# He was Here



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

This is a picture from 1944 Omaha Beach Normandy France. My father in-law landed there July 5, 1944 and I can only imagine what may have been going through his mind the day before. I mean he was on his way to defend freedom the day before on the Fourth of July.

Something to think about.


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## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

My dad told me he went ashore at Normandy but, it was way after the D-day invasion. He was sent to a repalcement company and was an officer and was wounded on the way back to the company cp for a meeting and headed home to the states on a hospital ship Jan 1 1945.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

My Dad was in the Navy and was stationed on a destroyer out of Portland Maine. They patrolled the east coast searching for German U boats. I am grateful that he wasn't involved in D-day, I've asked him many times about his experiences but he is reluctant to speak about them so I will not make him relive it again.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

My Dad was in the Navy and was stationed on a destroyer out of Portland Maine. They patrolled the east coast searching for German U boats. I am grateful that he wasn't involved in D-day, I've asked him many times about his experiences but he is reluctant to speak about them so I will not make him relive it again.


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

my wife had an uncle that died on Iwo Jima...............when Her aunt showed us his Purple Heart I had absolute chills just holding that medal....................


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## Indiana Jones (Aug 28, 2014)

I would love to get to the south Pacific to see where my Grandfather landed on Bouganville. Then on Guam, and again on Iwo Jima. I also want to see Normandy, Holland, and all the other spots.

Glenway your dad's balls probably left drag marks in the sand on the beach like all those WW2 guys did. Those were HARDENED men. I only hope to have .0000002 of the guts they had.

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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Dad was a tailgunner on bomber's - average life expectancy of a tailgunner 7 missions - he did 35.


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

WOW!


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## Indiana Jones (Aug 28, 2014)

hassell said:


> Dad was a tailgunner on bomber's - average life expectancy of a tailgunner 7 missions - he did 35.


CRAZY! I know a guy from when I worked at a nursing home who was on the B24's as a belly gunner. Did 26 combat missions, was shot down over France, then spent 40 years in the Baltimore Fire Dept, mostly as an arson investigator. Tough old birds those guys were!

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## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

They all did what they did and did not think anything about it. We each have our own stories that the others say WOW to. Not like these guys though.


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## Antlerz22 (Apr 18, 2011)

Dad was in the Phillipines, near Ipo Dam (the old one) wounded by mortar fire going to wash in the river there. His buddy going with dad, and if front of dad was killed by it. Dad survived because the round which landed closer to dad, its shrapnel was going up catching dad from the knees to his waist---his buddy caught the rising shrapnel in the shoulders and back of head. Dad had sunken areas around his waist in back I could literally stick my thumb in and be hidden. They all were tough, he was down for 6 mos; and got reunited with his old company after recovery. He didn't get the trip home for his wounds, but was put right back as scout. He has passed, but is still remembered with admiration and respect by those who knew him. To all who placed their very lives at our doorsteps, I salute you, and honor you with remembrance and humility.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Hero's one and all ! I'm sorry for the loss of your Dad Ralph. From our conversations I can tell he raised a good Son though.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Posted before, this is my father in-law's list of stops during World War II. He died before I met my wife but anyone I've met that knew him in West Virginia spoke highly of him.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

All heroes for sure. I never knew that part until his service at the legion, his sister had all that info. When the Nuremberg war crime trials were being televised they were showing aerial bombed sites, Dad was sitting in his chair with a few tears naming off all these buildings that had been bombed after all those years.


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## Indiana Jones (Aug 28, 2014)

glenway said:


> Posted before, this is my father in-law's list of stops during World War II. He died before I met my wife but anyone I've met that knew him in West Virginia spoke highly of him.


That is absolutely incredible. Did you get it from the archives? Id love to find one on my Grandfather.

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## finstr (Jan 6, 2013)

My grandparents lived in London during the war and when a V2 rocket fell close to their home it sent shrapnel through the top floor and porch. Gramps was lightly wounded from debris but I still have 3 pieces of the shrapnel from that bomb. My dad joined the British army shortly after the war when he was 18 and spent time in North Africa just outside of Benghazi in '49 and moved to Canada in '67. Not much of a hero story but we can't control when we are born, lol


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

IJ: My wife got the document from her mother years ago.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

I love old stuff like that Glen, when my grandfather passed the family rifled through his stuff, took want they wanted, when I finally showed up - into the trunk, grabbed his military papers from when he was in France during the first world war.Keepsakes for sure.


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## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

After my dad passed we were going looking around in the garage and found a Jan 1st 1945 London eddation of stars and strips, the milatary news paper. He was also wounded by a mortor and had injurys from the knee to the abdamon.


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