Larry: "Jeannie, if you wish, Marion or i can post your info in the forum for you. Just add it here in your profile & we`ll post it."
Jeannie: "Yes, I would really like for you to do that. I haven't had time to even read how to do that. I have eight gradchildren and they are here alot. The oldest is only 9, so they keep me busy. Thank you"
Im am the oldest child in my family and I remember my father wearing his fatigues at home after he was out of the service. I had no idea ever, just what my dad went through because as most veterans, he didn't talk about it. He was injured with schrapnel in his leg, pretty severely because it left a big whole, during the Battle of the Bulge.
I am married to a man that literally knows every second of WWII. His family had five boys and all were in the service at some time. Four of them were during WWII and my husband, being the youngest, was in Germany after the war in 1953. I have listened to his family (they also had four girls) talk living and being in WWII
My dad would never say much. He had a ring from a dead German soldier and a switchblade from one, but that was about it. He wouldn't even tell Mom. Ten years before he died he had a very bad heart attack and it resulted in heart bypass surgery. He did his rehab at the VA hostial in St. Cloud, MN and, to make a long story short, joined a veteran's group for talking about the war. He went to that group religiously for 10 years until he died. I don't think I ever really understood just what a sacrifice veterans make, until, at his wake when he died. The WWII American Legion members came to honor him. They were lined up by him and I don't even remember what they said, but when they saluted him, I lost it. It really hit me just what a veteran does for his country.Since that time, I would talk to my uncle Donnie, Dad's brother, and try to find out things because Dad talked to him
Donnie had some almost unreal stories and I thought that he is just old and telling stories. Well, my mom gave me Dad's flag from the funeral and this week I mentioned to my sister that I wanted to have the flag put into a display box and that I sure wish I knew what ribbons or medals he got. I wanted to display them too but we never found them.
My sister said that Dad gave her an envelope about five years before he die and she had never opened it. So three days ago she opened it and we were literally blown away. All of his military papers were in it with his discharge papers and some more details of his service. All of the stories that Uncle Donnie told me were true!!! We couldn't believe our eyes as to what we were reading. My kind and quiet father that wouldn't hurt anyone had been through hell along with many , many people.
We were left with the thirst to learn everything we could. Today I talked to my Uncle Donnie, who is in a assisted living facility and he was so glad to find out about all this. He told us what Combat Engineer Company (9th) and we will never doubt Donnie again.
Please excuse me if my typing is not good, I see double occasionally and it shows when I keyboard.
We are getting his medals and ribbons through the VA and we will display them too.
My husband has read every book on WWII and we watched the Ken Burns documentary and I've was hooked. Thanks for this site. I am really excited.
Jeannie