Powerful WWII Pictures

Squeeky · 2003-11-24, 09:28 AM

After looking for the infamous picture of Hitler and his top brass standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. I kept going through this gallery and found some amazing pictures. Some sad, some happy, some intense, some powerful. Check them out! I have this as my background

http://www.archives.gov/research_roo...s.html#leaders

Manitou · 2003-11-24, 10:29 AM

My dad served in Europe during WWII. He was a combat engineer attached to the 7th Army. He lost the hearing in his right ear from an exploding mine. Didn't scratch him! He was training on the flame thrower for the invasion of Japan when they dropped the Atomic Bomb. In my dad's words - "You better bet your ass I am glad they dropped those bombs, 'cause neither you or me would be here! I would have gotten my ass killed on that beach." He was briefed that they were expecting over 1 million American casualties.

My wife's dad also served. He was an infantryman with the 69th Infantry Division, the "Fighting 69th". He saved his friend's life during a mortar barrage outside of Aachen Germany by running out into the falling shells to retrieve his friend who was wounded and brought him back to a safe foxhole. In the process a mortar went off near him bursting both his eardrums and shattering all the teeth in his mouth.

These men are my heroes.

Squeeky · 2003-11-24, 10:44 AM

My grandfather was an infantryman and served in the korean war. I don't know the exact details, his unit, his job, but your stories are motivation enough to ask. All i know is he received a purple hart, i asked him about it briefly when i first visited his new house and it was proudly displayed (forgot where, i think the mantle). Anyways, he explained how he and his unit were marching across a wooded area and the guy next to him (his left) stepped on a landmine and blew both his legs off (he died from bloodloss, was a good friend of my grandfather). My grandfather was lucky however. He lost left leg above the kneecap and has sever scarring on his left upper thigh and inner left part of his lower right leg. I think i'm gonna call my grandfather and ask him about what he did when he served. War to me, is fascinating. And to hear personal accounts would be nice.

He likes to joke about it. When i was little he used to twist his leg around and in a full 360 degree rotation and ***** me out

Thanks for sharing Manitou

Firefly · 2003-11-24, 11:46 AM

Both of my grandfathers were pilots - one flew B17s and the other flew the P51 (which escorted bombers when they weren't on sorties). Ironically enough, after my parents got married they started swapping stories and found out they were stationed at the same airfield.

Mtx · 2003-11-24, 12:18 PM

Oh fine.

Don't want to see the real face of the war. Continue with this.

My mother served with the 347th EVAC. She flew home the wounded troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan and make sure they lived to see their families.

My father served in Desert Storm as a tank killing Apache pilot.

My Uncle was a commander in the Navy at the time.

My grandfather from my mothers side served in WW2. Of him and his seven brothers that went I believe he and one other brother survived the war. The other brother was a POW to the Japanese.

My grandfathers son, on that side of the family, died in vietnam.

My other grandfather served in the Korean war. He was a medic for a special ops group that ran PBR missions. They tortured and killed women and children to extract information. He never took part in it but to this day he can't escape that war and hearing a child cry puts him in a panic you wouldn't believe.

I also have two folded flags but that's me alone. There are many other folded flags in my family tree where people should be.

Rayder · 2003-11-24, 12:27 PM

And Mtx manages to get his opinion in! Expect a reply from MrV!

Squeeky · 2003-11-24, 12:32 PM

THIS IS HERE FOR A REASON!!!! USE IT!!!!! THX!!!!!!! BYE!!!!!!!

Firefly · 2003-11-24, 12:47 PM

While Germany created concentration camps for the specific purpose of killing people, America "imprisoned" Japanese-American citizens under some stupid idea that they were all potential spies. Nevermind the fact that Japanese-American men were serving in our military as linguists, translators, and occasional spies against Japan... they were called Nisei, I believe.

Once more the disclaimer- don't get me wrong, and don't fabricate a quote. I am not saying that our camps were good, or that we're better because we didn't create ours to conduct genocide or a Final Solution. The very idea of interring Americans during a war sickens me, and it was totally uncalled for. But the fact remains, the purpose behind each camp was completely different.

Germany made camps to kill ****, Poles, cripples, mentally-ill, homosexuals, and anyone else that crossed the line. The Nazi camps were designed to eradicate them after obtaining a measure of work and to rob them of their property. American camps were designed to make sure Americans of Japanese decent weren't going to sneak-attack from within.