Midwest Classic Insurance

Visit our community sponsor

Thanks Thanks:  37
Likes Likes:  15
Results 1 to 19 of 19

Thread: June 6th Was The 75th Anniversary Of D-Day!

  1. #1

    Steve >> aka: GoDadGo
    GoDadGo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Slidell, Louisiana
    Posts
    6,555
    Post Thanks / Like
    Blog Entries
    1

    June 6th Was The 75th Anniversary Of D-Day!

    Did You Know Anyone Special Who Served During WW-II

    Sherman Hernandez
    I was fortunate enough to know my Uncle Sherman who was a flight engineer on a C-47.
    He was part of the D-Day invasion transporting paratroopers behind enemy lines.
    He was a tall man, nearly 6'4" who always sat on his parachute since he was a very long legged fellow.
    That parachute saved his life when a piece of shrapnel came through the underside of the plane lodging his chute.
    He never talked much about the war, but did talk about the fun they had when they toted Bob Hope for a few of his U.S.O. shows.
    The flight crews even got together with Mr. Hope when he reigned as King Baccus during Mardi-Gras in the early 1970's.

    Victor Henderson
    Paw Paw Victor (Mrs. Go-Dad's Grandfather) was a Tank Crew Member & Mechanic who land landed at Normandy on that fateful day.
    The only thing he ever told me about the War was that it was Bad, Really Bad!
    He did say how sloppy drunk they got when they eventually made it to Paris.
    Paw-Paw Victor was the kindest man I think I've ever met.
    He Was Truly A Man For All Seasons!

    Edward Wilbanks
    My Uncle Ed wasn't there for D-Day, but served in the South Pacific and was a gunner on a Destroyer.
    His legs were scared in many places and the only thing he ever told me was that was where they got him at General Custer's Last Stand.
    He passed away in 1973 when I was 10, from a heart attack, and this was the 1st time that I saw my father cry.
    I was about 7 or 8 when I found out how he really got those scars.
    Last edited by GoDadGo; 06-07-2019 at 03:48 PM.

  2. Thanks WIS89, Cobradavid, Geoff H, 65 Cobra Dude thanked for this post
  3. #2
    Senior Member Presto51's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Catonsville, Maryland
    Posts
    578
    Post Thanks / Like
    Harvey Harmon.

    I was his helper, and he was the talented autobody painter of the Chevrolet dealership where we worked. Taught me how to paint in the collision repair world the old school way. Which means that you had to prove yourself worthy, before he would teach/instruct, man did he and I clash a lot of times, until I got it through my thick head what was what. I still think about him and still miss him, after almost thirty years.

    Like most of the Greatest Generation, he didn't talk much about WW II, but I do know that at the old age of eighteen, that he was on one of landing craft, hitting Omaha beach with the groups fifty cal machine gun, thinking how to make off the beach in one piece. After the landing, when they were reforming the shattered groups, they were looking for anyone who had heavy truck driving experience, to run supplies behind the lines, Harvey volunteered to drive, thinking that he's survived the beach, the push in land to secure the landing, he wasn't going to push his luck if he didn't have too.

    So he drove supplies behind the lines, attached to Patton's 3rd Army, driving towards Bastogne, to relieve the town. He laughed when he called it a nice safe job, driving supply truck behind the lines.

    He also said the Holocaust was real, very real, after seeing what he saw when they moved nearer to Germany.

    Harvey Harmon, hard as nails, but I still miss him.

    Ron
    "May you be in heaven a full half hour before the Devil knows you're dead"

  4. Thanks GoDadGo, WIS89 thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  5. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    SW Fl
    Posts
    130
    Post Thanks / Like
    Hi Steve, my dad was a USAF flight navigator stationed in the Philippines and was part of the occupation forces in Japan after the armistice. He flew countless flights around the Pacific ferrying men and materiel to various places.
    He is still kicking at 96, and I visit him weekly. At this point, the stories are fascinating and just wonder how they did it without complaint, and made the world safe from communism. Hope we never have to do that again.
    God bless those who served and continue to do so. We do appreciate your efforts and sacrifices.
    Safe driving, Anthony

  6. Thanks GoDadGo, WIS89 thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  7. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    208
    Post Thanks / Like
    Robert Hassett

    My Father.
    B25 pilot, VMB 612, Marines, Okinawa.
    Fine example from Greatest Generation.

    Bob

  8. Thanks GoDadGo, WIS89 thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  9. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Fort Collins, Colorado
    Posts
    405
    Post Thanks / Like
    My father-in-law was a B-24 crew chief on Guam. He often told us that there was only one crew that went down due to a mechanical problem, and the memory of their fate was on his mind until the day he died.

    My father was trained to parachute into Japan, and then set up a radio beacon for the pre-invasion bombers to fly in on. The bombs negated any need to invade Japan, and he never had to fulfill his training. He was then assigned to the occupation forces.
    MK2 #3319.... On the road since 2002 with a lot of upgrades

  10. Thanks GoDadGo, WIS89 thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  11. #6
    PLATNUM Supporting Member
    wallace18's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Trenton, Florida
    Posts
    5,381
    Post Thanks / Like
    My father in the Pacific- Marine Corp, My uncle Mike in Europe in B-17's- Army Air Corp. My Mom and aunts built Corsair machine guns in Allentown PA during the war.

