Originally posted by: Citrix
As I've stated before one of the biggest regrets I have is the time I discovered a retiree that worked part time with me in FL had seen action in the Battle of the Bulge and I never asked him about it. It was obvious he didn't wish to discuss so I never pressed the issue but he may have opened up if I was determined and he knew I was genuinely interested. Another old guy here has a German helmet his cousin gave him that he got after the BotB but he keeps forgetting to bring it.
My uncle (my dads sisters husband) was in the second or third wave at Omaha beach. He only talked about it one time. He and my dad were sitting and talking and the subject came up. I was around 14 or 15 and dropped what i was doing and gave my full attention to what my uncle was saying. he only spoke about 10 minutes and said that on the day of the invasion they didnt really know it was the real deal because they had been stuck on a troop ship for weeks. On the day of the invasion they knew it was real when they saw bodies floating by their ship as they are loading in the higgins boats. He said the sea was blood red and was the most terrifying thing he went through during the war. He made it to the battle of the buldge until he got wounded.
This is what i regret... I asked him where he got wounded, meaning where in Belgium. he thought i meant on his person and said, "i just got wounded, that is all" end of conversation...
🙁 because i wanted more :| becasue i totally screwed up.
I could and can sit for hours and listen to the WWII vets talk about the war. My dad was in the navy, joined up in 1945 at 17 years old. another story that i will never forget is our neighbor across the street when i was a teenager. He and dad and our neighbor behind us got in a convo about the war and my neighbor across the street was in Guadalcanal (sp) that was the first time i heard the phrase "there are no athiest in a foxhole" Coming from a man who truly knew what that meant was very powerful.
The only combat my dad saw was during the Korean War. He was on a tug boat assigned to the Wasp and Hornet battle group. He said one night they were below decks and about midnight the whole battle group unleashed hell with a massive land barbarment. well that scared the living hell out of all of them and ran on deck to see what was going on. A North Korean troop movement was reported to them and the destryers, cruisers, and the battleship (forgot which one) totally anilated them.
the other time was a night dog fight right above their group. he said that was scary because bullets and pieces of planes and whole planes were dropping all around them.
WWII Vets are truly the greatest generation.
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