Category Archives: Home Front
You don’t need to be Superman to be a Hero!
Following his U.S. Army service in World War II, James Thompson joined the Air Force, retiring with more than 20 years of service at the rank of major and earning his master’s degree. Courtesy of Jeremy P Amick
Growing up with dyslexia, James Thompson faced many challenges in his early learning experiences, which tempered his ambitions toward pursuing an education in future years.
Additionally, while in the eleventh grade in the fall of 1944, he received his draft notice and believed it to be the end of any formal education; instead, the military later provided the spirit and resources to earn a master’s degree.
“I was 18 years old when I received my draft notice for the U.S. Army and left Columbia by bus on October 20 (1944),” said the veteran. “When we arrived at Jefferson Barracks (St. Louis), we were given another physical, issued our uniforms and the next morning put on a train to Camp Crowder.”
For the next few weeks, he underwent his basic training followed by lineman training, instruction as a radio operator and cryptographic training.
General William J. Donovan reviews Operational Group members in Bethesda, Maryland prior to their departure for China in 1945.
“The first sergeant came and got me and said there’s a guy (in civilian clothes) who wants to interview you,” Thompson said. “After that, I was in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)—the forerunner to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),” he added.
Serving as “the first organized effort by the United States to implement a centralized system of strategic intelligence,” the OSS was established on June 13, 1942 and conducted many covert functions such as receiving and decoding enemy communications.
In the summer of 1945, Thompson received orders for overseas service. He took a train to California and, from there, sailed aboard a troop ship to the island of Eniwetok. His journey ended with his arrival at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, where he spent the next several months as a cryptographer.
“The OSS was disbanded because the war was over,” said Thompson. “I can remember that in late November 1945, there were about six of us transferred from the Philippines to Tokyo, Japan, at the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur who was there as oversight for the occupational forces.”
The veteran explained that he was part of a group who processed messages sent to and from Sixth Army and MacArthur’s headquarters. While there, he was later promoted to sergeant and placed in charge of the code room, which had the responsibility of decoding message traffic.
While in Japan, his enlistment expired but he chose to remain there as a civilian to continue the work he enjoyed at McArthur’s headquarters. However, in June 1947, he returned to the United States and was able to enroll in college at the University of Missouri despite having not completed his high school education a few years earlier.
Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Japan
“In 1951, I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology,” recalled Thompson. “While I was at MU, I was informed that since I had held the rank of sergeant in the Army, I could complete one semester of ROTC and qualify for commission as a second lieutenant in the Air Force upon graduation.”
The former soldier began his Air Force career as an officer when assigned to Bangor, Maine, administering entrance exams for new recruits and draftees. It was here that he met the former Barbara Longfellow while taking courses at the University of Maine and the two soon married. The couple went on to raise three sons.
From there, he was briefly transferred to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, before receiving assignment to Wheelus Air Base in Tripoli, Libya, spending time as an administrative officer for the 580th Air Materiel Assembly Squadron.
Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma
“I became the adjutant for the base administrative officer at Selfridge Field (Michigan) in 1959,” he explained. “I made captain while I was there and then became the administrative officer and later commander for the 753rd Radar Station at Sault St. Maria, Michigan.”
He would later attend the first class of the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington D.C., as the various military service branches learned to combine their intelligence gathering capabilities.
From 1962 to 1966, he was stationed in Ramstein, Germany, gathering intelligence on the Soviet air capabilities.
In Germany, he took courses through the University of Southern California, earning his master’s degree in systems management. He was then transferred to Little Rock, Arkansas, for a year followed by his assignment to Vietnam. During the war, he was stationed in Nha Trang and briefed pilots prior to their aerial missions.
“I was given my base of choice when returning to the states in 1969, so I chose Whiteman Air Force Base,” said Thompson. “I spent the last few months of my career there and retired as a major with 20 years, 1 month and 1 day of service,” he grinned.
Whitman AFB
His military career, he explained, was a collection of unique experiences that did not follow a linear path. As a child, he further noted, he would never have imagined the opportunity for an advanced education or the option of pursuing his interest of becoming a member of the military.
“When I was younger, the military was something I always wanted to do and I never believed I could join the Army or Air Force because of my dyslexia,” he said. “My ambitions weren’t all that high as a child but then I was drafted, I encountered people who I admired and inspired me to achieve.”
He concluded, “When it was all said and done, I not only got to serve both in the Army and Air Force, but this young man,” he said, pointing to himself, “who didn’t finished high school, was able to earn a master’s degree … all because of the military.”
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Military Humor – from 2 newspapers from the CBI Theater –
Navigator to pilot…navigator to pilot…HALP!!
