FYI

[athanasius80]

I didn't see anyone else post it so I thought I ought to... The anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack was yesterday. My grandfather was on the Tennessee when it happened. He lived but didn't like to talk about the war.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Very interesting.

My grandparents and parents never spoke of the war, famine, hunger, shortages crushing poverty, etc.

Only when my grandpa died and I had to clean out his place did I see some documents relating to his travels from his country to the USA by way of about 5 countries, and it hit me with what he endured.

It was BIZARRE to see "Democracy of ______ " (insert name of country) be changed to "Kindgom of _______" on his passport. [You have no rights at this time. NEXT!] It was what was happening during foreign occupation.

He once said "All of you here live like Princes. The only problem you have is that there is not enough money to do everything you want to do. And that is NOT a problem".

 

[nurdlinger]

during foreign occupation

My Dad was Greek, proud of it, never forget it, etc. What a shock it was once the Ellis Island records were viewable online to look up my grandfather, and find his place of origin listed as "Samos, Turkey". (before 1922, that's what it was) I never was invested in the Greek/Turk struggle but that hit me in the head like a thunderbolt.

 

[rp2813]

My dad was in the 401st Glider Infantry of the 101st Airborne and was in the thick of things on D-Day, 6/6/44. My partner and I went back to Normandy with him for the 50th anniversary of D-Day. Dad would tell stories from the war a lot, but I could never relate to them until I had been to Normandy and seen things for myself, even 50 years after the fact. We stayed in a farm house not far from Utah Beach when we were there. On the night of 6/6/94 there was a celebration and off in the distance we could hear the sound of fireworks from our room. To me it was like hearing what it must have sounded like in 1944. I will never forget that trip.

I think my dad told his war stories as a form of therapy to come to terms with what was, for better or worse, the most important and absolutely unforgettable experience of his life. I never thought of my dad as a hero, but that all changed in June of 1994.