A Real Wwii Story

[Packo]

Frisco Kid says that I need to put this on the site. Let's see if I can do it fast enough.

My father and his fraterity brothers all left school and enlisted right after Peal Harbor. Dad chose the Navy and volunteered for UDT. (Underwater Demolition Team) These were the precursor to todays SEALS. Anyway, they gave him a bowling ball and asked him to swim the length of the pool underwater. Daddy didn't have the heart to tell them he couldn't swim, thought he'd learn that before hand. He jumped in and he and bowling ball went right to the bottom. He stayed until they came to get him. He was then sent to Signal School.

On his way to the Pacific, dad was in California and went to a USO dance. There he met my mom. They danced every night until he shipped, which wasn't long. They wrote to each other while dad saw the horrors of Guadalcanal, and the luck to then go to Samoa for the rest of his tour.

Upon his return from the war, he stopped in California, married mom, and were together almost 57 years.

A real WWII story.

Packo

[SgtBlake]

What a great story Paco :) thanks for sharing it with us.

[SEATJERKER]

...Those were the times that shaped a nation on values, and the fact that they were married 57 years is proof...

...funny way to get transfered though, I can see him now, Ok, well here goes, splash, sink, what do I do now.....

...enjoy the memory forever...

[David]

Thats a funny story :) Signal is not so bad either hehe ;)

Aco 13th sig. 1st Cav Div "Voice of Command"

[Andy]

Dad joined the Navy in late '42. Two older brothers were already in the Army so Dad had to be different, of course.

He did two trips from Baltimore to Liverpool and one trip from Baltimore to Bone, North Africa with another guy from his home town. Then the other guy when to the Great Lakes Naval Station and Dad went to the Pacific. The odd thing here is the fellow from home who he sailed with in the Atlantic was my wife's father. To throw in a little curve, Dad couldn't stand Ray. They hardly spoke at the wedding and only when necessary. That's a war story my wife tells everyone!
What a strange little world we have.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[usmcsgt65]

My father joined the Navy and saw action aboard the USS New Mexico in Alaska, Eniwetok, Kwajakein, Guam, Okinawa, and Toyko for the surrender. His next brother joined the Army, and spend the whole war in Hawaii with special services. He gave out baseball equipment to R&R units. The second olderst brother was in the Merchant Marine for awhile, and he worked in a defense related plant. The oldest brother joined the Army as a lieutant in anti-tank unit. He went to Italy, not a whole lot tanks there, was assigned to different units. The only officer that went into at an LT and came out as an LT.

A major thank you to all our dads.

[Timothy R. Kuhr]

That must have been SOP for non-swimming types. My father tried to join the Marines before Pearl Harbor and got turned down - flat feet. After 12/7 they decided they could work around it. He said his platoon was lined up at a pool and all those who said they could swim were told to jump off a platform and swim the pool to prove it. All those who said they couldn't were told to jump off the platform and prove it! Dad never did learn to swim. So he ended up carrying a radio on Guadalcanal.
Curious: did your father ever mention code-talkers to you. Apparently, it was classified info for a long time - I could have been arrested at 7 or 8 for knowing.

[DMZ-LT]

My Dad, an enemy alien , was drafted in the first draft in 1940. Met my mom at a dance for a few days before he shipped overseas to North Africa. They wrote everyday and he did not return till late 45. They got married one week after his return. 4foot 11 inch Mom and a 6 foot 2 inch Dad . Married 30 years till she died of breast cancer in 75. She held on the last month till I could get her first grand baby, my daughter , to her to hold.

[Arrow]

Paco and LT what beautiful love stories. I love the romance of that time period. The big bands and the gorgeous clothes of the forties. What ever happened to dancing cheek to cheek without mauling each other. Ballroom dancing is rarely seen except for an occassional contest on PBS. Even rarer long lasting loving relationships now the exception rather than the norm.

I believe with all of my heart that men and women as noted by both of you are the foundation of this country. Included in that the grandparents of my children on their daddy's side. Both of them hanging on to each other through the depression and WWII. Life threatening illness in their own lives and the life of their children.

And still holding hands until she was gone in 1975. He never remarried but lived with their dreams in the same house until he was reunited with her a few years ago on the other side.

Thank you for sharing these two beautiful love stories. sis

[Sgt_Tropo]

Whatcha got against theSignal corps ? I served two tours with the 1 Sig, 43rd bat, 362nd co.
Seriously, this was a great story. I got to admit though, I was laughing at the though of your dad sitting on the bottom of the pool holding that bowling ball. At least he was trying.
I had an uncle who served in the UDT during the Korean war. The only difference was that he could swim. Never got sent to Korean though. The corps thought he was so good, they kept him stateside as a trainer.

[Drywall]

Was 31, married with one kid and a teacher. Got drafted in late '43 and choose the Navy. Ended up in the Phillipines. I was six months old before he met me. Two of his brothers served in the ETO with the army. A nephew was with the Army Air Corps in ETO. Everybody was in during the big one.

[spapek]

Because of the Pearl Harbor attack I
lost an uncle in the war. He was only
17 and he never saw his 18th birthday.
I never got the chance to know him. I
am angry that the attack happened but I
also am very proud of my uncle at the
same time. Unfortunately my mom never
knew what happened to her brother til
the day she died only that he was MIA
and 'Presumed dead'. 60 years after the
war thru the internet and because people
helped I finaly found out what happened
to my uncle and his ship I am sorry that
my mom did not live long enough to find
out. I guess this is the long way of
saying that if FDR were alive today I
have some very strong words I would like
to say to him about that attack.

[jjrichey]

That story is similar to one in Richard Marchinko's biography, "Rogue Warrior". It tells of a recruit who couldn't swim, so when he jumped in with his weight, he slolwly scooted all the way to the end of the pool. When he got out, the DI asked what the H!*& he was doing, and he replies that he couldn't swim.

[exlrrp]

My dad started as mortar platoon leader in the 36th Div, 5th Army. he was wounded by shrapnel and when he returned, becane company commander, untill he was wounded again by shrapnel. He had less than 4 months actual combat time. He has 2 PHs and other decorations.
After the war, he spent his last months in the Army teaching WACS to swim in Ft Rucker Alabama. My dad knows how to have a good time regardless of circumstances.
he told me he would have rather fought in his war than mine. I think just the reverse. We both volunteered