  12. Thanks GoDadGo, WIS89 thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  13. #7
    Senior Member KenWilkinson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Rotonda West Florida
    Posts
    326
    Post Thanks / Like
    Father, PBY air-sea rescue. In flight engineer. Stationed at Sitka Naval Air base.
    http://airfields-freeman.com/AK/airfields_AK.htm

    He had a pet German Shepard that would ride on the hood of a jeep.
    FFR 35 p/u # 0014
    I used to think I needed a Rolex watch, now I’d be happier with a Swedish K!

  14. Thanks GoDadGo, WIS89 thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  15. #8
    Senior Member flynntuna's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    San Diego Ca 92106
    Posts
    1,972
    Post Thanks / Like
    My dad was a bosun mate aboard a troop carrier in the Pacific Theater.
    My dads brother, also in the Navy was repairing Battle damaged ships on drydocks in various places in the South Pacific.
    My dads cousin skippered a tuna boat that the Navy consripted to ferry material for the Navy. In fact most if not all the fleet of tuna boats in southern Ca were conscripted to the war effort.
    None of them easily volunteered any stories of their service. I didn't know till after he passed away that my dads cousin was wounded resulting in a loss of a lung when his boat was attacked and large chunk of wood impaled him.

  16. Thanks GoDadGo, WIS89 thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  17. #9
    Mark Eaton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Medford, Oregon
    Posts
    751
    Post Thanks / Like
    Steve, I have been lucky enough to know many WW-II veterans! As a vascular surgeon in southern Oregon since 2001 it has been my honor to participate in the healthcare of this amazing generation. As I read your post several of them jumped out in my mind. One couple in particular, Wilbur and Muriel (no last names because of HIPPA), were especially impressive. Wilbur was a pilot in the Pacific and Muriel went to the east coast to participate in the war effort by working in a factory. When my boys were born Wilbur and Muriel gave them each a gift which were wind-up pewter animals, an elephant and a horse. Tom and Nick are now 15 and 13 and those animals are still on their shelves. I took this opportunity to take the animals down and discuss with the boys where they came from and the impact that Wilbur and Muriel's generation had on our world. The boys listened and didn't flinch when my voice cracked.
    MK4 #9130 , complete kit, arrived 8/10/2017, Street Legal 2/14/2020.
    DART SHP 347, EFI, TKO600, IRS
    http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...n-Build-Thread

  18. Thanks GoDadGo, WIS89 thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  19. #10
    Senior Member UnhipPopano's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Posts
    344
    Post Thanks / Like
    My father served in the Air Force, my uncle in the Navy, and my Father in law in the Army. My father in law entered first at the beginning of the war and was in the third wave of the beaches of Normandy. When he made it past the beaches, he could not find any of his unit. He was assigned to a different unit and fought in the Hedgerows until he was shot in the back end. He then spent the remainder of the war guarding Germans. My uncle entered during the middle of the war and fought in the pacific. My father entered the war around the end and worked developing a map of Cuba.

  20. Thanks GoDadGo, WIS89 thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  21. #11

    Steve >> aka: GoDadGo
    GoDadGo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Slidell, Louisiana
    Posts
    6,555
    Post Thanks / Like
    Blog Entries
    1
    Tomorrow is the 75th anniversary when the world changed.

    How will you remember it?

  22. Thanks 65 Cobra Dude thanked for this post
  23. #12
    Senior Member Jetfuel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Indianapolis
    Posts
    392
    Post Thanks / Like
    To me everyday is Memorial Day....everyday is Veterans Day...everyday is Thanksgiving Day
    I thank each day everyone that served to make this a better place for all.
    May them all be Blessed

  24. Thanks GoDadGo thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  25. #13
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Posts
    127
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by Bob-STL View Post
    Robert Hassett

    My Father.
    B25 pilot, VMB 612, Marines, Okinawa.
    Fine example from Greatest Generation.

    Bob
    My granddad was also a pilot in VMB612. Winfred Eckard. Like many others he never talked about it until one Thanksgiving when I had to stay at college to finish up a project. Lucky me. I've seen some of the pictures they took from the plane over Tokyo. One time, he had one engine shot up and limped the plane back.

    My other granddad was a radar tech on the USS Hornet. He had to go work on a radar on a destroyer and watched the invasion of Iwo Jima from the deck through binoculars. He didn't talk much either, but boy was he proud of his ship.

    My grandmother's brother was in EZ Company in D-Day. Troy Decker. He would tell some stories. One jump (can't remember which) he broke his ankle when he landed. Some nuns found him and hid him away until he had healed. He did an anniversary jump when he was in his 70s.
    Last edited by jceckard; 06-07-2019 at 08:28 AM.

