"Was Your Father a Veteran?" Topic

Did you father serve in the armed forces?

Yes, served in Vietnam and retired after 31 years in the US Army as a Colonel.

Yep, Korea. Got shot through the leg by a US Sabre which strafed his company by accident. He was lucky, it only went through the meat and left his leg intact.

Dad served in the 2/6 Field Regiment (artillery), 2nd AIF, '39-'46. From Syria to Borneo via New Guinea.

His father was Australian Light Horse, 1914-1918.

Not a rank stripe amongst them.

Yep, 4 years in the US Navy during Vietnam. Oiler and ammunition ship – AE 22 Mauna Kea. Saw the big carriers, the little destroyers, and the shores of Vietnam itself. Never set foot on any of them. My wife's father was a radio repairman during Korea.

Yes, did his National Service in 1956. He was a signalman in the Guards.

Spent the Suez crisis painting the unit sand coloured, driving it to Southampton, waiting a bit, driving it back to Catterick and painting it green again.

Also helped in the filming of Carve Her Name With Pride.

Birth father was a pre-Vietnam vet of the USAF. Step-dad was to old to enlist when he immigtated to the US.

Yes. WWII – ETO.

In a true example of the strangeness of the Universe:

1) He was wounded in the Battle of Metz. (Had 1/2 a lung blown out by a mortar round. Crawled a mile back to an aid station only to hear himself described as beyond help.)

2) Later in life he was hired to work at a company called Metz.

3) The deciding factor in his well-earned and over-due retirement was when the company was bought by the Germans!

Tim

Yes. He joined the navy just before turning 18 in August 1941, served throughout WWII, then going into the reseves and going back for the Korean War.

Yep – served in the REME.

No, too young. Joined for national service in 1951 on Meteors. His brother was in Coastal Command on Liberators and Bothas (navigator/air gunner). Their Botha turned back with engine trouble on one of the first 1000 bomber raids. Most of the Bothas were lost. I have his log books. One intriguing entry reads "fired on by Catalina"…

My grandfathers served though.

Paternal was 17th Lancers – I have a photo of him in uniform on horseback, but all I know is he served in the Somme. I do have his medals so I may have to trace his service record some time. Maternal served throughout WW2, 30 Corps, Signals. Dunkirk, North Africa and Europe.

A slightly more distant relative was Wing Commander at Waddington on Vulcans.

My father is a veteran who served in the RCNVR.

Rick

Yes, 26 years in the US Air Force. One tour (volunteered) in Vietnam.

He served as a spotter with a (Nebel) Werfer Unit and took part in the battle of the Korsun Pocket 1944.
And his Grandfather fought against the French in 1870.

Yes. Drafted at the end of the Korean War. After active service, went on to serve in the National Guard until 1990. My stepfather was called up toward the end of WWII.

My grandfather served with the 35th Division in the Meuse-Argonne. His brother was wounded later on in that battle while serving with the 89th Infantry.
Grelber

Yes, medical orderly in Europe and India, WW2.

Not armed forces but something equally dangerous (in fact more dangerous than many who were in the armed forces). My dad was a fireman throughout the war in Liverpool. After London, Liverpool was hit as hard as anywhere in the Blitz and my father saw it all – huge fires in warehouses down on the docks, men incinerated, blasted and vapourised only yards away on occasions. Climbing those old-fashioned ladders to heights that make me feel dizzy to think of it…

Does this count…?

Doug
ps – I'm rather proud of him

Yep. 1st Cav in Vietnam. Left active duty not too longer after his tour and retired from the reserves decades later. Both grand fathers too. One grand father in Pacific theater on a carrier, and one in Europe as an infantryman.

Wife's dad is a Korean War era vet. He didn't deploy to Korea but served during that time.

One of my younger brothers served (Army) for about 8 years.

Yep, Air Force.

My father served in the US Army during WWII from 3/42 to 1/46.

