The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Battle of The Bismarck Sea - 1943 - Mar. 4th, 1943

http://www.afa.org/magazine/Aug1996/0896victory.html ^ | C. V. Glines

[Jen]

Ooooooops! Return to sender.

[Chapita]

My dad participated in the Battle of the Bismark Sea.

I still have one dog tag [with teeth marks] that he wore during that period. He had heard that it was best to stick one dog tag in your mouth for ID purposes since most crashes are fiery.

[SAMWolf]

I thank your dad for his service. Was he in a bomber or fighter?

By the time I was in we laced one dogtag in a boot.

[GailA]

ATTN: CALLING ALL FR Foxhole participants your participation is requested

PROJECT NATIONAL ANTHEM Project National Anthem thread

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the link.

[SAMWolf]

[GATOR NAVY]

Good article. I sailed through the Vitiaz Strait and Bismark Sea a couple of years ago enroute from Okinawa to Brisbane. Too bad the weather was crappy, I wanted to be able to at least say I had seen New Britain. But I only saw it on radar.

[SAMWolf]

You saw more of it than I ever had the chance to see. One of the advantages of the Navy I guess.

[The Real Deal]

Another great thread, SAM. I like the threads where we really kick some A$$, and this is one of them. Thanks.

[SAMWolf]

Evening Real Deal.

Well, I got a couple of threads planned that aren't exactly high points in our Military History.

[The Real Deal]

USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) exploding. Struck by two kamikazes within two minutes of each other, the ship became a fireball and sank. Photo taken from USS Saginaw Bay (CVE-82) February 21, 1945, off Iwo Jima.

318 brave men died on the Bismarck, may they rest in peace.

[The Real Deal]

Hey coteblanche, the last two lines,

We worked and fought for very little pay- And never stopped until that Victorious Day.

really caught my eye. I would like to see our armed forces get large pay raises. I think they should put a box on the tax returns that we could check to have "X" amount of our taxes go for this purpose. We could do away with the political box and add another for vets. I would have mine split down the middle, half for each. OH WELL, I can just dream on, can't I.

[The Real Deal]

Jen, you must have slept in this morning. The tag line is just for you.

[The Real Deal]

(I mean the planes, not necessarily the pilots...)

They are all brave, and probably sexy given the chance. I mean the pilots, not necessarily the planes.... LOL

[SAMWolf]

I've got some really good graphics for the "Star" of that thread.

[GATOR NAVY]

I think my favorite cruise naval history-wise was going down The Slot in 1986 on our way to Guadalcanal. Entered it through Bouganville Strait, down The Slot past Savo Island into Ironbottom Sound and moored at Guadalcanal itself-lots of history in those waters.

1994-95 were the years of the big 50th anniversary commerations. My ship did them at Guam, Saipan, Pelileu, Leyte Gulf, Manila, and Iwo Jima. Got to talk to a lot of vets, especially at Saipan.

[SAMWolf]

I think my favorite cruise naval history-wise was going down The Slot...

That would be awe inspiring to me, just knowing the history of that area.