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Farewell Salutes –
Kenneth Beck Sr. – Kalispell, MT; US Army, WWII, ETO
Flag at half-staff at Veterans Park, courtesy of Dan Antion
Wallace W. Brooks – Anderson County, KS; US Navy, WWII / US Air Force, Korea (Ret.)
Robert W. Church – Utica, KY; Virginia National Guard
Waldo Dohman – Janesville, MN; USMC, WWII, PTO
Carlos Evans – Petersburg, VA; US Army, Iraq, HQ Battalion/US Army Central, Command Sgt. Major, Bronze Star
John T. Frankfurth – Wayne, MI; US Army
Jimmy Gantt – Conover, NC; US Navy, WWII
Joseph E. Maloney, Jr. – Louisville, KY; US Air Force, Captain
Earle Sherman – West Nyack, NY; US Coast Guard, WWII
Talmage Wilson Jr. (101) – Rockville, MD; US Army, WWII
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“Beware the man who makes a fortune in a flood.”
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The Postcard Read… “Your Son Is Alive!”
James MacMannis and his wife listen to their ham radio
James ‘Dad Mac’ MacMannis is believed to have sent as many as 33,000 postcards during World War II.
WEST PALM BEACH — Dad Mac sat in his living room and furiously scribbled the names the German propaganda machine rattled off. Names of GIs whose moms and dads and siblings and sweethearts in Florida and Iowa and Oregon. Loved ones who for weeks or months had wondered and worried and wrung their hands. Mac would fill out and address a postcard. It would say: Your boy is alive.
As World War II raged, and before and after D-Day, James L. MacMannis wrote as many as 33,000 postcards to families across America. After a while, people called him Dad.
At first, he said, he sent out just a few cards, and he got few responses.
“I was discouraged,” he told Palm Beach Evening Times Editor Tom Penick for a June 1944 column. “It was weeks before I heard from any of the folks I had written. Then they started.”
One parent wrote, “You are doing marvelous work. May God bless you.”
The date of Penick’s column was June 2, 1944. Neither he nor most of the country knew at the time that in four days, on June 6, the world would change.
‘Keeping faith’
Postcard for Ray J. Sherman
James L. MacMannis was a veteran of both the Army and Navy and both world wars. He’d been a barnstorming pilot in those first days of flight — a relative claimed he got America’s fourth-ever pilot’s license, something that couldn’t be independently verified — and taught pilots in World War I, when military aviation was in its infancy
He was a parachute jumper who later became an airplane inspector. He joined World War II via the Coast Guard in the Baltimore area. Around 1943, he moved to West Palm Beach, believed to be about a block south of what’s now the Norton Museum of Art.
MacMannis did have a hobby: shortwave radio.
In August 1943, he tuned in to a Berlin station. Naturally, it was a propaganda broadcast by the Third Reich. Night after night, the feminine voice would rattle off each soldier’s name and serial number, along with messages the GI hoped would get back to their families in the U.S. The Berlin fräulein even gave the GI’s home address so that anyone listening could drop a line to the family that he was OK, at least relatively.
Whether the idea was to show how humane the Germans were or was a ploy to get parents to pressure the U.S. government to push for peace, only the Nazis could say.
But for Dad Mac, a light went on.
Ray J. Sherman
Every night at 7, Dad would settle into his rocking chair. He listened even when the static made broadcasts pretty much undecipherable. Some nights he would listen until dawn.
“He doesn’t dare leave because he fears he may miss some of the broadcast with the prisoners’ list,” Mary MacMannis said, “And he tries to get all.”
Some nights it was 20 names, some nights 60 or 80. One night he heard 157 names. Some nights, there was no list.
Dad Mac didn’t tell families everything. Sometimes the broadcast would impart that a boy had had both legs blown off or had bullets still lodged in his body.
“It’s enough to let them know that Berlin says they (soldiers) are alive and a POW,” MacMannis said.
He also worried at times if he was a dupe, forwarding details to desperate families about which the Nazi propaganda machine might be lying. He said he felt better when the War Department began verifying to him what he was hearing.
Once word got out about “Dad’s Listening Post,” others stepped up to help; fellow radio enthusiasts, the West Palm Beach fire chief, an assistant chief and a printing firm donated everything from radio parts to postcards. Dad Mac graduated from a small radio to a big receiver.
By January 1945, MacMannis estimated he’d heard 20,000 messages about American POWs and mailed out about 15,000 cards.
Life magazine got wind of him and ran a photo of Dad and Mary in their living room in front of a giant radio. That story quoted a total of 33,000 messages from POWs, including Canadians.
“War Prisoner Information,” Dad Mac’s cards said. “A free humanitarian service given by ‘Dad MacMannis’ Listening Post.′ ” And, “A veteran of both wars keeping faith with his buddies.”
