Remembering, honoring and thanking (November 11th); any of your ancestors served in war? Would you like to tell us about them?

My paternal grandfather served in WWII; he was stationed in Holland and France. My father and his twin brother were born in 1946 – I guess he missed my Nana a whole lot!

Here’s to all the veterans of all the wars, those who made it home safely to us and those who didn’t. Thank you, today and every day.

My father served in WWII. He signed up by lying about his age. He was too young. He served in the Pacific Theatre.

I had a cousin that served in WWII that was MIAPOW. He’s the only one my family ever talked about serving in WWII, so I’m not sure who else served (none of my older relatives talk about it).

My husband is currently serving and has been in the military for a while now. He went to Bosnia twice in the 90s and is in Iraq now.

Thanks, mama cakes.

My Dad served in the Army during WW II. He was in Europe. I think he helped deliver the mail and I always as a kid pictured him running between the lines bringing soldiers letters while the bombs landed.

My dad served in the air force in WWII. He was a gunnar based in Italy and flew on 250 missions.

I have several I want to mention.

My father in law – Air force pilot during the Korean conflict
My Great Uncle (now deceased) – Navy officer during WWII
My nephew – Air force (mechanic who kept the aircraft flying)

And a special thanks to a family friend who is currently serving in Afghanistan (She remains the only self-described “flaming liberal” who has my complete respect).

And a hearty Thank You to all who have served!

Thinking about my great uncle brings to mind the following:

An elderly gentleman was hired by WalMart as one of their greeters. He had an excellent attitude, was very helpful, but had a problem showing up to work on time. His manager called him into his office to discuss the problem. He told him that he was very impressed with his attitude, but was concerned that he was always fifteen minutes late every day. The man said that he realized the problem and was working on it. The manager told him that’s what he wanted to hear and went on to say that he noticed in his work file that the greeter was ex-military and asked what they would say to him when he showed up late in the morning. The greeter replied: “Usually they would say something like: Good morning admiral. Can I get you a cup of coffee sir?”

Be respectful to the old guys, you have no idea who they were as young guys!

Not to my knowledge, but my grandmother was a nurse during World War II and I often find myself thinking about her efforts this time of year.

One of my professors served in Iraq a couple years ago. Each time we covered war poetry and short stories in the American Literature courses he taught, I wanted to cry. You could tell how close to home they hit when he recited them out loud. Some students think he is a hard-ass because he served, but I know he is an old softie at heart.

I have a number of friends who are serving (one in the Marines leaps to mind as he enrolled straight out of high school) or have served (an online friend I met when I was in middle school – it was a celebratory occasion when he managed to get online and update us.) I also have fond memories of the janitor (a wonderful man we knew only as “Gary”) who taught us how to fold the U.S. flag and helped rescue my lost backpack. I’m not sure which war he served in, possibly more than one, but I certainly looked up to him.

Thank you to everyone. Those I know and those I don’t.

My “stepdad” (I call him Dad) served in Nam and was shot in the head. The weird thing was- he’d had a dream before he left that he was walking into a clearing and got shot in the head and killed. On the day it happened, he walked into a clearing and recognized it from his dream. Chills went up his spine and he dropped to the ground just as a shot rang out, and instead of being killed, the bullet hit at a different angle and he survived. All because of that weird dream he’d had beforehand. And I’m so grateful for that, because I love him desperately and can’t begin to imagine my life without him.

@WillWorkForChocolate That just gave me cold chills. So happy it was a good outcome.

My great grandfather served with the Tuskegee airmen during World War II, and my grandmother served during Korea as a field nurse.
My father served in the army during desert storm.

My Dad a Marine.
My brother a Navy man.

Both Disabled Veterans.

My father’s eldest brother actually fought in the First World War and lied about his age so he could enlist. My grandfather confirmed the false age so that he could join. He fought as a gunner on the Western Front and of course his family were worried about him so when the Armistice was declared they were all relieved and looked forward to seeing him again. A few days later a telegram was received to say he had been killed when his gun blew up on one of the last days of the war. His grave is in France though I have never been.

My father unsuccessfully defended Crete in the Second World War was captured by the Germans and spent much of the war in a small prisoner of war camp in Czechoslovakia.

Nobody in my recent family history has served in battle, although my Grandaddy was stationed in Germany in the 50’s where he “played Cowboys and Indians” along “a big wall” as he likes to say.

My great, great, great grandfather on my dad’s side was a trumpeteer in the Italian army in the 1890’s, if that counts.

My father served in the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) during dubya dubya two.

What I appreciate most about his service is that he survived the war in good health, so that I could be born the year after the end of WWII.

I served in the US Navy during the Vietnam war in the Atlantic fleet.
I emerged from that one unscathed because of design and luck.

Two of my Great(x4) grandfathers on my mother’s side both lost an arm at Shiloh. On opposite sides of the battle. Their children were afraid they would come to blows at the wedding because of it.

But they spent most of the day sitting together swapping stories and getting drunk.

My grandfather was a POW in Japan for 3 years… He came home and he and Gran had my mother the year after the war ended…

He never really spoke of it, but one of the stories that has been passed down relates to surviving by having to eat soap… I often recall that when I shower in the morning.

Yes, I already answered on this similar question.

I told my daughters bf, “thanks for the day off!” he laughed.

Through my grandfather who survived WWll I learned what a person can endure, what thoughts can drive them through hopelessness, suffering and oppression. Whenever I’ve doubted how much I can take in order to try for what I want out of this world then I think of him, what he went through and how he chose to live afterwards, how he chose to share and show compassion.

Sadly, Dad is no longer here to thank for his service during WWII. I did send a shout out to my son, who is deployed in Afghanistan serving right now, and I posted his picture as a tribute on the local ABC News Channel’s web site. I really appreciate their giving viewers that opportunity to honor veterans and soldiers currently in combat.

My grandfather was wounded in WW I. He was only 20 years old and had to use crutches his whole life.

Almost all of us (the men) served in the military in some branch. My grandfathers on both my mom and dads side served in WWII. Everyone one of my uncles on both my moms and dads side (12 of them) served in the Air Force, Navy or Army during the Korean, Vietnam wars or peacetime. My dad served in the Marines during Vietnam (he was the only Marine I know of in both sides of my family).

I’ve mentioned this b4 – both my grandfather and I have served in several wars and campaigns.