| Author | Message | ||
     Dalton_gang |
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| Dalton_gang |
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| 4cammer |
Sad, sad day for sure. BUT, it is a great reflection on the human spirit that one nation can be attacked by another and years later be allies. It is also a great reflection on this country that we can be attacked on all fronts, win at all costs, and help rebuild those that sought to take away our freedom. I wish the world would remember that. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
that was the time when we went in to win a war and not told what could and could not be done to accomplish that like they have done since then. my thoughts and prayer go out to especially todays servicemen and women. N.A. Kemp U.S.N. 1975-1979 proud to have served my country. | ||
| Aldaytona |
I urge all vets here to join your local veterans organization. It insures that past and future vets will have a voice in the government and assistance for them and their families, now and in the future. VFW, American Legion, Amvets, and numerous other fine veterans organizations and motor cycle clubs. You can't be a member of too many. Al Staples VFW 3282 Post Surgeon Port Orange Fl 32129 Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association - CVMA Go Army | ||
| Tailspining |
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure. ATTRIBUTION: THOMAS JEFFERSON  | ||
| Malott442 |
Sad day indeed. Hopefully never forgotten for sure (Message edited by malott442 on December 08, 2009) | ||
| Tom_b |
One needs to think about the fact that it was 67 years ago today.. How many WW2 vets are still alive?? If a man was 18 yrs old in 1944 and got in at the last of WW2 he would be 82 yrs old. Not too many left. thank them if and when you meet them. they are the last of "the greatest generation" | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
thank them if and when you meet them. And consider yourself lucky for being able to do so. | ||
| Klawsonjr |
My dad is WW 2 and a Buell owner He rides a Xb9s. When asked why he doesnt ride a bagger he states Ill ride one when I get old like you. He is 82. Hopefully we will make homecoming this year. | ||
| Jammin_joules |
It may take a while but sometimes the phrench get around to getting it right. I have to boast... the topic warrants it. http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2009/ 11/bay_county_veteran_valerian_pr.html Bay County Michigan veteran Valerian Przygocki awarded France's Knight of the Legion of Honor medal World War II veteran Valerian Przygocki was recently awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honor medal originated by Napoleon in 1802 from the French Government for his and other's efforts to drive the German occupation out in 1944 and 1945. The liberation of France began with the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, but on that day, Przygocki was recovering in a hospital in Naples, Italy, after being wounded by shrapnel from a mortar round. He was with his unit in the 36th Infantry Division as it was about to capture Rome when he was wounded, earning him his first Purple Heart medal. More than 50 years after Bay City veteran Valerian Przygocki helped to drive the German army out of France, the French government has given him some unexpected recognition. Przygocki, now 86, was one of six Michigan veterans awarded France’s Knight of the Legion of Honor medal in a ceremony Oct. 28 in Detroit. The former U.S. Army medic thought his wartime honors were in his past. So the new accolade will make Veterans Day on Wednesday special for Przygocki this year. “This was a surprise, I must say,” Przygocki said. “I didn’t expect anything like this. It is a pretty medal, too.” Przygocki was last feted in 2004 as Bay County’s Veteran of the Year. The honor recognized not only his World War II record of heroic action but also his subsequent activities on behalf of veterans and others in the community. He also has other military medals and ribbons, including a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. The government of France cited Przygocki for his efforts in 1944 and 1945 to drive the German occupation army from French soil. French Consul General Jean-Baptiste Main de Boissiere, based in Chicago, conducted the medal ceremony. “They saved us and we will never forget,” Boissiere said in a written statement given to Przygocki. The six veterans honored by France were from different units and fought in separate battles, but Przygocki is one of the few surviving veterans involved in amphibious landings in Sicily, Italy and France. “We could hear some men calling for help when they were hit,” he said. “The mortars were coming in, hitting the trees above us and exploding all around. I got to a sergeant who was already dead, and then I moved over to a lieutenant who was wounded. Then I got hit.” The 36th division moved on as part of a second invasion of France, Operation Dragoon, landing units in the south of France on Aug. 15, 1944, and Przygocki was with them. “We were to go to a place called Red Beach, but the admiral felt the place was too well defended and decided on his own to shift it about 15 miles to St. Raphael and Frejus. We went ashore with no bullets fired at us. We sure were grateful to the admiral for that,” he said. Inland, though, was a different story, as they faced fierce German opposition. His unit fought at Lyon, Alsace-Lorraine and then through Bavaria and into Austria. He was wounded again in action, this time by a German sniper. He was able to recover and was with his unit when the war ended in August 1945. Among the accomplishments of the 36th Division was the capture of Field Marshal Herman Goering and Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt. Men from the 36th also liberated a number of concentration camps associated with Dachau, near Munich. A Bay City native, Przygocki said it was by chance that he ended up in the 36th Division, which was also known as the Texas Division because it had been part of the Texas National Guard. “There were quite a few of us who weren’t from Texas who were assigned to the division because we were replacements,” he said. Still, they were honorary Texans because their shoulder patch had a large capital T in the middle of it. He and many other men of the division were sent to the port at LaHavre for a return home in September 1945. After his discharge, he worked at Kuhlman Electric for 20 years and Industrial Brownhoist before joining the United Way as a labor representative. He married his wife Mildred in 1949 and is the father of Judith of Shelby Township and David of Colorado. The 36th Division, with men like Przygocki, was instrumental in the liberation of France. The French government continues to praise their effort. “I want you to know that for us, the French people, they are heroes,” Boissiere said of the American soldiers. “Gratitude and remembrance are forever in our souls. You, Mr. Przygocki, are among these heroes.” | ||
| Aldaytona |
Thanks Guys. I have the honor of being around WWII vets almost daily, from VFW Surgeon duties to social events. My 16 yo daughter who helps out at our VFW Post, and btw is a new member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary, doesn't fully grasp the importance of all this yet, but she will have a lot of wonderful memories as their numbers dwindle each year. | ||
| Paint_shaker |
In other thread I posted I was able to shake the hand of not 1, but 2 Pearl Harbor Survivors on December 7, 2009!!! Words escaped me, but I offer each of them a very heart felt "Thank you"... |
