up while in enemy hands for a few years in Vietnam.
If memorial day means something to people who have not tasted the blood of combat or nursed the wounds of “outrageous fortune,” I am glad for them.
It is so easy to forget to fly the flag, while giving thanks that no one close to you got scratched up while answering the call of service. The price of freedom trades cheaply among the chattering classes.
“I am a part of all that I have met……made weak by time and fate, but strong in will, to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
Others can strut the stage and fulminate. What an interesting world of professional “individuals” we have become.
On behalf of three generations, thanks for any sincere thoughts that are sent along on Memorial Day.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:59 pmMy father died this past November and served as a medic during WWII. He was trained in a special unit to be on-call for a German chemical attack. He said they spent 4 days out in the English Channel on D-Day to be moved wherever they were needed. The unit was dispersed when no chemicals were used. He would speak of locations he went to but never any of his experiences.
He said the first thing he learned was to cover up the red cross on his helmet as that was used for target practice. He volunteered for tanks but this Iowa farm boy (who worked for the railroad before and after the war) with an eighth grade education was made a medic to his later great relief. I hope he was of service to some of your relatives if they needed him.
May 26th, 2008 at 11:14 pmI’m thankful I’ve lost nobody in the service, despite having three brothers, a father, a grandfather, numerous cousins and friends who have served in WWII, Vietnam, Desert Storm and the current war. But I had the honor of carrying a flag at the funeral ceremony of Sgt. Isaac Palomarez, who was buried in Loveland CO last Monday. He was killed in action in Afghanistan, and was awarded a posthumous Bronze Star and Purple Heart. It was a deeply moving experience, one I won’t forget.
May 26th, 2008 at 11:16 pmCPT Mark C Paine
Died Oct 15, 2006
He was my last roommate at West Point and, thankfully, is the only of my close buddies who has died in Iraq. 11 years after graduation, most of us have made it out of the service alive.
I still can’t click the link to his Arlington Cemetery web page… I know I’ll eventually have to visit, online and in person.
May 26th, 2008 at 11:44 pmI am also among the fortunate to have not lost any close family member in combat, despite several people serving. We have a long tradition of service in my family, from my great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Corporal Townsend P. Hales, who served in the Union Army at the fall of Vicksburg in 1863, to my brother, Captain Jonathan Yasuda, who has served 2 tours of duty in Iraq as an MP. My brother-in-law in scheduled to be in Iraq near the end of June, and I know that I’ll be holding my breath until he returns sometime next spring.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:32 amAnother WWII story, but from the enemy side.
My great-uncle Matteo Bernardino (familiarly known as Dino) left for his mandatory military service before the beginning of the war - he was an Alpino and was among the troops sent to attack France in 1940.
During a fight, a group of soldiers was stuck in no man’s land because of a French machine-gun. Uncle Dino grabbed a haversack filled with handgranades and crawled to them, then he managed to blow up the machine gun post, allowing him and his friends to get back into the Italian lines.
He was awarded a silver medal for this action - or rather, his family was: he died shortly afterwards in Greece. My grandmother says her father’s hair turned white overnight after he was told.
He may have been fghting on the wrong side, but I am proud of him for his courage.
My father and I are WWII re-enactors - we are part of an American group. I don’t feel I’m disrespecting anyone - it’s just our way of keeping alive the memory of those brave men and women to whom we owe our freedom.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:08 ami’m from a typical non-military family. i had two great uncles in the trenches in WWI. my father was in the navy in WWII and korea (physician). an uncle was in korea. my stepfather got a bronze star and purple heart at the battle of the bugle. my older brother was a marine in vietnam. i was 4-F, but have worked in V.A. hospitals (surgeon).
my family, i think, is pretty typical. is this a great county or what?
May 27th, 2008 at 9:34 amI really did not want to read Jessica’s letter….but I had to. At lunch, at work. Now I can’t focus worth a damn, ’cause right now what I do just doesn’t seem that important.
My grandfather served in WWII - leg infantry in North Africa and Sicily - and for 50 years said nothing about his service. He had a shoe-box full of commendations and medals, including 3 Bronze and 2 Silver Stars (IIRC) for valor, and never talked about the war to his children or grandchildren. He passed away last year, at 83; he made it through, when half of his friends were KIA in the North African desert. I can’t remember his house NOT having an American flag flying. My cousin came back from Army SF deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan severely, um, maladjusted from what he saw and did there. After two years, he’s recovered enough to get his shit back together. Me? I served, but never saw action. Now I’m grateful.
I’m ashamed to say that I spent yesterday working around the house and with my wife and son, and not once thought about the reason I had the day off. Jessica’s letter was a harsh reminder of my negligence.
I know I should say something profound about how I’m grateful for the sacrifices of those who died in combat, but…words fail me. All I can say is, I still cry every time I watch Saving Private Ryan, and can’t explain to my wife why.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:44 pmBeautifully said, Rachel. Spent a good chunk of yesterday working on the Military History part of our family tree — so my girls will have the examples of their forebears to pass on to their children, lest we forget!
May 27th, 2008 at 3:00 pmMy Great Uncle was killed in France (St. Lo) in June 1944. He was only 19. My great grandma died of a broken heart shortly after that.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:43 pmMy Grandpa was a Medic and went to France after the war to retrieve Uncle Sam’s body. Grandpa was repeatedly spit on by Frenchmen while he was trying to locate his brother in law. Grandpa always said “I’m not prejudiced, but I just don’t like the French!”
Anyhow, my Grandma is 89. While 7 of her 8 siblings have passed on, the pain of loosing her baby brother is still fresh to her. It pains her greatly that we never knew what happened to him. Nobody ever contacted them and nobody in the family found anything out. Ancestry.com never provided any clues. Grandma said she’d like to know what happened to Uncle Sam before she dies. She always hoped someone from his platoon would reach out to them.
We took my Grandma to the cemetary this weekend. She was not capable of walking up the hill to visit my Grandpa’s grave (he died 18 months ago) but she was able to see her brother’s - thankfully.
Skyler, I don’t know what happened there. Somewhere during the middle of your post, the words became blurry and hard to read. And my face is wet.
Amazing, amazing post.
God bless every soul that has laid itself down for freedom. What a great country we have.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:24 pmHere’s the version of the ambush written by Stripes.
May 28th, 2008 at 4:26 am