Memorial Day in the USA

[winemaker81]

In the USA, today we celebrate Memorial Day, honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. My father was in Fox Company, which hit Omaha Beach at 0630 on 6 June 1944.

As far as he knew, he was the only survivor of the landing craft to reach the beach -- the craft was hung up on an obstacle and didn't reach the beach, and was swamped by waves. Some hours later he was wounded, taking a bullet in the side that came out his upper back, 1/4" from his spine. He was left for dead and was found to be alive when bodies were being retrieved. Two months later he was healed enough to be sent back into France, and was wounded twice in Germany in November.

For years I've posted on Memorial Day, remembering the 29 soldiers and 2 sailors didn't make it as far as the beach.

My father passed 2 years ago, just short of 77 years after D-Day, so he's a member of that list.

 

[bearpaw8491]

"All gave some; some gave all"
Thanks for their sacrifice to make our country the greatest in history.

 

[BigDaveK]

My dad was in WWII. I remember him even 50 years later looking at old photos and crying.
He never ever talked about the war except to say "I don't want to talk about it."

I think there should be at least some solemnity today.

 

[winemaker81]

Ya know Dave, my experience with combat vets is that they almost never talk about it. My dad told me numerous stories over the years, and it took a while to realize that he'd tell a story just once to one person, then never mention it again. I heard stories none of my siblings did.

My theory is that he had to get it out, and once it was out, he closed that door. A former supervisor was a tunnel rat in Vietnam -- he told me several stories that I firmly believe he had never told anyone else. His second wife didn't know he had been in Vietnam until they had been married 15 years.

Every country owes their vets a debt that is impossible to repay.