Relatives
 

Have any of your relatives (not yourselves) been involvd in any wars? As in, fought, were killed, were displaced, etc.

Re: Relatives
 

My grandfather faught in World War II. He lived through the enire ordeal, although he had some near death experiances.

At one point, he was stationed in an area of southern Europe, and he was a on a ship at sea. One day, while on the ship, an enemy plane flew over and dropped a bomb down a smoke stack. My grandfather managed to escape, but there were many of the men on board who were not so lucky. (Sorry if that was a bit fuzzy, but he never really wanted to go into a lot of detail. You can imagine why.)

At another point, him and one of his buddies were at the ocean (not sure where) and they were swimming. This was at a point in his life when he could care less if he lived or not, and him and his friend swam out as far as they could. Finally, they decided to come back. But while out there, he had came in contact with a jelly fish and got its poison in his eyes. He was completely blind for a few hours, and his friend had to lead him back into shore in the middle of the night while blind.

Re: Relatives
 

Hmmmm...nope, not really. But my great Grandma was from Italy and she died a few years ago, but she used to tell this awsome story of how she snuck on a boat to get to America. She also made the best damn Lasagna you've ever had, tatsted like heaven. My grandma's is good, but it wasnt like my Great grandma's...wow that **** was the ****!

Re: Relatives
 

i don't really know too much but my greandfather fought for romania in WWII

Re: Relatives
 

Romania? Interesting.


I think I've got traces to a confederate spy in the Civil War. :sneaky:

No, really.

Re: Relatives
 

My multiple-great grandfather was General Edward Braddock... He fought in the French and Indian War... British...

My step-great grandfather served under Patton in WWII...

All I know of...



*shrugs and walks away*

Re: Relatives
 

Both my grandfathers participated in WW2 and one of my grandmothers was a nurse for the soldiers.

Re: Relatives
 

WWII yes. My grandpa was actually in pearl harbor on the day it was attacked, and it was his b-day. Before that? I dunno. I do know my family has been in the country since before it was a country. Maybe they were in other american wars?

Re: Relatives
 

Why yes, actually.. I'm one of the few who have alive relatives who were on for the German Nazi side in WW2. I've only got to meet one of them, though; my Great Uncle Bill, who's my mother's mother's brother. My mom's father was living in the german-inhabited Poland area, and he was too young to fight, and had no choice but to flee to Canada, where he lived in Vernon, BC, and met my Grandma, who was a second generation canadian, originally from Germany-invaded Poland. :) My grandpa still speaks a little Polish, and he's taught me some.

My dad's side was different, though. My dad's mother was a farmer girl (full blown WASP), and she was a "soldier of the soil" for WW2, providing wheat in Saskatchewan for the war, and my dad's dad was too young to fight in the war... but his brother fought in the Canadian Air Force. He chose Air Force, because the British Empire was training all of their Air Forces in Saskatchewan, and he was helping out anyways.

There, now don't ask anymore. :P Just kidding.

Re: Relatives
 

My grandpa hided from the Germans, if he didn't he would have had to work in a factory to make weapons for the Germans. Now that's a form of heroism isn't it? :D

Re: Relatives
 

My grandfather was a pilot for the RCAF in WWII. That's all I know of.

Re: Relatives
 

My paternal great-grandfather, great-grandmother, great-uncle, and others were killed in concentration camps(mainly Treblinka) during WWII, so I don't know any family history before then.
My maternal grandfather was in the army-airforce in WWII, he was a navagator and a pilot, but ended up doing the radiobroadcasts on the base (in china).

Re: Relatives
 

My grandfather fought on foot and on sea. My great-uncle fought in Dieppe. Both are still alive and well to this day.

Re: Relatives
 

My grandfather fought in France in WWII for the Americans. He actually got lost during a battle and from what I hear (fam doesn't talk about it much) ended up in a red light district. Eventually found his troop and got home fine. He was alive and well up until 1 1/2 years ago.