“Howdy, folks,” one postcard quoted G.I. Ray Sherman. “I won’t be long. These Germans treat us mighty well. I will write you soon. Don’t worry. Love Ray.” The form was dated July 22; no year.
A search of databases shows a Ray J. Sherman, born in 1923, had enlisted in Milwaukee and served in the infantry in both the North African and Italian theaters before the Germans captured him at Anzio on Feb. 16, 1944.
Article located in the Palm Beach Post.
We spoke once before about the ham radio operators during WWII and the great job they did, read HERE!
Click on images to enlarge.
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Ham Radio Humor –
AARS Cartoon
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Farewell Salutes –
Robert Blake (Michael James Vijencio Gubitosi) – Nutley, NJ; US Army / beloved actor
Robert C. Blair (103) – New hope, PA; US Army, WWII, PTO
Rosemary Campbell – Braidwood, IL; Civilian, WWII, Joliet Arsenal
William H. Dillow – Kingsport, TN; US Navy, WWII, PTO, gunner’s mate & disarming mines, Sr. Chief (Ret. 20 y.)
Charles Dougherty – Clarkston, MI; US Navy, WWII & Korea, diesel mechanic
Frank C. Ferrell – Roby, TX; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, TSgt., 328BS/93BG/9th Air Force, B-24 navigator, KIA (Ploiesti, ROM)
Virginia Hanson – Odessa, NY; US Navy WAVE, WWII
Terrance Larkin (102) – Davenport, IA; US Army, WWII, PTO, Cpl., 1881st Engineer Battalion
Bill McNeil – Wheeling, WV; US Army, 11th Airborne Division / Chairman of the 82nd Airborne Association
Robert McHugh – Woburn, MA; US Air Force, pilot, flight instructor
Paul R. Sheridan – Detroit, MI; US Air Force, Vietnam, F-4 pilot, Colonel (Ret. 24 y.)
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Victory for the U.S.A. | Poem for the 11th Airborne
Yank magazine Sept. 1945 (notice the helmet stenciling)
On the cover of the 14 September 1945 issue of Yank magazine,(Vol. 4 No. 13) is S/Sgt. William Carlisle of Chalmers, Indiana
This poem was written by: Pvt. Bronnell York, Battery D, 457th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, 11th A/B; even if you are not a poetry enthusiast, it is worth reading.
“Victory For the U.S.A.”
We’re the boys of the 457,
Earning our major pay,
Fighting Japs and jungle life,
For three sixty cents a day.
Back home we’re soon forgotten,
By girls and friends we knew,
Here in the South Seas Islands,
Ten thousand miles from you.
All night the rains keep falling,
It’s more than we can stand,
“NO” folks, we’re not convicts,
We’re defenders of our land.
We’re the boys of many,
Holding the upper hand,
Hitting the silk and hoping,
We’re living when we land.
We’re having it pretty tough now,
You can believe what I say,
Some day we hope to live again,
Back home in the USA.
Victory’s in the making,
Our future will be serene,
We’ve got the Navy backing us,
Along with the fighting Marines.
We’re in this all together,
Fellas like you and me,
We’ll be a united people,
And our Country will be free.
There’s no two ways about it,
We’ll either do or die,
For our Country with dictation,
Is not for you or I.
When the war is over,
And we have finished what they began,
We’ll raise Old Glory high above,
The Empire of Japan.
So, to all you 4F jokers,
Who thinks there’s something you missed,
Don’t let the draft board get you,
And for God’s sake don’t enlist.
It might be a long time yet,
Then it might be any day,
When smiling faces see the Golden Gate,
And sail in Frisco Bay.
When this conflict’s over,
The boys can proudly say,
We had to fight for what was ours,
Victory for the U.S.A.
“Down from Heaven come the 11”
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Koji of http://p47koji.wordpress.com notified me that he found a William and Norma Carlisle in Chalmers, IN.
I sent a note to inquire about the photo. I received this reply from his widow:
“Hello! So nice of you to write, Bob would have been pleased. The picture on the cover of the Yank magazine is William Robert Carlisle, my husband. I’m sure he could have told you stories of the 11th Airborne. I’m Mrs. Norma Carlisle, Bob’s wife. I’m sorry to tell you that Bob passed away on Dec. 12 – 1997. I miss him! Hope you and yours are enjoying the Golden Years! God Bless, Norma
I was so disappointed to discover that we had lost yet another trooper’s tales of the era and a little taken back to see that he passed on what would have been my own father’s 83rd birthday.
