This morning on the History channel was a man ( a coxwain) who piloted a landing craft first on Utah Beach in 1944, and later on Iwo Jima in Feb. of '45. Got me to wonderin' just how many guys did see action in both the Atlantic and the Pacific! Anyone know where such statistics might be found?
Jim
Jim,
Did you ever think about those ferry pilots? I'm sure some of them flew to one theater and then to another. Maybe not all of them.
Steve
Jim:
Good question there buddy. That's a tough one to look up on the web, but let's see what we can come up with.
Hey, Papa Art actually spent some time in the Pacific too. Wanna jump in on this thread?
Rumor has it my uncle one was one of those men. He was a Seabee and served first in Italy, I believe, then was sent to the Pacific were he served on Guadacanal, Bougainville, Eniwetok and finally on Guam before coming home.
I haven't been able to confirm this as of yet but I have it on a good source from my family.
Ron
I was in Philippines but not in Europe.
Ray Gonzelas was in Europe and Pacific.
papaArt
I know a man from Michigan by the name of Larry Gary. Who drove DUWKs across the Rhine and then wound up in the Phillipines in July 1945. He has both the ETO and PTO service medals!
Once they were done in Germany they moved to Marseilles and were shipped out on transports thru the Suez Cannal and Red Sea to the Phillipines .
Dang. Talk about being a WORLD traveler! I would have been bummed thinking, man, can't I go home YET? 