Today is for remembering those who have fallen. I am lucky none of my family have had to make the ultimate sacrifice for which I am truly thankful.
I have documented Army tales of my father when he went on Vaca whilst traveling from Camp A to Camp B somewhere in Washington during the early 40's. He spent about a month at home before his father asked him how much longer he would be staying and then he said his leave was almost over. He left and slipped a buddy some money for shouting "Present!" whenever his name was called.
My Uncle Carl was in the Air Force, I do not think he served in combat but he was a pilot and I am not sure, he never talked about his war service and Dad didn't talk about it either.
My Uncle Paul served in the Army, I think, for a hitch very shortly after the war.
The most colorful service was my Uncle Tater Horn. (Mom's Big brother). He was in the army and served in the Europe theater. I have seen the telegram that Little Grandma received when he was wounded. I am not sure how severe the wound was but he received a Purple Heart for that.
He was wounded in Germany, I have seen pictures he took of the destroyed buildings of Berlin. It was very grim. He helped liberate a death camp. He never talked about that and it was probably as horrible as you may imagine.
He recovered from his wounds in England. The only thing he ever said about that was that he hated the food. Gee, for a boy raised on potatoes, bacon and such the food must have been pretty awful. The British were on fairly close rations and unless he was convalescing at a posh place, he probably ate the equivalent of gruel.
Tater was a very colorful uncle. He was a true cowboy. He rode horses and I remember watching him work on a horse changing a horseshoe. That was very impressing. I was afraid that the horse would feel the nails going through the hooves but nope. So I can recognize the tools when I see them.
I wonder what he would have thought of the very modern plastic clip on horseshoes now available. I watched a You Tube video that showed what all had to be done to get them to fit the horses hoof Very impressive. No blacksmith needed and that is kind of sad actually.
I have documented Army tales of my father when he went on Vaca whilst traveling from Camp A to Camp B somewhere in Washington during the early 40's. He spent about a month at home before his father asked him how much longer he would be staying and then he said his leave was almost over. He left and slipped a buddy some money for shouting "Present!" whenever his name was called.
My Uncle Carl was in the Air Force, I do not think he served in combat but he was a pilot and I am not sure, he never talked about his war service and Dad didn't talk about it either.
My Uncle Paul served in the Army, I think, for a hitch very shortly after the war.
The most colorful service was my Uncle Tater Horn. (Mom's Big brother). He was in the army and served in the Europe theater. I have seen the telegram that Little Grandma received when he was wounded. I am not sure how severe the wound was but he received a Purple Heart for that.
He was wounded in Germany, I have seen pictures he took of the destroyed buildings of Berlin. It was very grim. He helped liberate a death camp. He never talked about that and it was probably as horrible as you may imagine.
He recovered from his wounds in England. The only thing he ever said about that was that he hated the food. Gee, for a boy raised on potatoes, bacon and such the food must have been pretty awful. The British were on fairly close rations and unless he was convalescing at a posh place, he probably ate the equivalent of gruel.
Tater was a very colorful uncle. He was a true cowboy. He rode horses and I remember watching him work on a horse changing a horseshoe. That was very impressing. I was afraid that the horse would feel the nails going through the hooves but nope. So I can recognize the tools when I see them.
I wonder what he would have thought of the very modern plastic clip on horseshoes now available. I watched a You Tube video that showed what all had to be done to get them to fit the horses hoof Very impressive. No blacksmith needed and that is kind of sad actually.
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