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Men of Company D

MorganGeoMorganGeo Posts: 2,228 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Non Cigar Related
Here lately I've been trying to learn everything I can about what my grandad experienced in the Great War. He passed away a few years ago. I was given his plaque and shadow box of medals he earned while serving.

All I was told as a kid was that he landed on the beaches of Normandy on day after Dday, received a Purple Heart, and nearly had his legs amputated due them being frost bitten in Belgium.

Anyways, I came across this website last night. Men of Company D This website was created by the son of a man that served. It is the same infantry and division my grandad was in. I was stoked. There is some cool old photos on there and a good synopsis of what my grandad went through. I have reached out to the owner of the site to possibly try to learn some more. What these men saw and endured is beyond my comprehension.

I just wanted to share as I'm trying to learn more. Did any of your dads or grandads serve? If so, would you mind sharing some of their stories?

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    jd50aejd50ae Posts: 7,900 ✭✭✭✭✭
    My Father went from a country farm in Shiloh, Va. to Ft Monmouth to Beach Master during the invasion. I have picked up bits a pieces here and there but he would never talk about it. I do know he threatened to shoot Patton and his driver, opened one of the death camps and ended up in Berlin. He spent his last days in Paris before coming home. For some reason he never liked the French after the war. I remember having Thanksgiving dinner with a German couple when I was very young, the man was a POW that my Father had done something to save his life while he was a prisoner.
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    CharlieHeisCharlieHeis Posts: 8,170 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I've searched for both of my grandfathers' military service and come up mostly empty. I remember seeing one of them pictured during the Korean War in a textbook. Neither of them ever talked about anything other than the countries they travelled to during their time in the military.
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    flowbeeflowbee Posts: 1,203 ✭✭✭
    Great Thread Morgan!!

    My Grandfather was called into in the British Royal Army, He lived on the island of Malta, was a Professor at a local college. His Job in the war was an anti-aircraft Gunner on the ground, and they were responsible for downing German aircraft and thwarting on an invasion on Malta!!
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    RainRain Posts: 8,958 ✭✭✭
    CharlieHeis:
    I've searched for both of my grandfathers' military service and come up mostly empty. I remember seeing one of them pictured during the Korean War in a textbook. Neither of them ever talked about anything other than the countries they travelled to during their time in the military.
    Can you request their Report of Separation from Active Duty?
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    CharlieHeisCharlieHeis Posts: 8,170 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Rain:
    CharlieHeis:
    I've searched for both of my grandfathers' military service and come up mostly empty. I remember seeing one of them pictured during the Korean War in a textbook. Neither of them ever talked about anything other than the countries they travelled to during their time in the military.
    Can you request their Report of Separation from Active Duty?
    I have never taken up a formal search. I really should go through official channels and get the whole history.
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    The3StogiesThe3Stogies Posts: 2,652 ✭✭✭✭
    Good luck with that Morgan. Great story too jd.
    My dad was Army signal corps in WW2, part of the island hopping campaign to Japan. Didn't talk much about it. My grandfather was graves registration in WW1 and never talked about it.
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    First_WarriorFirst_Warrior Posts: 3,173 ✭✭✭✭✭
    My Dad was in 60mm motars in France and in Germany. He lost a toe to frostbite in the Battle of the Bulge. He would never talk about the war while I was growing up but he hated getting his feet cold. Dad used the GI bill to become a small animal vet in Cleveland Ohio. When I left for my war he packed up "care packages" of canned friut, coffee, tea, hot sauce and sent them to me every couple of weeks. I lived for those packages and for letters that I recieved and that i sent home. Twenty years after Vietnam we had a long talk about his war and my war and we became friends and comrades. He gave me back all the letters that I sent home and that he had numbered as they came into his mail box. I created a manuscript with the letters that he had saved and with his help the manuscript became my Vietnam memoir. Thanks Dad.
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    RainRain Posts: 8,958 ✭✭✭
    First Warrior:
    My Dad was in 60mm motars in France and in Germany. He lost a toe to frostbite in the Battle of the Bulge. He would never talk about the war while I was growing up but he hated getting his feet cold. Dad used the GI bill to become a small animal vet in Cleveland Ohio. When I left for my war he packed up "care packages" of canned friut, coffee, tea, hot sauce and sent them to me every couple of weeks. I lived for those packages and for letters that I recieved and that i sent home. Twenty years after Vietnam we had a long talk about his war and my war and we became friends and comrades. He gave me back all the letters that I sent home and that he had numbered as they came into his mail box. I created a manuscript with the letters that he had saved and with his help the manuscript became my Vietnam memoir. Thanks Dad.
    Having read your book, I almost feel like I know your dad. Strange, huh?
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    First_WarriorFirst_Warrior Posts: 3,173 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Not strange at all Doc. My letters in the book were written to him. You would have liked him.
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    flowbeeflowbee Posts: 1,203 ✭✭✭
    Morgan PM sir
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    BigshizzaBigshizza Posts: 15,645 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Very cool finding that stuff out! My dad signed up after Pearl Harbor but they found out he had TB and he was stuck in a Sanitarium for 10 years. That led to a life long bitterness and anger he never got over and should've never had kids. He told me about an Armistice Day parade in the late '20s. The marching of all the WWI vets, followed by Spanish-American vets and at the end 2 Union and 2 Confederate vets riding in cars. Yeah he's that old.
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    MartelMartel Posts: 3,306 ✭✭✭✭
    One of my grandfathers was a coal miner, and they wanted him doing exactly what he was doing during WWII. The other was a Sergeant in the Army. He never saw any action. He was stationed in Panama to guard the canal.
    Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

    I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot.  I will smoke anything, though.
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    roland_7707roland_7707 Posts: 2,833 ✭✭✭
    My grandfather was on a Howetzer (spelled wrong) crew in North Africa fighting Romel. Said the sand dunes were so tall that they had to shoot almost straight up to hit the enemy on the other side.

    My dad doesnt talk about him much.
    One God, One Truth
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