|
|
Post by joshsmom127 on Feb 3, 2006 20:06:59 GMT -7
Jim,
Thank you for sharing the site. What a beautiful tribute. My dad served in WWII. Landed on the beaches on D-Day. Since I was only 12 when he passed away, I never really had the chance to talk to him about the war. But I suspect he would not have wanted to. My aunt tells me he had horrible nightmares and he did suffer from anxiety later on. I recently found a photo album of pictures he took when he was stationed in Iceland before he was shipped to Europe. How I wish he was around to tell me about them.
A final note, thank you to all our Veterans not matter where or when they served. If it wasn't for your sacrifices we would not enjoy the lives we live today. May God Bless You All.
Mary
|
|
|
|
Post by justjohn on Feb 4, 2006 5:10:40 GMT -7
He fought the Japanese in the Aleutian Islands. Man, I love listening to him tell the stories. To see the light in his eye's, as he recalls an incredibly important part of world history, and his small role... Next time you drop in on him, tell him you are in contact with a fellow who has been out to Attu. The Coast Guard still has a LORAN station out there. The remnants of the WW II Quonset huts are still there plus plenty more remnants of the war. I was able to cover a small part of the island, walk around some of the foxholes and visit the site of the last Japanese charge. The place is as beautiful as ever, magnificently beautiful - and a horrible place to consider fighting a war! The glacial U shaped valleys are verdant swampy tundra and the mountain vault into the clouds. The American invaded and had to fight through the swamp and up the mountain sides with the Japanese in the heights hidden by the fog - fog that was thin enough for them to pick easy targets. Kiska was the other island invaded by the Japanese, but I have only flown by there. Your uncle has my respect. Kai That the largest underground nuclear test ever done by the United States was done in the Aluetian Islands in the 1960's. |
|
|
|
Post by kaima on Feb 4, 2006 8:41:16 GMT -7
Did you know - - -That the largest underground nuclear test ever done by the United States was done in the Aluetian Islands in the 1960's. Yes, I am aware. There is a local scandal that should be national: the workers on the cleanup have largely died out with a variety of cancers. It seems the US was quite careless in telling them about leaks of radiation as they worked on top. It is being stu\died until they die off, then the US will puull a settlement witht he survivors, as they did with Agent Orange and other good things. Amchitka is the island where the tests took place. We are waiting for Godzilla to surface. Kai the Semi-serious |
|
|
|
Post by pieter on Feb 4, 2006 11:44:44 GMT -7
I visit the war cemetry in Oosterbeek several times, a very impressive and quiet place were a lot of
British, Polish, New Sealanders and Canadians lay, who fell in those dreadful days of september
1944 in Arnhem and it's surroundings.
We are very thankful for the Western allies who liberated us in may 1945, because in the previous
hungerwinter a lot of people died, and the Nazi-occupation forces plundered our country.
Veterans got a warm welcome for decades here. In may 2005 there was a huge 60 years remebrance
parade with a parade of hundreds of old military trucks, amfiby vehicles, jeeps and motorbikes and
soldiers on bikes in original British and Polish uniforms of that time. British commando's were marching.
It was a wondeful happening and a older civilians and veterans were very moved.
Thousands of people were stadning acrosse the roads an cheered as the Veterans were passing by
in the military vehicles of "Keep em rolling" driven by younger generations, the veterans saluted
every house they passed and received applause from the people who stood in front of their houses.
For some of them it was the last time they will visit the Netherlands.
And good news was that after sixty years finaly the Polish soldiers were recognised by the Duch
government and received a honory military Royal decoration.
The cematery is a place in the woods where you can come to rest and experiance peace,
and honour the boys and men that fell in that september 1944.
|
|