  26. Thanks GoDadGo thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  27. #14
    Senior Member SSNK4US's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bakersfield, CA
    Posts
    393
    Post Thanks / Like
    Donald Davies
    My father, “Daddy” as known to my brother, sister and I. 304th infantry, Battle of the Bulge....ended up as a sergeant of a heavy machine gun crew. He or his brother never talked about it very much at all. I remember watching the show Combat with him as a kid in the 60’s. I asked him “did you do that?” “did you ride on a tank?” etc etc... but he never really talked about it. I do know that he said his teeth really suffered, his feet really suffered because they never dried out and he was somewhere when they liberated a concentration camp and it was the worst thing he has ever experience in his life and didn’t want to talk about it any more than that. He passed away in 1974 from cancer when I was 13 years old so I feel like I never really got to understand the scope of what he really did. He met my mom when she was in the USO and they bought a house in the late 40’s after the war in California and started a family. I’m the youngest of us three baby boomers lol

    Robert Davies
    “Uncle Bob” my dads brother. B-17 pilot European theatre. Flew many many missions there. Again didn’t talk about any of it at all. He was shot down, actually bailed out, and ended up in a POW camp in Germany for a couple of years. There was a big front page artical on him in the Los Angeles Times when he came home that was more informative than anything he ever divulged. My sister still has the paper somewhere. He passed away in 2003, eighty something years old.

    My brother texted me the pictures below of my dads Silver Star recommendation a few years ago... I had no idea about it until then. I’m sorry if they come out sideways or something but I think it’s interesting reading from back then. He was a PFC at that time using a M1918 LMG at that time for cover fire.
    I proud to be able to say that my dad and my uncle were part of something that shaped the world as we know it. And Gave us the freedoms that we enjoy today also. Brings tears to my eyes. And to think if he was killed in action over there I wouldn’t be here writing this....something to think about....

    I personally have never served... but I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart the men and women that have served, are currently serving and will serve in the future to keep this great country of ours safe for generations to come.....

    FE509056-DF87-4C1B-9CDE-4BCE7D843E1A.jpg

    5162E384-609B-423B-9965-128B0EAAC35E.jpg

    EE130D73-1B53-4E27-B505-DF7F73CD4D10.jpg
    Last edited by SSNK4US; 06-06-2019 at 10:51 PM.
    If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough....

    Build thread

    MKIV complete kit # 9395 delivered 7/31/18

  28. Thanks GoDadGo, Mark Eaton thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  29. #15
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Posts
    23
    Post Thanks / Like
    William Daugherty

    My great uncle fought in the battle of the bulge. He never talked about it. A handful of soldiers who served with him showed up to his funeral. It's hard to comprehend.

  30. Thanks GoDadGo thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  31. #16
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Posts
    23
    Post Thanks / Like
    Thank you Go Dad Go for starting this thread. We can't ever begin to repay those who serve(d) our country.
    Last edited by Desert Snake; 06-07-2019 at 03:26 PM.

  32. Thanks GoDadGo, Geoff H, SSNK4US thanked for this post
    Likes 65 Cobra Dude liked this post
  33. #17
    Administrator 65 Cobra Dude's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Port Charlotte, FL
    Posts
    1,460
    Post Thanks / Like
    Blog Entries
    1
    Steve,

    Great post about our Greatest Generation. I've shared this story before but feel the need to share it again. My father in law, Marcel Meschini was in the European Theater as well. He was a young 19 year old working for Gen Patton's 3rd Army. He was advancing towards Berlin when he heard a whistling sound which was a large round that exploded close to him. He took shrapnel and was killed on the battle field. He remembers feeling no pain and a bright light and warmth. He then said he heard a voice say it's not your time. He argued with that voice saying he liked it there. The voice said you have something to do... He was revived on the battle field and immediately felt the pain and coldness come back. He was evacuated and spent the next year in a hospital in Europe and the States. He was medically retired when he got out of the hospital with a bronze star with a V for valor and a purple heart amongst other medals. He passed away a couple of years ago and I think about him often. Before he passed, I was able to get him a few more medals he earned and build a shadow box for him. I called him from my duty station and read the awards to him. He cried like a little baby. If you need a good tear duct cleaning, watch this video on YouTube. It is me calling him and reading the Good Conduct Medal award which he wanted his whole life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9m7J8IQTbM He died shortly after receiving this award! This is the shadow box with the new medals that he received on that day. It hangs proudly above mine at my house:
    Marco's shadow box.jpg

    Henry

  34. Thanks Jetfuel, GoDadGo, SSNK4US, Derald Rice thanked for this post
    Likes SSNK4US liked this post
  35. #18
    Senior Member SSNK4US's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bakersfield, CA
    Posts
    393
    Post Thanks / Like
    That’s really cool Henry
    If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough....

    Build thread

    MKIV complete kit # 9395 delivered 7/31/18

  36. Thanks 65 Cobra Dude thanked for this post
  37. #19
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    SW Fl
    Posts
    130
    Post Thanks / Like
    Almost forgot, 2 aunts in Marine Intel in D.C. One passed, one still kicking in Calif. The gals were different then too.

  38. Thanks GoDadGo thanked for this post

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Stewart Transport

Visit our community sponsor