"Personal War Letters and Remembering the Real Heroes of War" Topic

I'm an avid war-gamer (probably not as active as I'd like to be) but unlike many here I have never served or participated in war. So as a reminder to the sober realities of war I like every so often read some of the many personal stories of sacrifice and loss of those who have gone before. I came across this article and while I found it very moving it helped me to reflect on the true heroism of the countless ( and sometimes forgotten) participants of war and also those who were left behind.

I was wondering do you have your own favourite stories of heroism in war time perhaps even from your own families.

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Not heroism as much as crushing despair I suppose but during ww1, when southern Denmark was under German control, a fair number of thousand Danes had to serve in the Imperial German military.

One particular farm lady had 8 sons. The war took 7 of them. She finally wrote the Kaiser personally to get an exception for her last.
From what I remember, the war ended before he was called up.

A number of their letters to each other were published in a book I read when I was a kid. Always stuck with me.

Yes true heroism is the men that are in eminent danger of losing their lives yet do their duty, I still like to believe that circumstance makes one fight more for heath and home and ones buddys along side, but I know its not as simple as that.
I also never served but salute those that did, courage is not accolades, speeches and medals.
Salute

…courage is not accolades, speeches and medals.

Very true Zargon, and neither is it some overpaid prima donna scoring a goal at Wembley, a touchdown in a game of American Football, or an actor who has played some major role in an epic film, no matter how often the commentators try to tell us otherwise.

My favourite unsung heroes are the WW1 veterans who joined Dad's Army in WW2. They knew how bad it could be, but willingly joined up anyway.

Just a few years ago my cousin found a metal filing box in his basement. In it are some news clipping, letters and other material dating back to the time period before, during and after WWII. My cousin's mother and my father had a sibling who fought and died in WWII. Much of the material in the box was from or about him.

There is a batch of V-Mail letters and V-Mail Christmas cards. Lots of "say hi to this person or that person." "How's so and so's little baby doing?", etc. There are news clippings dating back to his high school days. He was a bit of a baseball and basketball player. His HS team won a state title in the late '30s. There are also clipping announcing his service, being wounded and his death on Omaha Beach on D-Day.

Included is the telegram announcing his death as well as packets of paperwork about the final disposition of his remains (buried in the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach), and the settlement of his GI insurance.

Quite interesting is a smaller box within the larger one that contains his final Purple Heart (1 of 3) and the Bronze Star and citation he earned when he died on D-Day. It also includes my grandmother's Gold Star.

There is also a packet of about 8 or 10 letters from various captain, majors, colonels and a general apologizing for and explaining the confusion surrounding the reporting of his deeds and death. Apparently, his last name was misspelled in the report and someone else may have been informed that they lost a son. (Quite a nasty mess.) One of the letters was an invitation to join the general for a ceremony and presentation for the awarding of his medals to my grandmother. They sent a car to pick her up, had a dinner at Ft. Indaintown Gap (in PA) and concluded with the awards presentation.

We're coming up on the 71st anniversary of D-Day and my father is the only surviving member of his generation of the family. It is hard to imagine the amount of time and the events that have occurred in the meantime.

@Zargon

Yes true heroism is the men that are in eminent danger of losing their lives yet do their duty

Very well said Zargon.

@Cuchulainn

neither is it some overpaid prima donna scoring a goal at Wembley, a touchdown in a game of American Football, or an actor who has played some major role in an epic film

Before anyone has a go at me for being an old fart (I'm only 41 so probably more of a middle aged fart) I'm an avid sports fan/football especially but I couldn't agree more. There are some athletes and I certainly respect the amount of discipline and work required to achieve their level of sports and I admire whatever set of physical and mental strengths they display but they very few if any could achieve what I'd define as true heroism. As far as the Brad Pitts of this world; well they'd be pretty far down the line of any instinctive concept of hero that I'd have.

Then they're those who maybe hero worship the likes of Napoleon or Rommel or Alexander. Again their military exploits are worthy of recollection but IMO not of any kind of hero worship at all.

Then I watch how certain pop stars or boy bands are adored and I kind of mourn the passing of previous generations like Harold or my Granddad who fought in WWI and that generation mentioned by zonecontrol, Dagwood and Weasel.

@Weasel

One particular farm lady had 8 sons. The war took 7 of them.

After watching Saving P Ryan my niece asked me what was the largest number of family members lost in the one family in the war, well that was WWI you mentioned I think but that's just horrifying to even imagine…

"After watching Saving P Ryan my niece asked me what was the largest number of family members lost in the one family in the war, well that was WWI you mentioned I think but that's just horrifying to even imagine…"

Saving Private Ryan is reputed to have been inspired by the 5 Sullivan brothers killed when their cruiser sank in the Pacific. The 5 deaths was the most by one family in WWII and resulted in military regulations concerning removal of siblings from combat if a family member has been killed.