Posted on 11/03/2019 1:37:50 PM PST by fugazi
Pride is the word that comes to mind when reading the stories of these brave American fighters.May they all Rest In Peace!
All who are brave enough to go out and meet the enemy in battle deserve our honor and respect, but especially so are those who battle the enemy at sea.
Thanks fugazi.
I can think of one worse place. In a bomber over Europe in WWII. More losses that the Navy and USMC combined.
Yes, it’s terrifying because you’re completely out of control. Nothing you can do but ride along and hope you aren’t hit, because you can’t dive for cover or affect your odds of survival in any way. But somehow, being stuck in a metal compartment where you can be sealed off, burned alive by flame or steam, drowned, be eaten by sharks, adrift for days, exposed to the elements, trying to swim through oil and fuel that may be on fire, being sucked under with the ship, surrounded by dudes and thousands of miles from ladies... if one level of hell is worse than another, I would rather be in the air.
That is why when I joined, I went into tanks. Figured I always had a ride to the war. One could steer their way out of trouble...But of course there are the other inherent pitfalls.
The bravery of those young men caught unawares on a Sunday morning doing what they could to save their buddies.
But, you know...we can’t teach about WW2 cause it might affect the mental health of today’s snowflakes...
Remembrance of Pearl Harbor ping. More “unknown” sailors and soldiers identified.
One other worse place-a merchant ship carrying ammuntion to England or Russia. Except for the marines, merchant marines suffered the highest % casulties. Finally in 1988 those merchant mariners who served on ships during WWII were given veterans status.
Dad's introduction to the Japanese was as part of an AA crew at the base of the #3 turret on the Maryland off Okinawa. A kamikaze flew bare feet above his head and impacted on the top of said turret.
He got through WWII, a police action in China, Korea and Vietnam. Never got a Purple Heart.
James B Boring is a distant cousin. When we were doing family tree research in the 80s, we talked to his brother, Fermin Boring and found out about him. Boring is my mothers maiden name. God bless them all.
I don't know the stats, but I doubt your assertion. As horrific as our Army Air Corp losses, I would think the Naval battles of the Pacific and especially the island-hopping by the Marines was worse. Of course then there was Normandy and the push through Europe by the Army. I'd be interested to see the total casualties in each theater.
Its easy to find the numbers. But it would be very interesting to personalize it a bit by adding some color: what was the most dangerous assignment for an American in World War II? I think the Army and Army Air Force had higher casualties, but thats because of the sheer numbers of men that were sent into those services. Were you more likely, percentage-wise, to get killed or wounded in the Marine Corps, Merchant Marine, submarines?
Youve got me thinking.
Percentage wise, you were unlikely to make it to your 25 missions. Of the 12,000+ B17s produced, over 7000 were lost to enemy fire.
I came across said police action in China while researching John Glenn. We lost a lot of Marines for a couple years after WWII ended.
And with nine or ten men per Fort, that adds up to a staggering number of lives. Not to mention thats just one type of plane; there was a lot of other bombers over Europe and in the Pacific.
I always wondered why more crewmen didn't simply bail out once their aircraft was going down. The answer was, they couldn't get out.
When we were at Pearl Harbor for the 60th anniversary (my 50th) in 2001 the ceremony was small enough (and no politicians) to participate in the orchid ceremony. My sailor was George Calvin Ford Fireman Second Class.
Catching fire before bailing would concern me a lot more than being trapped and most likely dying instantly upon impact. That, or being captured by the Germans, then thinking youre about to be liberated by your Soviet allies, only to disappear to who-knows-where, spending the rest of your life betrayed and forgotten. But thats just me.
Don't know, but I would think much more Army casualties than Army Air Force as the grunts moved across Europe. Then you have Marines in some of the bloodiest and fierce fighting in the Pacific. I'm just guessing. Sure there are some WWII historians who would know. Bottom line: All the services lost good men in horrendous ways because of the totalitarian Axis.
What has always pissed me off is that we not only gave their nations back to them, but helped rebuild. We should own all 3 nations. Think about that.
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