I Am Interested In Ww1 and Ww2

Today is the 75th anniversary of the battle of Iwo Jima

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofSF463vpCQ]

[i]Threescore and fifteen years ago,

On Iwo Jima's scoriac stones

Many a young man bled and died

For country, God or emperor.

Now looking at this desolate isle

Today, but little more remains

Than mostly unkempt monuments

And dreadful artifacts of war,

Rusting where they fell, so long ago.[/i]

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DogMan · 61-69, M

My dad was in combat as an infantry rifleman in Italy WWII I have two scrap books with
every letter he wrote to his mom, she saved them along with all of his documents.
I sent some of the letters to the WWII museum in Florence. They sent me 6 shell casings
from an American M1 Garand that were found on Mt. Battaglia where dad was wounded.
Dad's regiment took the mountain and defended it for a week, repelling relentless assaults by
two German divisions.

Thinkerbell · 41-45, F

@DogMan

I never fail to be impressed by what members of the Greatest Generation did. ♥️

DogMan · 61-69, M

@Thinkerbell I wrote a story about his service in WWII after he passed away. It is based on
the letters and documentation, and also the stories I pried out of him after I went into the
USAF. As far as I know he didn't talk to anyone else about it. Many of the stories were good,
some were terrible, and he had to stop. Here is one good one for you. One night while
patrolling over enemy lines during the winter of 1944, they found a farm and went into
the barn to get some shut eye, they were cold and wet, and there were cows laying in the
hay. They slept on top of them to warm up, and dry out.

BridgeOvertroubledWaters · 61-69, M

@DogMan they were very brave soldiers

Thinkerbell · 41-45, F

@DogMan

Great story.
Did they have to get up early, while it was still dark, so that the farmer wouldn't find them?

DogMan · 61-69, M

@Thinkerbell Hmm, I don't know. But here is another patrol story if you liked that one. He told
me that he and two others were walking down a little dirt road at night across the lines when
they heard someone coming, they laid down by a little structure about 5ft off the path. As the
people got closer they could hear people speaking German, they stayed put, and realized it
was an entire German Infantry Regiment. He said that he was sure they would feel his heart
pounding against the ground. They all thought this was the end. They finally past, and the
guys got out of there to report the enemy movements. Again, this is one of the good stories.

Thinkerbell · 41-45, F

@DogMan

A whole regiment?!
No wonder his heart was pounding ! 😳

DogMan · 61-69, M

@Thinkerbell I would have just had a heart attack and died right there. 😲