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Military Humor –
paratrooper humor
Air Mail
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Farewell Salutes –
Lola (Hamrick) Adams – Clay, WV; US Army WAC, Signal Corps
Respect
Courtesy of Dan Antion
Franklin H. Bennett – Glendive, MT; US Army, WWII, PTO, Cpl., 54th Signal Maintenance Co., POW, DWC (Cabanatuan Camp, Common Grave 312)
Albert Burdge – Adrena, NJ; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Panama
Alton Christie – Jasper, FL; US Army, Korea, Cpl., Co B/1/21/24th Infantry Division, KIA (Osan, SK)
James Eason – Bellingham, WA; US Army Air Corps, WWII
Norman E. Grizzle – Ducktown, TN; US Army, Korea & Vietnam, 82nd Airborne Division
Joyce McIntosh (105) – St. Anne de Bellevue, CAN; RC Army, cook
Joan Richards – Poss-Essex, ENG; British Women’s Corps, WWII
Ruhl J. Russell (104) – Shadyside, OH; US Army, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Colonel (Ret.)
Calvin L. Walker – New Haven, CT; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Kwajalein Is. air traffic comptroller
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USMC Birthday / Veterans Day 2022
The Marine Corps birthday has been commemorating on November 10 every year since 1775, the year of establishment of Continental Marines. Every year the cake cutting ceremony with the conventional ball follows.
Saluting the U.S. Marine Corps
Marine Corps Birthday Cake
Sketch of the original Tun Tavern
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Veterans Day
On November 11th, we pause to reflect on the history of this great Nation and honor all those who fought to defend it. Originally titled “Armistice Day” and intended to celebrate the end of World War I, “the war to end all wars,” Veterans Day allows us to give thanks to veterans past and present, men and women from all walks of life and all ethnicities, who stood up and said, “Send me.” We recognize your sacrifices, your sense of duty and your love for this country.
Thank you – To ALL our veterans!
The 11th Airborne Division jumps again!
PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE.
For many other countries who remain free thanks to their veterans, this day is called Remembrance Day. I thank you!!
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Lawrence “Junior” Anderson – Blanchard, MI; USMC, WWII, CBI, scout observer
Catherine Batoff – Cedar Lake, IN; US Army WAC, WWII
Jesse G. Bell – Roopsville, GA; US Navy, WWII, USS Case DD-370
Leo E. Cummings – Jackson, MI; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division
Ralph Fiorio – Peekskill, NY; US Army, WWII, ETO, 8th Armored Division
David E. Holeman – Le Harpe, KS; US Air Force, WWII, PTO, # 646029, 17/24th Pursuit Group, POW, KWC (Cabanatuan Camp, P.I.)
Merle L. Pickup – Provo, UT; US Army Air Corps, WWII, CBI, Cpl. # 39832953, 393 BS/308 BG, KIA (India)
Paul J. Simons Jr. (102) – Wyoming, MO; US Army, WWII
James M. Triplett – King County, WA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, TSgt # 39202130, B-24 radio operator, 700BS/445 BG/2/8th Air Force
Allen H. Tuttle – King County, WA; US Army, Korea, Sgt. # 19261249, field artillery cannoneer, C Batt/38/2nd Infantry Division, POW, KWC (NK Camp # 5)
Larry A. Zich – Lincoln, NE; US Army, Vietnam, Chief Warrant Officer # 508603819, HQ/37/1st Signal Brigade, KIA
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Why is the only one standing the man with a wheelchair?
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CHRISTMAS
TO ALL THOSE THAT BELIEVE IN FREEDOM AND PEACE: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
FROM: PACIFIC PARATROOPER!!
PLEASE! REMEMBER ALL THOSE THAT FOUGHT FOR US IN THE PAST…
THOSE THAT FIGHT FOR US TODAY…
AND FOR THOSE SPECIAL PEOPLE WHO WAIT PATIENTLY AT HOME…
TO ALL THOSE WHO DO NOT CELEBRATE THIS HOLIDAY … I WISH YOU THE WARMTH AND PEACEFUL CONTENTMENT THAT IS REPRESENTED BY THIS SEASON !!!
TO READ MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS POEM... CLICK HERE!!
MILITARY HUMOR –
CHRISTMAS FROM: BILL MAULDIN
OOPS!!!
CHRISTMAS FROM: BEETLE BAILEY
Now – Don’t wake me up too early!!
FROM: MARYlOU @ NATUURFREAK.COM…
4th of July 2021
SEEMS WE DON’T SAY IT ENOUGH – SO, I’M TRYING TO FIX THAT RIGHT HERE – GOD BLESS THE USA!!!
We can rant and we can complain, but we should thank the troops for giving us the right to do so! Today we celebrate our country’s birthday. Traditional BBQ’s, fireworks, family and friends, we have a day off and have a ball! – and to whom do we owe it all? You guessed it_____
THE SOLDIER’S POEM
When this is over
And we come home again,
Forget the band
And cheers from the stand;
Just have the things
Well in hand –
The things we fought for.
UNDERSTAND?