My dad is currently fighting in Iraq... to read an article go to http://www.riley.army.mil/newspaper/news/news1.htm

Re: Relatives
 

My Grandfather was a comm officer on a B-17 during WWII. He flew a full complement of missions over Germany and survived.

Re: Relatives
 

cool, best of wishes to him

Re: Relatives
 

Well, my friend's grandfather helped free The Netherlands with Canada from Nazi grasp... heh.

Re: Relatives
 

All of my relatives are Vietnamese and were therefore affected in some way by the war. Lots of them moved out. Lots of them lost their livelihoods. I believe a distant uncle also died. There are a lot of long and sad stories in the family.

Re: Relatives
 

My great-grandpa fought in WWII (mom's side) and my Dad was in Desert Storm (Navy)

Re: Relatives
 

My uncle(he was older than my auntie who was a lot older than my dad) died in the Diep invasion.

Re: Relatives
 

My Grandfather on my mother's side was in WWII in the army, and he was stationed in Italy, I don't really remember much about his stories though. And my other Grandfather on my father's side was in the navy in WWII, and he was stationed in the Pacific near the Phillipines and Japan even though those countries aren't really so close, he was in that area of the Pacific.

Oh also, my dad was 5 people away from being drafted into the Vietnam war.

Re: Relatives
 

Excuse my ignorance but what was the Diep invasion? (with all respect)

Re: Relatives
 

The raid on Dieppe was a failure while trying to liberate northern France. 900 Canadians died, many more were taken prisoner.

Re: Relatives
 

well think of it this way, if D-Day was the most glorious attack in the war, Dieppe was the complete opposite. The English decided to send the Canadian Army to attack a beach that was so heavily protected and well defended that even if the Entire Allied Forces were fighting, there would still be a good chance the Germans would win...heres what the battle looked like

Germans`````````````````Dead Canadian Troops
_________ ``````````````||
----------|``````````````\/
----------|___________________
---------------------------------\Water


In addition to the whole "Germans on hill with machine guns = Dead Canadians on Beach" thing, there were mountains on either side of the beach, giving the germans even more height, considering there were bunkiers and sniper positions IN the montains....

Re: Relatives
 

I just talked with my grandpa today. He told me a lot. :) Apparently, MANY of my relatives fought for the Germans in WWII, and he was actually held hostage in a concentration camp in Poland by the British for being German! The Germans eventually found and freed him and everyone else in his camp, and he had to flee quickly. Also, there's Great Uncle Fredrik I've never met, who was on the German side as well, and he's alive and well. All the others were either killed in the war (and it's a lot) and the ones who remained died off eventually.

It's kind of neat to reflect on Remembrance Day about how my roots are different from everyone elses'.

Re: Relatives
 

He was held in Poland by the British? That seems kind of odd... because Poland was "liberated" by the USSR in 1945. I don't think the Western Allies went to Poland (because everything east of East Germany [including East Germany] turned communist under the influence of the USSR). I may be wrong, though, but I know that the USSR kind of took some control over Poland when the Warsaw Pact was signed shortly after WWII.

Re: Relatives
 

My dad fought at Vietnam. My mom refuses me to ask any questions about it...

Re: Relatives
 

The history of my family is a bit iffy when it comes to war. My great uncle (or great great, I'm not sure) was Irwin Von Rommel, the Desert Fox and Field Marshall of the Nazi war machine.

While he was responsible for much of the military death on behalf of Hitler, he also tried to organize the assasination attempt of Hitler also. He beliveed Hitler to be imbalanced and a threat to Germany.

I won't say that he was sympathetic to the plight of the Jew during those days, but he viewed Hitlers obsession with their destruction as counterproductive to the war effort.

On the other side of my family I am a member of the Stuart Clan of Scotland, and share lineage with James I, Mary Queen of Scotts, Charles I, Charles 2, and James 2.

Re: Relatives
 

Your great great Uncle was Rommel? The same General who served in the Afrikakorps (sp) (I think, and I believe he also command troops in France, and was about to be moved to Eastern front), and later killed by Hitler's request?

