Thread: What is Memorial Day to us Americans?

I knew a guy that was part of that "Generation" this man landed on Omaha beach on June 6th, fought through some of the worst of the rest of WWII including The Battle of the Bulge, in fact he was one of the men that found the bodies of the Massace at Malmedy.
Told me the stories of almost drowning coming off the landing craft and leaving his BAR at the bottom of the English Channel, that if he had not learned to swim at Coney Island in his youth he never would have made it to shore like half the guys on his boat..

Heard how after WWII he got out of the Military and he bartended at the Waldorf Astoria in NY, then went back in 1950 although he took the choice offered and went into the newly formed Air Force, which was perfect timing for the Korean Conflict, which I am not quite sure what he did there but something to do with Radar..

After Korea he married and raised a family, stayed in as a career guy, an NCO who lived all over the world with his family, nearly ready to retire in 1971 he managed to get new orders after just buying a house stateside that sent him to Vietnam for a tour there..

Three wars and he was a quiet family man, never showing a hint of what that could do to most men, he retired after Vietnam and worked at JC Penney for many years after that.. He never talked much about the wars unless asked and then he downplayed much of it..

In fact I never really knew what all he really did in the wars until his funeral when I asked for his Ribbons to be duplicated so I could have the originals, the guy at the uniform shop looked and said "Do you have any idea what all these are for" I said "Some of them yes, many of them no" He said "Let's put it this way son, your Dad was in some scrapes and knocked around quite a bit over 30 years".... That was the way that Pops was, to him it was just the job he had to do, I never saw him ever wear a hat, t-shirt or any other memorabilia that said "Veteran" of any kind, he was more proud of raising a family then being a 3 war veteran..

A quiet man from a quiet generation that did what was asked by his country, to me that is what Memorial Day is about..

Thanks for sharing that Glen. Your dad sounds like he was a good man.

Glen, thank you for sharing! I've found it very true that most of the people of the Greatest Generation are like that, very humble but still proud to have served!

Owen never spoke of being at the invasion of Iwo Jima, he said that he was a Marine and that what he learned had helped him with being a better man. I didn't learn of his involvement until he showed me the Japanese straight razor and hone that he'd found in a pill box during the battle.

At that time he mentioned that he'd done an interview back at Napa ID where he was from, I did a search and found it. During it he was asked if he would do it (Iwo Jima) again he promptly said yes!

Its no wonder that he was such a force in helping shape my life! I can't thank him enough!