VE Day, 80 years ago

[Mattax]

VE Day, Let us not forget
the cooperation, the sacrifices, the will, the endurance to get it done.

Know anyone who remembers that day?
Maybe take the opportunity to ask them what they recall.

 

[Dartswinger70]

I was just reading up on the Obersalzberg at Berchtesgaden, they really bombed Hitlers Berghof good at the end of the war.

Nothing says "you lose" better than blowing up a mans house...

 

[MDchanic]

One of my grandfathers worked on the docks, refitting ships (hernia - 4F), the other in the Merchant Marine.
Both of my wife's parents were in the Army, Mom was a nurse, Dad was a MSGT running a mobile tank repair outfit, picking up tanks on the front, bringing them back a mile or two, fixing them, and driving them back.

I was born 20 years after the War, but I heard so much about it growing up that I feel like I remember it.

I pray that the many lessons we learned from that war, and the many things we did right, like the way we rebuilt Germany and Japan into strong allies, and the importance of strong alliances, are not forgotten or discarded along the way.

I also pray that if we do have to fight again, the kids are able to grow their backbones - I'm over 60 and I'd survive better in a foxhole than most of the 20-somethings I've met lately.

- Eric

 

[missing linc]

My grandfather on my mother's side served 3 years overseas, he never once spoke about his time there.

 

[JDMopar]

My Dad was on a B-24 bomber crew. Electrical engineer and top turret gunner. They got show down in 43 and were POW's for 2 years. He rarely if ever spoke about it. I do distinctly remember him saying that the Germans holding them prisoner treated them better than the damn Russians that over ran Germany and got them out. It appears that they haven't changed much.

 

[YY1]

Guys that were 20 in 1945 are now 100!

 

[JDMopar]

My Dad was 33, and the oldest guy on the plane when they went down. He is the 2nd from right in the front row. R.I.P. Dad.

 

[MDchanic]

Guys that were 20 in 1945 are now 100!

I know that's true, but it's unimaginable to me.

I remember when everyone was in WWII. They were the older guys, but still strong, and mean as hell.
The young guys had been in Vietnam. Every now and then, you'd meet someone who'd been in Korea, like my stepfather, who was a gunner in a bomber and was shot in the knee by a Chinese soldier when they were shot down, even though we never flew missions over China.

The idea that all those guys would be around 100 now, which means they're dead, just blows my mind. They were EVERY responsible older guy.

- Eric

 

[Mattax]

My dad's younger sister who was a WAVE (work at Great Lakes NAS not overseas) is still alive. I'm going to give her a ring tommorrow. And some who were kids old enough to remember VE day and are still around. Not a lot, but a few.

 

[Bewy]

My Mum was an air raid warden in London. I remember her telling me about the V1 'buzz' bombs. I remember her saying that you hoped the buzz noise did not stop directly above you...because that meant the bomb was falling.

 

[YY1]

They always honor a vet or active duty service member at Tampa Bay Lightning home games.

One game this past year, they had a WWII vet at 104 years old!

Walked on the ice, waved to the crowd. Stood for the entire national anthem.

VERY humbling and uplifting.

 

[Dartswinger70]

The comment about the Germans treating people better than Russians made me think, in my experience some humans in this world just have no manners or etiquette . Its true to this day this is why we have problems. Also sometimes it takes a while to really figure someone out. Someone may come off as smart ,intelligent and mannerly and turn out to be the most vile fraudulent evil you have ever experienced this is why today, more and more folks are turning other people out. people today are inherently out for themselves...it isn't getting better the greed is real bad.

 

[JoePole1]

I know that's true, but it's unimaginable to me.

I remember when everyone was in WWII. They were the older guys, but still strong, and mean as hell.
The young guys had been in Vietnam. Every now and then, you'd meet someone who'd been in Korea, like my stepfather, who was a gunner in a bomber and was shot in the knee by a Chinese soldier when they were shot down, even though we never flew missions over China.

The idea that all those guys would be around 100 now, which means they're dead, just blows my mind. They were EVERY responsible older guy.

- Eric

I see that you live in the Hudson Valley Eric.
If you get a chance check out the Purple Heart Hall of Honor in New Windsor. My Dad is one of the many honored there. He was an Army infantryman wounded in action in Korea. He didn't speak much about it like many but the hill he was fighting on had hand to hand combat. Crazy to think about. He was only there for 2 months before he was hit in his right arm and lost 50% of use. Young people nowadays have no clue the sacrifices that went on. It's a shame.

 

[Mattax]

There were sacrifices and cooperation on the homefronts as well. Somehow it seems we skim over the tremendous cost to civilians in Europe, Russia, England, China, etc. Even in the US and Canada, although of course not the same to those directly subject to violence and destruction.
Fuel and foods got rationed, companies that were normally rivals worked together to whatever degree needed to get the job done.
This is a cool website:
Chrysler

Also look for Bullets By the Billion - Chrysler's book about its small arms ammunition manufacturing.

This thread is cool too. It's the items that normally were made by companies that supplied carbines or parts for carbines during WW2. Of the carbine manufacturers, only Winchester was normally an arms manufacturer, and of course they sometimes made other things too.

Other Items Made by Prime and Subcontractors - The Carbine Collector's Club - Page 1

Before, during and after the war, prime and subcontractors made a variety of things. Hoping other members...

www.uscarbinecal30.com

One that's speaks volumes

and a company that every American knows for its baseball bats

 

[missing linc]

My mother still remembers the rationing of goods and grocery items, and of course not seeing her father for more than 3 years and worrying about whether or not he would remember her when/if he came home.