World War II - 80 Years On

A remembrance thread.

September 1, 1939, from Wikipedia,

"Nazi Germany and Slovakia invade Poland, beginning the European phase of World War II."

"Switzerland mobilizes its forces and the Swiss Parliament elects Henri Guisan to head the Swiss Armed Forces (an event that can happen only during war or mobilization)."

"Adolf Hitler signs an order to begin the systematic euthanasia of mentally ill and disabled people."

 

1st shots.

 

I still vividly remember the stories from both my grandfathers about their time over there. I also know there was a lot they did not tell me which will be lost forever. What an incredible generation. It is sad knowing my kids will only read about them in a book and not truly understand how they changed the world as we know it.

 

God bless the USA and all the fallen

 

Don't forget the British (from 1939 to the end), Canada, Austrailia, New Zealand, South Africa, India etc etc. The commonwealth (empire) nations were fighting from 1939 to 1945...more than 2 years more than the Americans (who did much with armaments, bases and such in the 2 year interim).

 

Another 80 year anniversary...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project


In August 1939, Hungarian-born physicists Leo Szilardand Eugene Wigner drafted the Einstein–Szilard letter, which warned of the potential development of "extremely powerful bombs of a new type". It urged the United States to take steps to acquire stockpiles of uranium ore and accelerate the research of Enrico Fermiand others into nuclear chain reactions.

 

Let us hope it does not disappear down the memory hole.
There are always people who seek to rewrite history, the same people who want to burn everything down.
Too much blood and treasure was spent to allow that to happen.

My father was in university at the outbreak.
Upon graduation in '42, he joined the Army Air Force.
He piloted a B-24 in the Fifth Air Force, flying initially out of Seven Mile Field in Port Moresby, New Guinea.
He lost many comrades, young men who should have had their lives ahead of them.

He's gone now.
I honor what he did, and all who served.

 

My dad graduated HS in 1942. He helped his dad get a crop planted during that summer and moved to Detroit in August. Dad, a friend, and cousin got a 1 bedroom apartment and jobs in an auto plant converted to building anti-aircraft guns. They worked it out so they each worked different shifts and could sleep in the same bed in shifts.

By Thanksgiving all 3 were drafted. Dad was the only one of the 3 to come home. His cousin was a door gunner on a bomber that crashed during training before they ever got out of the USA. His friend was part of a tank crew destroyed in the Pacific.

Dad was trained as a medic and spent most of the war working in military hospitals at air bases where crews were training. Most of that times near Hobbs NM. In the Fall of 1944 he was transferred to the infantry and sent to Paris TX for training. Best guess is that he was training for the expected invasion of Japan.

They finished training just a couple of days before Christmas and by then the Germans had attacked starting the Battle of the Bulge. Within a week of completing training dad was on the Queen Mary headed toward England. After that a train ride across England, an LST to France, then he rode on a train in cattle car to Belgium as replacements.

Once in Belgium they took his Garand, painted a red cross on his helmet and assigned him to a field hospital. He spent the rest of the war driving this Power Wagon to the front and back picking up wounded and bringing them to the hospital.

When the war ended soldiers who had been there the longest came home 1st. As a result dad didn't get home until March of 1946, nearly a year later.

 

My Father was a Gunnery Sargent in an anti-aircraft battery guarding the Panama Canal, Mom was a 1st Lieutenant in one of the first groups of WACS that was ever Commissioned...

 

Or even the Axis soldiers who were ripped from their homes and didn't want to fight.

 

IIRC we captured Korean soldiers forced to fight for the Germans in Normandy. They were originally captured by the Japanese, then ended up being forced to fight for the Russians before being captured by the Germans who forced them to fight for them.

 

Your parents, friends, and family that served in WW 2 ( and anything else) are truly American heroes. We, as well as the world, owe them all so much for their sacrifices and service. Seeing places like Normandy in person really make you realize how big it all was, and how real it was for so many at the time.

Thank them for their service, as wel as thanks to those who have and do serve us all now. Without them, the world would be. A much different place.

 

September 2, 1939, from Wikipedia,

"Following the start of the invasion of Poland the previous day, the Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) is annexed by Nazi Germany."

 

Can't imagine what it must've been like in those days.... The unimaginable loss of life....

My uncle island hopped with the U.S. Marines in the Pacific... He would never talk about it.

In any case, we've lost the impact of WWII and we are dangerously falling into those nationalistic silos again. Here's to decent people with common sense prevailing (hopefully).

All Veterans are held in high regard in my house...Thank you for your sacrifices.

 

September 3, 1939, from Wikipedia,

"France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia declare war on Germany after the invasion of Poland, forming the Allies."

"The United Kingdom and France begin a naval blockade of Germany that lasts until the end of the war. This also marks the beginning of the Battle of the Atlantic."

 

My dad was a gunner in an M18 Hellcat. Not "his" tank, but just like it. Landed in ETO in September of '44. Fought across NW France, Hurtgen Forest, Ardennes, Rhineland....

 

Question,

Are y’all referring to the state of armed fighting with territory taken as the start of WW2? Or are y’all referencing what text books say?

 

Dad fought with the Poles, Brits & finally the Canadians. Only to return & be interned by the damn Russians!

 

September 4, 1939, from Wikipedia,

"William J. Murphy commands the first Royal Air Force attack on Germany."

 

Ok, just wondering as there are more dates that could be used as the start.

That said, my Grandfather was with the 8th Army during the liberation of the Philippines and later during the occupation of Japan.

Artillery commander. Last rank I know of was Full Major... probably retired as a full bird.

Dunno he left this world when I was 5