As children we would hear the funny stories from the army but not much about anything else. He kept those experiences to himself.
As children we would hear the funny stories from the army but not much about anything else. He kept those experiences to himself.
That’s the phrase that stuck out to me, too. It’s true of most WWII vets I’ve known.
I’m glad guys like Mr. McLeod were on our side.
“As children we would hear the funny stories from the army but not much about anything else. He kept those experiences to himself.”
I think this is true for many children of WWII vets. We would ask my dad “What did you do in the War?” He always said he dug foxholes. Perhaps he did, but it turned out he did quite a few other things as well that he only told us a few months before he died several years ago.
All of them were such heroes. And part of what made them so was their humility and their sense of duty.
God bless them wherever they are in God’s universe.
Here is one guy who is glad Harry Truman dropped the big one.
Leave it to one of my fellow Scots to sabotage the most notorious bridge in history. Good job, buddy, good job.
As a teen I discovered that neighbor of mine had been in the Baatan death march. He told (edited I’m sure) tales of torture and deprivation. He was always a real heavy-set guy and said many times that, “As God is my witness, I’ll never go hungry again”.
Amazing what those guys endured.
I dabble in history a little, but I never knew this.
A man that I know from church a few years ago, was on Guadalcanal from day one. He never told any stories about the war, but was always bright and cheerful. I recieved an email the other day that he has stomach cancer. So sad, another hero whose days are getting short.
May I suggest that if you know of someone who has seen service in a war, etc., or just an old family member, sit them down, get your video camera, and do an interview with them.
They will talk if you get them started, they just don't know the questions.
I did this after my mother died, with her 2 sisters and 4 brothers. Starting with the oldest, one at a time each gave their remembrences of their childhood. 3 of the brothers told of their service during WWI. All are dead now except 1 sister.
All the family now wants this video, hard to make a copy of a VCR tape, paid to have it put on a CD, but very poor quality.
I interviewed my mother in law before she died, also my son in laws father who was in the air force in WWII. I got him to talk, and the wife and kids could not believe it, they had never heard these stories he told. Priceless.
That’s another patriotic, very smart Scotsman!!!
My great uncle was a drill instructor who I sat with every Thursday when Grandma went to bingo. He was dying of cancer and he talked very little of his long career in the service, he entered at 16, little proof of age was required at that time. When he died we met soldiers from every State, he was hated and loved. They hated him during training but as we were told, that training saved the lives of many. Even in battle they heard his commanding voice telling them what to do. I wish that I had asked him to relate his stories of the many lives he touched. I do know that he had ranking equal to a college educated officer, something unheard of. My only excuse is that I was to young to understand his contribution.