16ga.com ~ View topic

Just turned June the 6th here and remembering the D Day landings .
Thanks to all who took part to free Europe from the nazi's, I would love to here from any on here who knew anyone who was there and any stories they told .
We will remember them .
And did they bird hunt with the 16ga I would love to hear about any of these heroes.

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3178 Location: NCWa

I had two uncles that were in the European theatre but didn't lad on D-day. One was in the Italian campaign the other was part of Patton's deceptive 3rd army. I don't recall him ever talking about it except when he was nominated by the family to talk me out of Joining the Marines in 1966. He didn't say much, just that I was going to get a lot more than I was asking for. Years ago when I was about 10 I was visiting with my cousins and one of them snuck a fruit cake tin out of the parents bedroom. It had a bunch of medals in it. Later I recall that one was a purple heart and another a bronze star, but then he was with Patton clear from France to Germany.

Joined: 24 Jul 2016 Posts: 548 Location: Ohio

My father-in-law (Paul Werynski) spent two days on Omaha in a hole filled with red water. He said the smell was unbearable. He would only talk about it with veterans and only with quite a bit of beer involved. He told me things I promised never to repeat that would make your heart ache. The man did earn a Bronze Star while there. He also spent time in Africa that was pretty horrible.

Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 824

Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 824

Joined: 01 Oct 2007 Posts: 962 Location: Minnesota

Hammer Bill, your father was a hero, along with so many others. My dad was in the pacific, wounded on Okinawa in 1945. He’s been gone since 92.

Member Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 376 Location: North ID.

Although I don't have any in depth stories about the D-day landings one of the Dr's in my small hometown, long deceased, was in the first wave at Omaha.

My dad was in the South Pacific on an ammo ship and didn't talk much about his experiences. My mom however, is still living and she's told me about some of the guys she grew up with, in our small town, some of whom landed at Normandy. I'll have to ask her about some of their stories, some who lived to tell, others that didn't!

No Normandy relatives here, but one Battle of the Bulge. Frostbit feet were a problem for my father in law for the rest of his life. He followed Patton from north Africa to Germany, but wouldn't talk about it. His military records burned up with the fire in St. Louis years ago, so his family has access to few of his experiences. His family does have enough documentation to show the Africa to Germany movements.

My dad was a Navy SeaBee in the Pacific and island hopped as they were taken by troops, building airbases so planes could get closer to Tokyo for bombing. He was on Tinian at Rogers Airfield when the Enola Gay took off with the first A bomb.

The greatest generation.

My wife and I visited Normandy two years ago - as a matter of note we are both ‘Baby Boomers’.

I defy anyone to have a dry eye when encountering the enormity of the mission and the extent of sacrifice.

Joined: 24 Mar 2010 Posts: 280 Location: Northwest PA

My wife's father landed at Omaha beach on June 7, 1944. D-Day +1. He was part of the combat engineers and said he worked building bridges. He would never talk about anything combat related. One of the stories he did tell was about going through a checkpoint on New Year's eve. They were making sure no German's passed through. They asked him who won the rose bowl, and he told whoever was questioning him that any idiot knows the rose bowl isn't played until New year's day.

He also claimed he danced with Queen Elizabeth while in England waiting to deploy (obviously before she had become Queen).

He passed in 2012 at age 90.

dap,

Great story, he was a man to be proud of. My father never talked about what he had to due in the war, my uncle who was a Marine SGT and worked along side the UDT SeaBee teams on Guadalcanal where my father was wounded, told us stories about my father. He constantly reminded us that as civilians, we never wanted to anger my father. The Marine division stationed with the UDT Navy Divers on Guadalcanal considered the UDT SeaBees, the toughest men alive. We know them all now as US Navy Seals.

Your wifes father is a man to be proud of, make sure she understand that, I served thru the Viet Nam era, and wore a Green Beret, I was not man enough to ever fill my fathers boots, and I feely admit it. My father passed away in 1984 from the chemical poisoning he was subjected to, fighting on Guadalcanal and many other islands.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Thanks for sharing your stories guys , that generation came through hell ,
I'm glad you all got to meet some real heroes.
Thanks WJ.

My uncle Melvin was in the Pacific and was a tender to JFK’s PT-109. I remember seeing several pictures of him as a young man with JFK and others in the war and when JFK was elected. He was a kind man that loved baseball and kids and I wish that I had known him better.
My first wife’s dad was on a destroyer that was sunk in the Battle of Midway. He received some pretty bad burns but died in 1967 when she was only 7.
My dad was married with a daughter and was scheduled to be inducted into the Army in Omaha two days after the war ended. He sent a telegram and was told to stay home, they wouldn’t need him. I saw his paperwork and that telegram when I was a kid but couldn’t find it when he died. They were, and will always be the “Greatest Generation”!!

WJ,

Those WWII men never believed they were heroes, I once heard my father tell my uncle Scotty that all the heroes had died for their country, the rest of us just did what had to be done. He eventually told me the same thing when I was old enough to understand what he was really saying. Most of those battle torn men spoke very little or not at all, about what they had to do to remain alive. After spending some hard time in the US Army in south east Asia, my mother ask me what we did, she was told by my father to never ask that question again, he advised her that a man needs to forget the war he had to fight. I never ever talk about it, my father was right, and I do my best to forget.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man