Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

A tribute to my Grandfather and other WW2 Veterans

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • A tribute to my Grandfather and other WW2 Veterans

    My grandfather was in the Navy in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese bombed it. He was on a destroyer that didn't get hit. He remembered thinking, "boy, that's a pretty realistic drill" when the air fields started getting bombed. Then they had to break the locks to the ammunition compartments, because the officers had the keys and they were all on shore. He burned his hands pulling hot shells out of the guns because they didn't have time to put gloves on. He lost some hearing from the ordeal as well. Later on the destroyer he was on sank coming into port because it hit a friendly mine. My grandfather didn't even get his feet wet, because he was cleaning out a lifeboat. He also remembered shelling german troops as they chased them up the boot of Italy.

    RIP Thomas Lawry January 9, 1923 - June 4, 2012
    Last edited by Narrow Way Knapper; 11-11-2020, 12:18 PM.
    South Carolina

  • #2
    Great story Narrow Way, thank you for sharing and happy Veterans Day to all of our veterans and those currently enlisted!
    Near the PA/Ohio state line

    Comment


    • #3
      Cool post and happy veterans day veterans!
      SW Connecticut

      Comment


      • #4
        Excellent post NWK, happy veterans day to everyone that has or is serving.
        🐜 🎤 SW Georgia

        Comment


        • #5
          I would have liked to have known Thomas. I bet his war stories were only tip of his repertoire iceberg.
          Digging in GA, ‘bout a mile from the Savannah River

          Comment


          • Narrow Way Knapper
            Narrow Way Knapper commented
            Editing a comment
            I managed to record him talking about his life the last time that I saw him. There's probably a lot that he didn't talk about, because it brought back painful memories. Even when he told me about depth charging a German submarine he was not happy about it. He was sad for the loss of life.

        • #6
          God Bless the Veterans !
          TN formerly CT Visit our store http://stores.arrowheads.com/store.p...m-Trading-Post

          Comment


          • #7
            An excellent story, and proud history I'm sure.

            My great Grandfather was a bit of an oddball. He was very short, but his temper was shorter than he was. He belonged to the 483rd Ordnance Evacuation Company, whose main job was to clear the battlefield of wrecked tanks an vehicles, unexploded ordnance, and obstacles all while the battle was still going. He was with one of the first waves to hit Omaha Beach, and won a bronze star for bravery under fire during that battle. He served in Normandy, France, The Rhineland (ironically where my family is descended from) Belgium and central Europe. In all, we won five bronze stars for combat bravery, but never get much rewards other than those because of his temper. He also had a strange habit of marrying someone in every country he liberated. He was a goofball.

            One of my great uncles, Jay Troup, served as a Radio Operator/gunner on a B-26 Marauder. He took part in the pre-dawn bombing and strafing runs on Omaha Beach, and remembered watching several bunkers get hit by their payload. On Dec. 23 1944, His aircraft was shot down, and he was wounded. Everyone on board his plane died except him, but he parachuted right into a column of Luftwaffe Field Division soldiers. They treated him well, gave him a bite to eat and gave him medical care, but then sent him to Stalag Luft III POW camp, the famous one from the movie The Great Escape. He survived, and returned home after the war, only to die of a bee sting.

            I had a few more relatives who fought, but don't know much about them.
            "The education of a man is never completed until he dies." Robert E. Lee

            Comment


            • Narrow Way Knapper
              Narrow Way Knapper commented
              Editing a comment
              Great stories from some brave men. They witnessed some terrible stuff for sure.
          Working...
          X