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M2statz
| Posted on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - 01:11 pm: |
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Because of privacy issues I can not go into much about his back ground and because he was a patient of mine today but here is the story he told of his time in WWII(as close to it as I can get.) "I was just picked up and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals to play baseball for $500.00. Two weeks later I got drafted. This was in the fall so I spent most of the winter in training and then they shipped us all over to England, where we continued to train. We all knew what was coming, but we didn't know when. That spring, while playing ball with the next company we were put on stand by. Three times we were put on stand by and then finally they said it was a go. We all boarded the boats and were assigned seats in amphibs and told not move. Half the boys got sick on the way over but we knew most of it would wash off eventually. When our number was called and the big door went down, the amphib took alot of shots killing the driver right away. I do not know who jumped up into that seat but he got us as close as he could and then it was over the side. We lost about half of the boys by the time we gained some cover. We only made about three miles inland in about 24 hours." He then talked about his patrols and some of the stuff he saw while there. He said about 10-11 months into it he was captured during one of his patrols. He spent the duration of the war as a POW. He did not even know the war was over until the "door opened up and a Sargent gave him a canteen of water." Now this guy is a TRUE American HERO! I shook his hand and thanked him for what he had done. He said it was "what any guy would have done." |
Kyrocket
| Posted on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - 01:45 pm: |
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"what any guy would have done." That, to me, says it all. Did so much without the first question as to why he was there. He knew. Him and thousands like him, my grandfather included, are the reason we have the freedoms we have today. All that and asked for nothing in return, you're right, an American hero. |
Mnrider
| Posted on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - 01:52 pm: |
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The greatest generation. |
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