On Veterans Day, I honor my Father, who served in WWII

[MineralMan]

as a B-17 pilot. He died this year at age 96. This is why we remember those who have served. Here's his "blood chit," issued in case he was shot down, as so many B-17 crews were:

[Lovie777]

1. Thank you for your service! . . ..

[empedocles]

2. I had an uncle, my Mother's favorite older brother, who was a navigator.

His plane was shot down over Germany in 1944. Of 11 crew, only 1 survived. That crew member spoke German.

[MineralMan]

3. Yes. So many did not return from missions.

My father said that his fellow pilots all avoided forming close friendships because so many died. I cannot imagine what it must have taken to get in the plane for each mission, knowing that you might not return alive. Fortunately, my father brought the B-17 he piloted back from every mission with his crew intact. There were close calls, but he survived until the end of the war and then came home to meet me, his first son, for the first time.

[empedocles]

4. My wife's uncle, new U bama grad, was also trained as a navigator.

Uncle was at some Ca. base camp, when an officer asked him if he spoke Italian. Uncle could.

Uncle Joe was promptly shipped to Hawaiin island, where boatloads of Italian POW's were landing.

In a few years, he was promoted to 1st Looey, because he was then near 25,000 prisoners under his command. No behavior problems. No one wanted to go back to the war, or anywhere else, before the war ended. Behaviors were 'self-modulated' to avoid such fates.

Prisoners grew their own food, and even built a church. One MD for the whole batch. Uncle Joe, became a high school teacher. Only spoke of his war experience when asked, and prodded bit.

[MineralMan]

6. Yup. When you're in the military, the military decides

what you do and where you go. Your freedom of choice is one of the things you give up while serving.

[mitch96]

5. My old man was Navy ANTIFA at Normandy and Cherbourg. Cousin died at Iwo Jima...

Pop's only talked about the good times... I can understand.. why relive the horror...
m

[MineralMan]

7. Yes. It was only in his later years that my father would talk

about the bad times during his service.