_____Pfc C.G. Tiggas
ONLY A SAILOR
He’s only a sailor on the boundless deep,
Under foreign skies and tropical heat.
Only a sailor on the rolling deep,
In summer rain and winter sleet.
Fireworks and cookouts
And time spent with friends.
Swimming and playing
The good times never end.
But lest we forget
The reason for today
Let’s all say it now
Happy Independence Day!
Freedom’s Price!
Today we celebrate freedom
thanks to those who came before.
Those brave men who fought and died
in each and every war.
Freedom always comes at a price,
And while we celebrate
We should tip our hats to the heroes
who made our country great.
Red White and Blue
Hamburgers and hot dogs
cooked on the grill,
Fireworks in the night
giving us all a thrill.
The country all decked
in red white and blue.
Friends all saying
‘Happy 4th of July to you.’
Where does your state rate in its patriotism?
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-patriotic-states/13680
Comic hero from the 1940’s , courtesy of Balladeer…
https://glitternight.com/2021/06/18/first-fighting-yank-stories-from-the-1940s/
FUN FACT:
Denmark is the only country outside of the United States that holds an official 4th July celebration. Celebrated annually since 1911, thousands of people from across the country gather in Rebild National Park in Jutland for picnics, speeches and to sing some American classics. Known as Rebildfesten, its organizers claim that it is is the biggest celebration of US independence outside of the USA.
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4TH OF JULY HUMOR –
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Farewell Salutes – 
Walter S. Belt Jr. – KS; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor)
James Cummings – Minneapolis, MN; US Atmy, Korea, 11th Airborne Division
Jack DeTour – USA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, B-25 pilot and instructor
Max Foster – Brownstown, IL; US Army, WWII, radio operator
Philip T. Hoogacker – Detroit, MI; US Army, Korea, Pfc # 16315593, 1/29th Infantry Reg.; POW, KIA (Pyongyang, NK)
John E. Hurlburt – Madison, CT; US Army, WWII, PTO, Sgt. # 20126929, 105/27th Infantry Division, Bronze Star, KIA (Saipan)
James A. Kilgore – El Paso, TX; US Army, Korea & Vietnam, 187th RCT, Pvt. > Colonel (Ret. 30 y.), Bronze Star, Silver Star
Frank Kokernak (101) – Dudley, MA; US Army, WWII, ETO, medic
Rogene Laut – Minister, OH; US Army WAC, WWII, nurse
Jerome Lerner (100) – San Francisco, CA; US Navy, WWII, Lt. JG
Chad Peyton – Chandler, TX; US Army, Iraq, Captain, pilot, Bronze Star
Donald H. Rumsfeld – Taos, NM; US navy, pilot / 60 years of public service
Bernard J. Sweeney Jr. – NYC, NY; US Army, WWII, ETO, Sgt., # 32645733, Co I/330/83rd Infantry Division, Bronze Star, KIA (Hürtgen Forest, GER)
James C. Willis – Albuquerque, NM; US Air Force, Qatar, Lt. Col., 557th Expeditionary Red Horse Sq/Heavy Construction Engineers
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MEMORIAL DAY 2021
Our nation marks Memorial Day to honor and pay tribute to brave Americans who gave their life for this country. Many generations have sacrificed in defense of our nation, our liberty, and our desire to improve our country. On Memorial Day, we humbly honor these incredible patriots and have a solemn duty to uphold their legacy.
At its core, Memorial Day speaks of personal sacrifice for a greater good. It resonates in the stories of ordinary Americans, who fought for a better world and were willing to lay down their lives. Our way of life is shaped by those who have served and those who were lost. We have benefited from their positive influence on our world. It is our solemn duty to honor for our fallen brothers and sisters in arms and their families. This day reflects on heroes from historically distant wars passed and current operations. We honor their legacy and work toward a peaceful future, in which wars are a faded memory.
I encourage you all to keep the legacy of our fallen brothers and sisters in arms alive within your communities. Take time to reflect together with your friends, neighbors, groups, and communities, so those stories and sacrifices are never forgotten.
Respectfully, Colonel Christopher K. Lacouture 913th Airlift Group Commander
The image of the poppy is from: Marylou at natuurfreak3 click on image to enlarge.
I know that many are looking forward to their bar-b-ques and celebrations, especially after a year and a half of lockdowns, and quarantines, but Please take a moment to remember why we have this commemorative weekend.
Also from Marylou is this wonderful Memorial Day ecard…
From: Lt. Colonel Sam Lombardo (Ret.) _____
“This is our Memorial Day/ In our land of the free/ It’s because of those who sacrificed/ Whose graves you’re here to see/ They fought on foreign lands/ And across the open sea/ And paid the ultimate price/ To keep you and I free/ So put all things aside/ And honor this important day/ Which we have dedicated/ As our Memorial Day.”