My dad was to young for WWII but my grandad was in the horse artillery in WWI. From what I've managed to find (it was never really spoken about) he served in Palestine and Egypt…

Mick

Yes, he was a tail gunner on a B-24 with the 8th Air Force flying bombing mission out of England. His unit was transferred to the Pacific Theater and arrived just in time to be part of the Occupational Forces after Japan's surrender.

Yes. CVL Avenger pilot in the Pacific.
-Kle.

Yes, in the Austro-Hungarian Army in WWI. He started as a captain in the siege artillry (those big Skoda 305) and later became an infantry colonel. In a big battle in winter his regiment was almost wiped out and he was wounded by having part of his foot blown off. It was winter and he lost consciousness and started to freeze. The burial details came along and began dragging bodies and piling them up in preparation for burial in a mass grave. My father was on the bottom of the pile, and after they had collected all the dead they began tossing them into a pit. The bodies over him were just enough insulation so he could wake up and when they got to him he was able to move his hands weakly and say "Hey--- I'm not dead-- I'm not dead". That was what saved him. He was taken to a field hospital and recovered.

RAF SAC Marine Fitter. Served in Northern Ireland, Tunisia and India/Pakistan during parition adn independence.

Yes spent 3 years in the land of lice and gonarehea that was Korea planting mines and clearing North Korean and Chinese mines.

'Rock Ape' for 20 years.

He was something of an 'Africa Hand', with postings to South Africa and Kenya. He fought in the Mau Mau Uprising, and seems to have volunteered/extended his posting to do so.
Certainly, he managed to stay in Africa for years, and only got sent home after developing Blackwater fever.

After that he was attached to security on the Blue Streak missile programme.

Doug – of course it counts (at least in my eyes) and you should be rightly proud.

Nope. Dad was deemed medically unfit by the draft board.

Considering the number of heart related issues he's had over the years, probably a good call by them.

Eric

My dad drove an M60A1 in the Marine Corps

Yes, Dad served in the U.S. army, Korea. Was hit directly to the front of the left shin.He had some really good stories to tell about his time there.

Yes, USMC, 1941 to 1945; USN, 1947 to 1951.

Grandfather, US Army, c. 1918 to 1920.

US Navy, W.W. II, New Guinea.

On the 50th ann. of Pearl Harbor were having a burger and beer together. I asked him where he was when he heard about Pearl Harbor.

He thought for awhile and then said he couldn't remember, but he could tell me right where he was when he heard he got drafted.

Rest in Peace, Dad. I still miss you.

He joined the Navy at 17. Served in WWII and Korea. Did twenty years and retired Master Chief (E-9) when they tried to make him make him a Warrent Officer. He always told me to "keep your eyes open, your mouth shut and never volunteer for ANYTHING". The best advice I ever got.

My father served in both the navy and army, he was a Vietnam veteran. He was proud to have served his country, and he could not have a more proud son.
Thank you to everybody who has served their country.
And to Doug em4miniatures, Of course what your dad did counts, everytime the alarm sounded, he put his life on the line and you should be very proud of what he did.

Yes. First Team in Vietnam. Two tours 1966-1967. Got out after 8 years. Did not fit in well with the peace time army.

Grandfather Louis was in the Army in World War II as a medic. Came ashore in July at Normandy. Two Bronze stars. He NEVER mentioned it. We only found out by viewing his records in the St Louis Archives.

BTW, it is worthwhile to submit the paperwork to the archives to view your relatives records. So much detail is captured. In this case, Louis was the headwaiter at the Ritz Carlton before he quit his job to join the Army.

Grandfather James served on the USS Nashville and joined the crew in 1944. He fought for their boxing team – when he was not busy standing still for yet another Captain's mast!

