<NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT> <!--[START-FIRST-PARAGRAPH]--> <!--[MEDIA-STRIP]--><SECTION id=toc407190main class=eb-topic-section print-toc="toc-407190main-407190main">Nazi Party, byname of National Socialist German Workers Party, German Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP), political party of the mass movement known as National Socialism. Under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, the party came to power in Germany in 1933 and governed by totalitarian methods until 1945.
Kind a true Sargeant Ryan story. All four brothers in the artical spent a minimum of twenty years in the service. A fifth brother was in the Sea-B's in the Pacific for four years and already out when this articial was written. He spent the remainder of his career working in the Navel shipyard in Charleston SC. All of them made it home safely and died from cancer as old men. Sargeant John Harley was a real deal war hero. US Army, 2nd Armored Division, 82nd Reconn (HELL ON WHEELS). He not only paticipated in the D-Day invasion, he and his men spent most of their tours behind enemy lines. They were also among the first Americans to enter Berlin, yes before the Russians. He was also my farther, rest in peace Dad.
Here is a book being written about those heros. Only a little over 200 of them left. http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_23...-d-day-contributions-remain-silent?source=rss
I attended the funeral for Lyle Pigg earlier this week, Lyle was an uncle by marriage, and I never really knew much about his WWII service until the last couple of years. He suffered from PTSD all of those years, we owe these guys as well as the ones that have served since-- a big thanks. My tour of duty in Germany in the 60's was a cake walk compared to these guys. Lyle then served for 16 months with the US Marine Corp First Division in the Pacific in WWII where he was in the initial invasion of Okinawa on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945. After Okinawa was captured from the Japanese, Lyle and his unit spent four months with US Occupation Forces in North China to assist the Nationalist Chinese Armies in reasserting its control of the nation in the face of anarchy and civil war and in repatriating the Japanese military.
My Father in Law landed on Normandy and went all the way thru the Battle of the Bulge and didn't talk much about it, served 5 years. When he passed away a military color guard appeared at his funeral and went on and on about his record. Just did what his country asked. Can you imagine what would happen today, with todays youth of America, wearing hats on sideways and pants around their butts!!
No you're not too young! The fact that you can be here and write what you feel on the HAMB or anywhere else; the fact that you have freedom of speech, religion,etc. and can enjoy this great hobby/way of life that we all have means that you are directly touched/affected by this meaningful day when brave Americans, some only teenagers, changed the world forever with their unselfish,heroic actions in the face of overwhelming forces and fear! These men/boys gave all they had and we owe them everything! Thanks for posting this.
Looked on Yahoo News and Google News. D-Day isn't mentioned. I guess it's not newsworthy anymore. Shame on us. Thanks vets.
This kind of talk frosts me. We at this time have the strongest armed force in our history. And yes those guys with the backward hats are doing us proud. Who do you think fights wars its not greybeards but the best of our youth. Been that way since the Boston Tea Party and will always be. Our youth has and continues to rise to the occasion, did you ? Myself Nam Class of '72 barely 19 years old.
http://www.army.mil/d-day/[/QUOTE] I think Mr. Reagan said it best http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEIqdcHbc8I Powerful message here on these links- Thanks to all the Vets and those who continue to Serve. Lest we forget.
My Dad was still in pilot training on D-Day, one of his classmates stated "man those krauts are really gonna be pissed off now". My uncle Bill Schwinghammer was a Captain at the time and went ashore that day. He received the Silver Star for relieving the coxswain on the landing craft who had been killed going toward shore. He took control of the landing craft and took it in to the beach. My flag has flown since early A.M. We should all be proud and grateful and educate those who may know little or nothing about the deeds of American, U.K. and Canadian heroes on "The Longest Day".
Lost my uncle in Tunisia, North Africa fighting with Patton. He was blown up walking in front of a tank. Patton said he could afford to lose a soldier, but he couldn't afford to lose a tank. Sound cruel, but it was a fact of war that you made these gut wrenching decisions for the common goal. Had another Uncle go in at Dday and made it through. 9 campaigns, 5 major battles. His boots hang in my shop. Never forget.
My father-in-law was a medic / ambulance driver on Omaha Beach on D-Day. He was also at the Battle of the Bulge, the liberation of Paris and Operation Market Garden (A Bridge Too Far). He was in Europe just shy of 4 years and went through a lot. He passed away about 5 years ago.
Called my 90-year old friend, former flying buddy, and WWII vet today and told him "thanks" for his service. He was there ... piloted a Waco CG4 glider. An amazing story!
I got to know a WWII vet pretty well while crewing on a stock car team. Guy walked with a swagger,like he had a bad hip. He comes over one evening, and is having a coffee with us and starts telling us about the guy trying to sell him a bike in the wally world parking lot, he turned to him and said" mister , I aint got no god dam legs, so how am I supposed to ride that bike?" and turned around and walked int the store...I said to him Ram, (his nick name was Ram rod) you don't have any legs???he replied " nope , got 'em blowed off , on the second step I took on Iwo Jima". Later found out , that when the corman got there, they put tourniquets on , Picked him up , and the corman stepped on a mine ...they found him the following day when they were policing the dead from the shore, he grunted when they put him on the stretcher. he ended up making it , and was one of the tough bird. I thanked him every year on the anniversary of his amputation, as he would bring a pie over to the shop for our evening coffee clutch at the race shop, to remember those that didn't make it. Ram Is gone now, but what he and others so unselfishly gave to this country , will not be. Thanks Guys & Gals, you are what makes this country great.
This D Day veteran finally made it back to the states just last year. http://s15.photobucket.com/user/Ramblur/media/Facebook.mp4.html
When I went in the Army in 1960 all of the senior sergeants and field grade officers were veterans of WWII or Korea and most had served in both wars. They were hard men and I idolized them, then and now. This past October I attended the funeral of CSM Basil Plumley, one of those early mentors. As a result of the movie "We Were Soldiers" he is perhaps the best known American enlisted soldier since Alvin York. With the 82nd Airborne he parachuted into Sicily, Salerno, Normandy, and Holland and made another combat jump into Korea. In Viet Nam he was on the first lift into LZ X-Ray. A kid from the coal mining country in West Virginia he exemplified the best qualities of his generation; an emotional toughness and sense of purpose that is hard to quantify and an unlimited willingness to sacrifice for the common good. They were there when the World needed them and they should be remembered with honor for all eternity.
The Jalopy Journal