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NOT YOUR USUAL MILITARY HUMOR – PLEASE click on each to enlarge.
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Farewell Salutes –
Wayne L. Adams Sr. (102) – Dolton, IL; US Army, WWII
Carl D. Berry Jr. – Hinsdale, IL; US Army, WWII / US Air Force, Korea
Carl M. Bradley – Shelly, ID; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Fireman 2nd Class, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor)
Wayne M. Evans – Hamilton, MT; US Army, WWII, PTO, Pvt., Battery G/59th Coast Artillery Reg., POW/KIA (Cabanatuan Camp, Luzon, P.I.)
Charlton H. Ferguson – Kosciusko, MS; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Musician 2nd Class, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor)
Nicholas H. Hamilton – Las Vegas, NE; US Air Force, pilot
Brenda McDaniel – Springfield, VA; US Army, Nurse Corps
Edward McDaniel Jr. – US Army, Colonel, Medical Corps (MD)
Joseph R. Mooradian – Union Grove, WI; US Merchant Marines, WWII / US Army, Korea
Burl Mullins – Dorton, KY; US Army, Korea, Cpl., Heavy Mortar Co/ 3/31/7th Infantry Division, KIA (Chosin Reservoir)
William D. Tucker – Bedford, IA; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Fireman 1st Class, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor)
John Warner – Alexandria, VA; US Navy / USMC, Korea / Secretary of the Navy / 30 y. US Senator
Camp Stoneman part 1
POE/POD Camp Stoneman
Pvt. Smith was as cocky and proud as the next trooper, but he also thought of the Army as a learning experience and considered his new adventure as a chance to experience things he would not otherwise have the opportunity and on April 23, 1944, he stepped off a train near Camp Stoneman, California. It was here the troopers would learn how to live aboard ship, operate life boats, raft kits and climb up and down rope ladders. Censorship of the soldier’s letters began here.
Camp Stoneman
The Inspector General’s men discovered the ruse of the 11th A/B Division hiding behind the paperwork of Shipment #1855 and the troopers began to accumulate AW104’s in record amounts. (Under the Article of War #104 – a commanding officer may give punishment, as is necessary, without the threat of court-martial.) May 2, the 11th A/B moved to Pittsburg, CA by way of inland boats to their actual POE/POD (Point of Entry/Point of Departure), and the letters from Smitty began …
Letter I Tuesday 5/2/44
Dear Mom,
I sure am a fine one after calling you Sunday especially to wish you a Happy Birthday and I go and forget to, but I assure you it wasn’t intentional, but just excitement of the conversation. I tried yesterday to buy a card, but to no avail. No doubt by the time you receive this letter you will be wondering why I didn’t call you this week as I promised I would. It just so happened that we were confined to our company area starting yesterday morning, so it was an impossibility to get to either a telephone or telegraph office. From now on all my letters to you will be numbered as this one is in the upper left hand corner. In that way, you can read my letters in sequence and can tell whether or not you are receiving all my letters. I would also advise sending all letters to me from now on by airmail as that will be the quickest way. We heard that not all the mail so far from here has yet been sent out, but when it does go out, why you will no doubt get them all at once. Tell everyone at home to be patient and they will no doubt hear from me as I sit down Saturday and either write a letter or card to everyone I know. You had better check up on them all and see that they have my correct address, as the army will notify only you of any new changes. I sure don’t want to lose out on my letters of anyone just because they have an incorrect address. Yesterday we didn’t do much of anything, but Sunday was really quite an entertaining day. We went bowling, then to a free USO show and from there to a movie. The entertainment is so full and alive that sometimes it still persists in your dreams. Therefore, you can really say they even take care of you while you are slumbering. Well mom, that is all for now, so once more I want to wish you a “Happy Birthday” and the best of everything. Don’t worry and keep your chin up.
Love, Everett
PS – Be on the lookout for a new Class E allotment I made out and also a B allotment. Your allotments now will come to 22 dollars cash and a $18.75 war bond a month. I’m getting pretty good, aren’t I?
Camp Stoneman souvenir
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Current News – Everyone helps out when it comes to finding the MIA.
Austrian Raimund Riedmann, pilot with the Flying Bulls, flies a restored P-38 Lightning
Austrian, Raimund Riedmann, a pilot with the Flying Bulls, flies a restored P-38 Lightning during a fly over event for a recovery team attached to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), Austria, April 25, 2021. DPAA personnel arrived to conduct excavation operations in an effort to find a U.S. service member lost from a P-38 lightning that crashed during World War II. DPAA’s Mission is to achieve the fullest possible accounting for missing and unaccounted-for US personnel to their families and our nation. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Melanye Martinez)
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Military Humor – 
‘Lord, what have they done to him? He made his own bed!’
