The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[StarWarsGirl]

I mean, despite it not being IN our country, we were certainly involved in things like D-day. Why DON'T we know more about it when it's part of our history, too? And I know a lot of veterans preferred not to talk about their experiences in the war because they triggered horrible memories. My uncle was shot, probably in the battle of the bulge, but we don't know for sure because he wouldn't talk about it. He came home with PTSD, and we know he was shot, and we know he was in the battle of the bulge, we just don't know if that's WHERE he was shot. But those memories aren't happy ones, so I get him being reluctant to share them.

My step grandfather was in Europe during WW2. He evidently helped liberate a concentration camp. He never, ever talked about it. I didn't even know about the concentration camp until after he died.

 

[Songbird76]

My step grandfather was in Europe during WW2. He evidently helped liberate a concentration camp. He never, ever talked about it. I didn't even know about the concentration camp until after he died.

Yeah, we didn't find out about the battle of the bulge until after he died in like....2000? My mom knew he was shot, because he eventually got sent home wounded and he had PTSD. She also had an uncle or a cousin who went missing and was eventually found. I have some old letters he wrote....I think it was my mom's uncle, because I think he mentioned he was writing to his sister, who was my grandma. And my mom also saved the newspaper clipping announcing that he was MIA, but then later, there was an obituary or something for him, years after the war ended, so he obviously made it home. But I think it was just so traumatic for them that they couldn't bear to talk about it. Or maybe they didn't want other people to feel that fear? Maybe a little of both.

 

[Cesar R M]

Welcome new employees Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q luncheon munchies…!!!!!!!

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Yes please.

 

[Cesar R M]

My grandfather, on my mother's side was at the evacuation of France and the little boats. He never wanted to speak of that. I totally understand what you mean.

Dunkirk?

 

[FutureCEO]

My grandfather, on my mother's side was at the evacuation of France and the little boats. He never wanted to speak of that. I totally understand what you mean.

WWII history is amazing. The right people in history to combat evil. My grandfather was in Po Valley, Italy but never talked about it.

 

[Lilofan]

Dunkirk?

Great movie and very intense. My grandfather's friend was in the Bataan death march ( and survived ) in the Philippines in WW2 where a number of GIs lost their lives . He doesn't talk about it when I saw him last. Many vets are haunted by their wartime experience. I knew some Vietnam vets one in particular in the early 1990s who took his own life still affected from his infantry experience 25 years earlier.

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

Dunkirk?

Yes.

 

[Goofyernmost]

One of the reasons why people returning from war don't talk about it is because there is nothing pleasant about that experience. When young men in their late teens and early twenties have to deal with the prospect of their mortality just a few month from their senior prom, they aren't likely to want to relive it. It's hard enough looking at something like the Vietnam Vets memorial in DC and those 55000 names and try to justify why we are standing there looking at the names and they were cut down before their life ever really started.

So we try and put it all behind us. The heat, the complete and total fear 24/7, missing our loved ones and just hoping to live to see another day. Even in the Air Force which was unquestionably the safest branch to be in as long as you weren't in any aircraft still had it's moments. Like the time in the middle of the night we were rocketed and they blew up the building no more then 40 feet from where we were sleeping. That is a fear you don't want to remember and you know that you cannot convey the fear that something like that causes you when you are actually in the moment. There is no sense in talking about it, because you might get a degree of empathy, but you know that unless they were there no one could really understand it. It is just better to put it behind us and not think about it. It took me a year or so before I could go a day without thinking of at least some part of that nightmare.

 

[93boomer]

@StarWarsGirl are you at the Orioles game? They are on fire! A great game so far.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

My step grandfather was in Europe during WW2. He evidently helped liberate a concentration camp. He never, ever talked about it. I didn't even know about the concentration camp until after he died.

History was one of my favorite subject growing up and learned even more about history outside school.

I am not surprised your step grand father didn't talk about WW2. When my great uncle died, I found out a 3 things about him in obituary online that I didn't know about.

The first thing is My great Uncle served in the army for 3 years during World War 2. I don't know what battles he was in or if he liberated a concentration camp. The other 2 things were not war related.

I have a rough idea what your step grandfather saw while liberating a concentration camp. What he saw was not pleasant. What he saw was the result of war crimes. The conditions the people in those camps were in were extremely bad. I don't want to give the details.

Your step grandfather and other people were helped liberating concentration camps in Europe had no idea on how bad those camps were before they saw the camps or the prisoners of those camps.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

@StarWarsGirl are you at the Orioles game? They are on fire! A great game so far.

I wish! My dad was going to get tickets to this game but decided against it due to our weather. It's been on our TV. A lot of shouting at the TV this evening.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

History was one of my favorite subject growing up and learned even more about history outside school.