That's interesting.

Re: Relatives
 

That'd be why he's called the Desert Fox, right? Aaah, it's all coming back to me.

Re: Relatives
 

That's what you were taught. :P You can get more out of real life experience than out of textbooks. They'll disagree to it, but it happened.

Re: Relatives
 

My great grandfather fought in The Great War. He was shot in the leg by a rifle or something.. THe bullet entered his leg, then came out the other side... yep.

My uncle fought in Korea, nothing too big there I guess. But he doesn't like talking about it, so I can't really ask him questions.

My cousin's great grandfather (somehow related down the lines) fought in World War II. He was in some major battles... I would love to talk to him about it, but he doesn't really talk much anymore...

Re: Relatives
 

Let's see, nice little list here:

- Maternal Grandfather: World War II - US ARMY Air Corps (Drafted)

- Paternal Uncle: Vietnam War (As he says, "'Nam fixed my @$ good." -- I question that assessment though)

- Cousin Tim: Gulf War (1991), was ofered command of a rather large Naval Vessel but opted out of it, my Uncle Tom NEvER lets him live this Down! (This is why Anti-Saddam Jokes fly around my house like Scuds over Baghdad)

- Great-Uncle Harry (Grandfather's Brother): US ARMY Air Corps, (Drafted) WWII

- Cousin Casey: Was enlisted in the US Marine Corps, but never saw active Combat.

I think that's everybody I *know* of that actually made it into the service and/or faught.

My father looked into the USAF but opted out at the last minute in the Cold War Era, I think my Uncle Tom may have considered a Military carreer as well, and while I'm not sure if he was in an actual Branch of the Armed forces (He may have been in the US ArmyA ir Corps durign WW II, have to ask my Aunt Mary about this one), my late Uncle Steve worked for the NSA for several years.

I *think* that's everyone who's had some sort of military connection, but I'll check the next time I see them (Those still living).

My Grandfather survived WWII but not before he had to bail out of a burning Bomber plane, ironically enough, the week after he was discharged, the person who replaced him was killed with his entire troop when their craft was shot down if memory serves me correctly, when he was alive he mentioned this about a year before his death. Also on a side-note before he was drafted, my entire family on his side was nearly arrested for "beaming signals to Musilini" as my Uncle puts it. Basically my Grandfather and his brother, my Great Uncl;e Harry, built an Antenna they say in "Popular Mechanics" to boost the singal to my Great-Grandfather's radio and wired it to the Firestation. The FBI came around one day and had no clue what it was so they took my entire family outside and questioned them. naturally, my Great-Grandparents didn't speak a WORD of English adn my Grandfather and Grea Uncle Harry had to explain that the Antenna was NOT for sending Military signals to Italy, but for Radio Recpetion for my Great-Grandfather's Radio. My Grandfather had to show them the copy of Popular Mechanics and weverything, my enitre family almost all wound up in Federal Prison! Ironically, about a year later, my Grandfather adn Great Uncle were drafted to serve in WWII.

Uncle Bill was stupid enough to enlist in the USAF for the Vietnam War when his EX-GIRLFRIEND had convinced him to go into Political Science. (That was his FIRST COllege degree out of many others.) He spent a good four years in Vietnam and somehow survived, but he's a little bit fo a "Whacky" guy, he's also the "North American Expert on Fish Diseases" which is basicaly a fancy PhD for Biology.

Cousin Tim wound up having to go to college AFTER hehad kids because of his time in Iraq. (Are you listening Cam!) He's now out of the service although he was moved around quite a bit in the Early 90's do to troop deployment.

Cousin Casey never saw active combat duty, and I think Great-Uncle Harry actually flew some missions over Germany.

As for who probably has the largest service record in tjhat group, it's either my Grandfather or my Great-Uncle Harry, but I'm not sure which, I know they were both drafted and they were both stationed in very differnt places at any given time.

I'm going to look into my Uncle Steve though, I'm pretty sure he had some service time as well, I'll check with my Aunt Mary, she should know.