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Farewell Salutes –
Robert R. Arrowsmith – Livermore, CA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Pfc., rifleman, Co E/511 PIR/11th Airborne Division
Carmen DePaulo III – Jacksonville, FL; US Army, Africa, Green Beret, Medical Sgt., 3rd Special Forces
John Foye Jr. – Lowell, MA; US Navy, Japanese Occupation
William Halliday – Scarborough, CAN; Queen’s Own Rifles, WWII, ETO
Sherman Hoffenberg – Delray Beach, FL; US Army, WWII, ETO, Military Police
Clifford S. Johnson – Valatie, NY; US Army, Korea, Cpl., HQ Co./57 FA/7th Infantry Division, KIA (Chosin Reservoir)
Joseph Kuba (100) – Struthers, OH; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, Major (Ret.), 1264th Engineer Combat Battalion
Lindbergh Lopez – Niagara Falls, NY; USMC; WWII, Korea / US Army, Vietnam (Ret. 23 y.)
Ian N. Morosoff – Saquamish, WA; US Army, Pfc., Co. B/1/503/173rd Airborne Division
Robert Parker – Lansing, MI; US Army, WWII, PTO, pilot, 1st Lt.,35th FS/8th Fighter Group, KIA (New Guinea)
Lloyd Price – New Orleans, LA; US Army, Korea / singer
G. Clark Shaffer – Bloomsburg, PA; US Army Air Corps, Japanese Occupation, 5th Air Force
Bobby Unser – Albuquerque, NM; US Air Force, sharp shooter / auto racing champion
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“SOLDIERS’ STORIES” VOL. 2, by the Miller Family, REVIEW
Soldiers’ Stories, Vol. II
After reading the Miller Family’s first volume OF SOLDIERS’ STORIES, I was excited to receive Volume # 2. I was not disappointed.
Not only was I, as usual, proud to see 4 pages of my own Father’s stories in print, but even discovered another member of the 11th Airborne Division represented among the other memoirs.
Most of my readers tell me that they find the personal stories and letters from my father and other veterans to be their favorite posts. In this book, readers are privileged to have over 300 pages of such tales.
The many photographs give you a personal perspective, both humorous and educational, of a time that dramatically altered the entire world. Men and women alike are included in this well constructed journal for the generation we are so quickly losing.
Every branch of service, in each theater of operation, is represented along with the invaluable contributions of the home front military, women, civilians and our British Allies.
Modern day honoring of those buried in foreign lands and innumerable photos of the people who fought for us and the treasures they left behind. Even fellow blogger and author, Joy Neal Kidney, has the Wilson Family included.
You can hear in their words the eagerness to serve their country, their laughter and the camaraderie of close unit ties. You might even feel their pain.
Inspired by the Miller Family’s, SSgt. Myron Miller, of the 83rd Infantry, I can unquestionably recommend both Volume # 1 and # 2 of SOLDIERS’ STORIES!
For Myra Miller’s blog, click HERE!
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Military Humor –
“I’ve given you th’ best years of my life.”
“What’s your job, steady K.P.?”
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Farewell Salutes –
Evo Aspreli – New Haven, CT; US Army, WWII
Michael Collins – Washington, D.C.; US Air Force, pilot / NASA, Astronaut, MGeneral
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SAN DIEGO (Oct. 24, 2011) Ceremonial honor guard await to render honors for retired Vice Adm. Paul F. McCarthy. McCarthy (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Carlos M. Vazquez II/Released)
Carl Dalrymple – Jamestown, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII
James Edgar (100) – brn: Pietersburg, So. Afr.; Gordon Highlanders, WWII, ETO & CBI, Intelligence SOE
Philip T. Hoogacker – USA; US Army, Korea, Pfc., Co. D/1/29th Infantry Regiment, KIA (Anui, So. Korea)
George Humphrey – Onslow County, NC; US Army, Medic, 11th Airborne Division
Theodore Q. Jensen – Delta, UT; US Navy, WWII, PTO, radioman, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor)
James ‘Sonny’ Melhus – Eau Claire, WI; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, HQ Co./506/101st Airborne Division
William H. Melville – Minneapolis, MN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 2nd Lt., pilot, 36th FS/8th FG, KIA (Papua, New Guinea)
Christopher F. Pantos – Richmond, VA; US Army, Kuwait, SSgt., 55th Sustainment Brigade
John Shoemaker – Mont Clare, PA; US Army, WWII, ETO, SSgt., 87th Infantry, Purple Heart
Michael Sierra – San Antonio, TX; Texas National Guard / US Army, Vietnam, platoon leader, 327/101st Airborne Division
The Army Airborne and the start to Camp MacKall
Airborne, Camp MacKall
The original idea for an American airborne came from Gen. Billy Mitchell in 1918. His commander, Gen. Pershing agreed, but once the WWI Armistice was signed, the plan was terminated. In the late 1920’s, Germany began training parachute units and in the 1930’s, they led the world in gliders. Russia created the Air Landing Corps in 1935. Japan started in 1940 with German instructors. The U.S. did not take note until Germany was successful on Crete in 1941.