There was an impressive collection of CM slips in his records when we viewed them along with a wonderfully surprising picture (apparently the Navy took pictures of their personnel) of him AND several handwritten letters he had written to the Navy. As I had lost him in the early 90s, these were discoveries beyond what I had ever hoped to find. It was a great memory of a great grandfather who is still sorely missed.
Larry

Yes, Army during Korea, but didn't deploy.

Yes. He served in the Army Air Corps in WWII. He was called-up again in Korea but never left the US, thank God.

My dad was a National Serviceman in the RAF, control tower staff on a Hunter station in the mid 1950s. His war experience consisted of the Germans dropping bombs on his house, they finally got it with a V2 in 1944. His father (my grandfather) died in a Japanese POW camp.

Yes, Royal Navy. Served in the Far East in WW2, following his step brothers (one a gunner on Prince of Wales, one a gunner on Repulse). Dad started in battleships spent some time on carriers and ended the war on minesweepers. He was about to be posted to a landing craft squadron as chief electrical engineer ready for the invasion of Japan, so he was quite pleased that things turned out the way they did.

My attempts to follow in his footsteps were dashed by poor eyesight, so I did the next best thing and became a naval architect and Constructor.

Mine did his National Service in the RAF in the 50s.

One of my Grandfathers joined the army in the First World War. He was underage though and when they found out he was sent home again. Undeterred, he joined the Flying Corps and served with them for the last year or so of the war.

USN Submariner at tail end of WWII and during Korean War.

Nope he was to young for Korea and to old for Vietnam. His older brother was in Korea and the younger one in Vietnam. All came home safe and as sound as they ever were :)

Yes. My Dad served as a Gunner Driver with a territorial battery of the Royal Artillery from early 1939 through to the end of WW2. Saw action in France (rescued from the sea off Dunkirk by HMS Anthony), North Africa, Sicily, N.W. Europe. He joined (aged 27) before the outbreak of war because his father, who had served in WW1, warned him that war was coming and if he left it until war had been decleared then the likelihood was that he would be conscripted into the infantry – and based on his experiences that was the last arm of the service that you wanted to be in, far too dangerous. Thankfully Dad was never injured, although he had some near misses, but he did get malaria while in North Africa. As a result, he was never able to be a blood donor. I loved him to bits and I just wish I could have been a better son to him. God bless and rest in peace.

Dad did not talk much about his wartime experiences but one story he told always sticks in my memory. One of his unit was a chap named Kelly – a bit of a 'scally' by all accounts. Kelly went on authorised leave but decided that he needed a few days extra. Not surprisingly, there being a war on, a few 'volunteers', including Dad, were sent to 'escort' him back. On returning to base he was marched in front of the battery major (I think his name was Crauford) and charged with being AWOL. He offered no defence so Major Crauford stated that he found the charged proved and, as per the regs, asked Kelly if he wanted to exercise his right to a Court Martial or, instead, accept a punishment decided by the Major. Kelly smiled as said "I'll accept your punishment, Sir. I've had my fund I don't see why you should'nt have yours". The escort found this highly amusing but soon had the smiles wiped off their faces by the battery Sergeant Major who took a dim view!

My Father Army Air Corp Hickham field Hawaii for the whole war and my Mom said it was tough duty. Right!!

My father in Law 35th infantry division from Normandy till just after the Rhine crossing, sent home as he had the points.

Yes Wireless/Air Gunner in RCAF from 1940 to 1945 First served in Coastal Command in Eastern Canada and West Africa then in 101 Squadron RAF Bomber Command. Shot down in February of 1945 spent the remainder of the war as a POW

WWII Seabee in the Aleutians.

Yes an Army MP here in the states during WWII.

Yes, B-24 navigator flying out of Italy in World war 2.

Born in 1946, after my dad returned from duty in England and France with US Army Air Corps, virtually EVERY man I knew growing up had served. Exceptions were people like my grandfathers (a tool and die maker and a machinist) who were a generation older and worked in war industry.
Wackamole. my dad was a bomb sight and mechanical pilot technician on B24s.