I am not surprised your step grand father didn't talk about WW2. When my great uncle died, I found out a 3 things about him in obituary online that I didn't know about.

The first thing is My great Uncle served in the army for 3 years during World War 2. I don't know what battles he was in or if he liberated a concentration camp. The other 2 things were not war related.

I have a rough idea what your step grandfather saw while liberating a concentration camp. What he saw was not pleasant. What he saw was the result of war crimes. The conditions the people in those camps were in were extremely bad. I don't want to give the details.

Your step grandfather and other people were helped liberating concentration camps in Europe had no idea on how bad those camps were before they saw the camps or the prisoners of those camps.

Yeah, I've had to read "Night" twice for school as well as "Maus". I don't really want to know exactly what he saw just based on what I learned there. He apparently only talked about it with my grandma (I'm sure he probably talked about it with his first wife too, though).

I have a picture of his on my computer in his uniform from WW2.

 

[donaldtoo]

Got up to 101 here again today…current temp…!!!

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Absolutely, more concerning for your locality, we are a sheltered lot and are afraid of history. We seemingly are afraid that we might learn something.

Idk, I had to take a heck of a lot of history in school.

4th grade - pre Colonial era, during which we were introduced to slavery and native cultures, and we were also required to memorize the state capitals
5th grade - Colonial era-Revolutionary American History, during which time we had to memorized the Star Spangled Banner, the preamble to the Constitution, and part of the Declaration of Independence
8th Grade - review of the Revolution - Civil War
10th Grade - World History, which focuses beyond European and American History these days. There was a heck of a lot of learning about China, Japan, and the middle east. Two minutes were spent on Napoleon. (I took AP)
11th grade - Civil War review - present day American History, unless you take AP, the they redo the entirety of American History
Optional in 12th grade was AP European History. This is where you would have spent more time on Napoleon (I've learned more about him from books and podcasts).

Plus in college I took a class on the history of disease and the history of Spain (in Spanish). The majority of the books that they make you read are also historical fiction.

I feel like I got a pretty thorough history education. Some of it I've unfortunately forgotten over the years (dates are hard for me...). I blame that on my brain insisting that I remember stuff I don't need or want to know. Like everything I've ever learned about the Kardashians.

 

[donaldtoo]

(78 years ago, June 6)

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We originally had the Normandy D-Day memorials on our itinerary for our European cruise next year, but, for some reason, that isn’t being offered anymore when we go now.
A bummer for us, and a huge bummer for me, as you know my lifelong interest in WWII history. Over 2,500 American soldiers lost there lives that day, and that, of course, doesn’t even include our Allie’s casualties on their landing beaches.
D-Day was the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany, but, there was still such a long road ahead, with many setbacks.
And, even after that was finished, there was still Japan to deal with.
And we think our times are crazy.

 

[donaldtoo]

I was reminded of the anniversary this morning, when I first checked the headlines of the day.

The main dates I remember from that era are…
September 1st, 1939 - Nazi Germany invades Poland - essentially, the beginning of WWII.
December 7th, 1941 - should be no explanation needed…?!?
June 6th, 1944 - D-Day.
May 8th, 1945 - Nazi Germany surrenders.
September 2nd, 1945 - Japan formally surrenders aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
There are many other significant WWII-era dates I remember as well, of course, but, the ones listed above are such pivotal dates from the time.

 

[donaldtoo]

To some I know Dec 7th 1941 is a day that they know. June 6, not so much. When in HI, I visited the Pearl Harbor memorial 21 years ago. It was a surreal experience visiting the museum with artifacts, seeing a short movie then taking a small motorboat to the memorial directly above the sunken ship still oozing with oil. The staff at the memorial told us two rules, no talking and take your hats off. The admission was free.

That ship is the USS Arizona.

 

[donaldtoo]

Great movie and very intense. My grandfather's friend was in the Bataan death march ( and survived ) in the Philippines in WW2 where a number of GIs lost their lives . He doesn't talk about it when I saw him last. Many vets are haunted by their wartime experience. I knew some Vietnam vets one in particular in the early 1990s who took his own life still affected from his infantry experience 25 years earlier.

As I’ve posted before, my first job in HS was working for a WWII vet at a local go-kart track.
He was with the Seabees, and stationed on Saipan and Peleliu. If y’all recall, he was driving down an airstrip (can’t remember which island) one morning in a jeep in his dress uniform and an unknown holdout Japanese soldier shot a hole through his cap…about 1.5 inches lower and he’d a’ been toast. Also, as I’ve posted before, he even made the cover of Stars and Stripes for that fun…he had a copy, and there was no Photoshop, etc., back then, and it was definitely the real thing…!!!!!

 

[Figgy1]

 

[Figgy1]