"Was Your Father a Veteran?" Topic

Yes , Korea and so was I

103rd Cactus division. Belgium, Germany. Anti tank gun crewman.

And my Dad had 6 brothers. The oldest was too old to serve. The youngest was killed at Hickham Field during the Pearl Harbor attack. The others served both in Europe and the Pacific.

All that I know about my relatives:

Father- 28th Inf Div just after WWII
Uncle-27th Inf Regt, Saipan & Okinawa '44-'45
Grandpa- US Medical Corps, France 1917
Gr uncle- a hussar during 2nd Boer war
Gr Gr Gr Grandpa- Capt Co C 6th Alabama Cav. ACW

My paternal grandfather was a veteran, too. Sort of.

He had lost two fingers years before the war (this is World War II) in an industrial accident. Index and middle finger of left hand.

Joined the US Navy in 1942. Didn't hide his hand. Sworn in. Sent to San Diego for training. Doctor there notices missing fingers, and they gave him a medical discharge. Time in service: about two weeks.

My maternal grandfather also served in the US Navy. He was an older man (born in 1909) and had been a football coach and teacher for years. They made him a PO right out of boot camp. He made Chief in a year. They had him training sailors in Rhode Island for most of the war, though he did spend a few months on a destroyer in the North Atlantic. He received a commission about a year before his discharge. They claimed he lacked the education for it when he enlisted. However, he had earned a Master's in history in 1934.

As for great-uncles, I had ten. Uncle Bob wsa mentally disabled as a result of birth trauma, so he didn't fight. The rest were in one service or another. One, My Uncle 'Tink', flew 70 missions as co-pilot and pilot of a B-25. He hit Ploesti twice. Another was navigator for a B-17 over Germany. Their plane was hit by flak, but he claimed they never lost anyone on a mission. The others I am not familiar with their records, but know that some were in the Marines, some in the Army. No other Navy that I am aware.

If yo go back further, I had military ancestors in the ACW (Confederate, 10th Texas Infantry) and the American Revolution (Georgia militia) as well.

Yes. WWII Airborne.
Hos outfit was with the 82nd in Normandy (Silver Star, Purple heart) and with the 17th in Bulge and Germany (Purple Heart).
One of his stories made it into Ambrose's book on DDAY and another book on the 82nd.

My father was in Korea as I stated and his brother was in Germany at about the same time. They had four uncles who fought in WW2. One was killed in Italy by a landmine and another was killed in France. One brother was wounded in the Pacific.
My mother had one brother sent to Korea, Her two older brothers fought in WW2. One was wounded twice in France (he would have been mentally disabled today). her other brother was an MP in Britain but volunteered for duty in Germany after the Bulge. He was hit in the Ruhr Pocket and lost an arm and severed spine. He later died during treatment. She also had two brother in laws who were MPs on trains in the USA since they had other medical issues.

I am classified as a Vietnam era veteran though I did not have to go in country. Only stayed in 8 years and got out due to my wife's medical condition. My brother was a Cobra, then an Apache pilot. He was a Major with the 13th Airborne Corps during the Kuwait/ First Gulf War. Retired as a LT Colonel and went to work the next day training soldiers with the 87th Division training command.

Yep, Dad in both WWII and Korea – a fly boy, non-combat. Maternal uncle also in Korea around Choson (sp) Reservoir, won a bronze star with clusters (I think they call it). He, the uncle, showed astonishing stoicism as he died from lung cancer. Made it easy to understand how he won that medal.

Yes. First Cavalry Division. Philippines campaign onwards.

My father in law. 3rd bn Darby's Rangers. Saw service in Sicily then Italy. Although very badly wounded in fighting in mountains he tried to rejoin for the Anzio landing but was was told he could not keep up and left behind.

Never talked with his kids about it. Opened up to me more near end of his life. It was not a happy topic and not many happy memories.

Yes, Father, USCG in WW2. Lighthouse and Convoy ("Better than that damn lighthouse with that bastard in charge,") Duty. Thinks they sank one or two whales early in his convoy duty. Caribbean and "other."

Father-in law (Bronze Star on Okinawa,) and mother-in-law's two brothers served US Army in PTO, ETO, and MTO in WW2.

Paternal USMC Uncle bought retirement in Korea at Chosin in first hours of battle. Maternal Uncle was going there as part of the same unit when his Mother pointed out he was still underage to enlist (served stateside in a compromise.)

I settled for stateside USAF during Vietnam War (should have gone 3 different times but others always volunteered so I didn't.) Tried 3 years in USAR years later but I just don't do "military" as well as my predecessors.

My father did National Service in the 1950s and was one of the "military extras" seen drilling in the film "Carry On Sergeant". By a bizarre coincidence, one of the other platoons in the film contained my wife's father; as far as we know, our dads never actually met in real life (hers died before we were married), but were occasionally just yards apart on a film set.

My father's RSM for most of his NS was a brother of the actor, Richard Burton.

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