Smitty, 187th RCT/11th Airborne Division, Camp MacKall 1943
The American tradition was born when 48 men jumped at Ft. Benning on Aug. 16, 1940, where Private Eberhard, promised to yell to his buddies below, was the first to shout out “Geronimo”. General William Lee is considered the “Father of the Airborne.” My father, Everett Smith or “Smitty” (as you’ll get to know him), did not care for heights or jumping, so I asked him – “Why volunteer?” He shrugged and said, “They pay you more in the paratroopers.” Smitty had a dry sense of humor which you will see more of in the letters he wrote to his mother in future posts. He did however accept his boot camp, sharp shooting, glider & parachute training as a way of learning new things he would otherwise have never experienced. [One of his statements driven into me – ” Like any job, always try your best.”] Since he was 27 and much older than other recruits, he was often referred to by the nickname of “Pops.”
Camp MacKall postcard
The 11th Airborne Division was formed on Feb. 25, 1943 and their conditioning was so severe that most of the men felt combat would be a breeze. They were the first A/B division formed from scratch, so instead of following the manuals – they were writing their own. The camp was under construction 24/7 and they took classes sitting in folding chairs and easels were used for map reading, first-aid, weapons, foxholes, rules of land warfare, communications, field fortifications, and so on. Between May and June one battalion at a time went to Fort Benning for jump school.
glider jumping
When the time came for Stage A of jump school, it was scratched since the men were already as fit as possible. Stage B, was learning to tumble, equipment knowledge, sliding down a 30′ cable and packing a parachute. In Stage C, they used a 250-foot tower, forerunner to the one at Coney Island, to simulate a jump. Stage D, they earned their jump wings and boots. In June, the units began training in every circumstance that might arise in combat.
The gliders used were WACO CG 4A, boxlike contraptions with wings. The skeleton was small gauge steel covered with canvas; a wingspan of 84 feet, length of 49 feet and carried 3,700 pounds = two pilots and 13 fully loaded soldiers or a jeep and 6 men. The casualty list developing these appeared endless to the men. Smitty could not listen to “Taps” without tearing up, even in his later years.
WACO glider in take off from Camp MacKall field.
21 June, the division entered the unit training program. During July, all units went on 10-day bivouacs and to Fort Bragg. Glider formal training occurred at Maxton Air Base.
In July, in Sicily, Operation Husky went terribly awry, due to the weather conditions – 3,800 paratroopers were separated from their gliders and each other. The casualty rate was exorbitant. This created serious doubts about the practicality of a division size airborne. Proof would rest on the shoulders of the 11th and their commander, Gen. Joseph May Swing. A demonstration called the “Pea Patch Show” was displayed for Sec. of War, Stimson. He gave Swing a positive review, but it did not convince Gen. Marshall or McNair. The fate of the Airborne Command rested on the upcoming Knollwood Maneuvers.
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Smitty’s hometown of Broad Channel sent out a free issue of their newspaper, “The Banner”, to every hometown soldier and this became another source of back front info, along with news from his mother and friends:
News that Smitty got from home at this point: Broad Channel was getting their own air raid siren. (Broad Channel is one-mile long and about 4-blocks wide). His neighbors, the Hausmans, heard from their POW son in the Philippines. And – his divorce papers were final, Smitty was single again.
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Military Humor – 
‘I dropped out of Parachute School.’
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Farewell Salutes –
Robert Ashby – Sun City, AZ; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO
Carl Bradley – USA; US Navy, WWII, Fireman 2nd Class, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor)
Leo Brown – Lima, OH; USMC, WWII, PTO, USS Colorado,3rd Marine Division
Benjamin Goldfarb – Toronto, CAN; US Army, WWII, PTO, Surgical tech, 54th General Hospital, Philippines
Daniel C. Helix – Concord, CA; US Army, Korea & Vietnam, MGeneral, Purple Heart / Mayor
Denis H. Hiskett – USA; US Navy, WWII, Fireman 1st Class, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor)
Robert L. Moore – Queens, NY; USMC, Korea & Vietnam, Gunnery Sgt.
Thomas O’Keefe – Washington D.C.; US Army, Korea, 187th RCT / CIA
George Semonik Jr. – Sewickley, PA; US Army, Chief Warrant Officer, 82nd Airborne Division (Ret. 20 y.)
Shelby Treadway – Manchester, KY; US Navy, WWII, Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor)
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Pacific Paratrooper 