Veterans Day

@Mark V. Spadaro posted:

A proud and happy Veterans Day to all our OGR Veterans. Thank you all for your service to this country. Freedom isn’t free, and does indeed have a cost. 1% of living American women and 12% of living American men are Veterans.

Yes and also the family's of veterans.  They sacrifice as well . Thank you.

As a Navy Vietnam Vet I want to wish all vets a good day!!!

Freedom is never free

USN  Retired O-6

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY.  Thank you for your service.

Ron

SSGT, USAF Security Service, RC-130 crew

Happy Veterans Day!  Thanks to all who served!

ET-2 Nuke, USN

Genuine heartfelt gratitude to all veterans and their families!  

On my layout I honor my father, Technical Sargent Charles L. Whitehead who landed on Omaha Beach June 6, 1944 with the Big Red One.   He fought with the Big Red One from the beaches of Normandy France all the way into Germany.    

Within my layout's Freedom Park an authentic stone from Omaha Beach is placed in front of a plaque honoring my dad and all the those who landed, fought, and died on the beaches of Normandy on D Day.  Also within Freedom Park is an authentic piece of the Berlin Wall.   When visiting Normandy France back in 2000, I picked this stone up off of Omaha Beach as my Dad, brother , and I stood on the beach looking at the cliffs as Dad told us where he exited the landing craft.   At the moment the landing craft's ramp dropped open, his Lieutenant ( Lt.Mackey ) who had been in prior invasions, sensed that the orders were incorrect.  Instead of following the orders Lt. Mackey led his men to the right instead of the left.  Good thing ... as the men ran to the right heavy artillery shells suddenly fell to the left ... exactly where the orders would have taken them.  Unfortunately Lt. Mackey suffered a fatal bullet wound in Germany three days before the war ended.   I think of Lt. Mackey often and am most grateful for his wisdom in that exact moment the landing craft's ramp opened.    If it were not for Lt. Mackey I would not be here today.  

Patrick . That is very nice and thank you for sharing. 

That is simply beautiful.

@trumpettrain posted:

Genuine heartfelt gratitude to all veterans and their families!  

On my layout I honor my father, Technical Sargent Charles L. Whitehead who landed on Omaha Beach June 6, 1944 with the Big Red One.   He fought with the Big Red One from the beaches of Normandy France all the way into Germany.  

Patrick,

Like you, I honor my father by posting the attached picture on Veterans Day. He is kneeling, in the first row at the center of the picture.

My father's unit, part of the US Army 100th Division, arrived in France in October 1944. They were in combat during the winter of 1944-'45 and eventually crossed into Germany. I was born while he was overseas and almost one year old when he returned home.

MELGAR

I echo the above sentiments!

My Dad tried to enlist in the SeaBees but was refused due to a malformed foot; he ended up at the Glenn L. Martin plant east of Baltimore in a tool crib and Mother became a "Rosie the riveter" building bombers. In their way, as migratory war workers, they both helped with the war effort.

Dave ASE-2 USN

@MELGAR posted:

Patrick,

Like you, I honor my father by posting the attached picture on Veterans Day. He is kneeling, in the first row at the center of the picture.

My father's unit, part of the US Army 100th Division, arrived in France in October 1944. They were in combat during the winter of 1944-'45 and eventually crossed into Germany. I was born while he was overseas and almost one year old when he returned home.

MELGAR

Mel - What a fabulous photo!  I can see why you treasure it so.  Thanks for sharing.   Our fathers fought the good fight and were lucky to have lived through it all.  

Patrick that is a beautiful and moving monument that you have for your Father. My Dad was excused from the draft by the Secretary of the.Navy because he was working on Navy ships in Todd shipyards. I assembled this train to pay tribute to all of our Veterans. All made sacrifices; some sacrificed all.

Thank you for setting up a Veterans' Day thread. My father enlisted in early '42 and came out in late '46 as a Master Sergeant, having led a small group of Signal Corp comrades as they set up communications on the South Pacific islands not re-captured, but soon to be re-recaptured. He died at age 64 in '88, and all his records burned up in the St. Louis depot fire of the 'seventies.