A Story of WWII from My Father
Andrew has a story from his father!!
My father was a great story-teller. He had a story for every occasion and could enthrall an audience with his wit and humor. His memory and stories often come to my mind this time of year with memorial day just past and the anniversary of the WWII D-Day invasion just coming up this next week on the 6th. He could take the simplest event and spin an engaging story about it – often with a punch line. The story always had a point, either humor or something he was trying to teach.
When I was a boy I especially liked his Army stories. Father served in WWII as a radar maintenance man in the 279th Army Coast Artillery Corp in the Aleutian Islands. He repaired and operated the SRC-296 gun sighting radar and later the SCR-584. He served time on different islands but most often talked about Attu. Shemya and…
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Posted on January 23, 2016, in First-hand Accounts, Uncategorized, WWII and tagged Alaska, Army, family history, History, Military, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 56 Comments.
Pacific Paratrooper 
I still enjoy documentary films about these times as well all the novels (God Is My Co-Pilot, Reach For The Sky) I have read growing up. Thank you for this shared posting. I appreciate all great storytelling.
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I appreciate your interest in this era, it was unique to say the least!
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My father (retired Navy) would become irritated at my anti-enthusiasm. He’d say, with frustration, “do you think anyone is pro-war?”
But yes, he stepped up to the call.
What a story! Glad your father shared it … ominous as it was
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This was from Andrew and the story was from his father, LB. I’ll be certain to get him the message.
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Great story! Thank you to both you and Andrew for sharing this story with us.
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You are very welcome! Andrew will see this.
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Fortunately your father was willing and able to shate his stories from his combat in theater. My father kept all his stories hidden.
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He only told one combat story because I badgered him so much. Otherwise, he didn’t believe that should be mentioned to women and children.
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I wish I would have recorded and written down my father’s WWII stories about the Philippines.
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All of us have those regrets, but what did we know back then, we were kids and the war was long over. I’m right there with you, Toni!!!
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That was a nice read! My grandfather and father would never talk about the was, about the military, but never about the war. Only comment that came close was “well, I made it home” when I asked.
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I know what you mean. My dad, Smitty, loved to tell the humorous stories, but no woman or child was going to hear about the war.
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Andrew was fortunate to have a father that wanted to share his experiences through stories that would teach him valuable lessons.
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Isn’t it though?! I wish more of the veteran’s would do that before it’s too late. Thank you for stopping by, Bev.
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Library of congress has veterans stories recorded from previous conflicts for various reasons. Mostly historical.
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I locate the stories from numerous locations – luckily some veterans realized how important they all are now.
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What a great legacy and rich bed of insight your father’s stories must provide.
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If you hang around here, Steven, you’re bound to read my father’s stories too. I just couldn’t resist reblogging Andrew’s. Thanks for visiting!
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Great article from Andrew. I follow his blog–and am becoming a virtual woodworker. Who would have thought?
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I believe we all have hidden talents we never imagined ourselves to have. We all have different sides to our personalities – so why not our abilities! I’m proud of you, Jacqui! (do I sense another blog in your future?)
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An amusing tale indeed, GP. I am reminded of Catch 22. I suspect that I might have been asking questions much earlier in the briefing… 🙂 –Curt
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When you know what the possible outcome might be – nothing like a punch in the gut, eh?
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If ever there was an example of a no-win situation… –Curt
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You said it, Curt!!
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That’s a great story. I’m glad his father was willing to share stories w/ his family when they were growing up.
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I wish more would do that before it’s too late. Thanks for dropping in, Kay.
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I’ve always been grateful for my father’s willingness to share his stories.
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Awesome 😀
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I thought so, thanks! Andrew will be happy you liked it!
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I did, it is kinda funny in a not funny way, if you get what I mean..
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I know exactly! It was this specifically that drew me to the story! I’m glad someone else thought so.
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Yes, my father had way of telling a story like that.
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Very interesting story and glad that you re-blogged it!
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Me too, Kathy! Stories like this need to be remembered.
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I thankful that it was reblogged. I’d almost forgotten that I had posted it.
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It certainly was excellent!
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Thanks for remembering this one!
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I’m glad I did too, Andrew! I have a million notes scattered between two desks and and assorted table tops, drawers, etc. Too many slip by! You should revisit later and check all the great comments left here!
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Thanks for all the great comments folks. It was a story my father loved to tell.
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A nice personal reflection on some of the absurdities of war. Thanks, GP.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I thought so, Pete. I appreciate your visit.
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Thanks for your kind words.
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hello gp cox its dennis the vizsla dog hay my dadas dada just sent my dada a pikcher of sum kartoons wot he had in his lokker wen he wuz in the army!!! of korse that wuz after world war too so it duz not kownt as a war storry but stil! ok bye
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If you have those cartoons in a post, please send a link – I’d love to see them. I’ve used cartoon s that were after the war – so I might use them if you agree.
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hello gp cox its dennis the vizsla dog hay i askd my dada and he askd his dada and he sed it wood be okay to send the cartoons i do not hav the pikcher in a post tho can i email them to yoo at the address yoo yooze for kommenting on my blog??? ok bye
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Sorry, Dennis, I have a rule about answering personal emails [long story there], but as you can see, I do reblog or can save them from your website.
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hello gp cox its dennis the vizsla dog hay no wurreez then!!! i had dada upload the pikcher to my blog its at https://dennisthevizsla.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/img020.jpg yoo can pick it up frum their!!! my dadas dada sez the kartoon on the left wuz cut owt of a greeting card and the kartoon on the rite wuz sumbuddy he kalld “the short timer” let me no if yoo want me to ask him for mor informayshun abowt them!!! ok bye
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Thank you, Dennis. A story about them might be good. Where did your grandfather serve for one?
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hello gp cox its dennis the vizsla dog hay heer is wot my dadas dada sed abowt the pikchers!!! i am kwoting heer so sorry abowt the lak of proper mispelling and all the ekstra punktchooayshun!!! the army yoozed him as a soshul wurker as that wuz wot he wuz traynd for in sivilyan life!!! the auntie referensd is of korse my dadas aunt and my grayt aunt she is always gud to hit up for treets wen she vizzits!!! ok bye
“I think Auntie (she wasn’t ‘Auntie’ then, of course) sent me the ‘Keep Smiling’ card. I got shipped to Crailsheim Germany because the Rehab Center needed two social workers, but six months later they closed it and I got reassigned to a hospital in Muenchweiler. They had no active psych. unit so I ran the PA system, paging people, and reading lots of books.”
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Thank you for relating the story. This way I can explain the cards when I use them. Thank you very much for serving and helping the wounded vets come home with a smile.
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Great story!
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I have Andrew to thank for that!!
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Thanks, it was one of my favorites from my father.
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I don’t know anyone who was actually in combat who isn’t at his or her core, anti-war. The story was well written; I could almost hear the story being told. Thank you …
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Yes, Andrew did a great job relating this. Thanks for reading.
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Yes, father was generally anti-war, but at the same time when the time can and he was called – he went without complaint. I heard this story some many times that it’s etched into my mind.
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