War Story...

[CharlotteBeer.com]

This thread makes me very sad, and very thankful.

[Jackofalltrades]

Found a little more about Chris's uncle. He was awarded four Bronze Stars,

Purple Heart, and American Defense, Victory and

Good Conduct medals.

Most of those are relatively meaningless.

Having A bronze star is impressive, having four is God like. Obviously a very tough and courageous man, you should be immensely proud.

[Zaximus]

I think one of the medals my great uncle had in WW2 was the Silver Star.

[Matt Foley]

Grandpa Meat told us lots of stories. He went in his sleep, unlike the people in the car who were screaming at him to wake up.

[Doyle]

I have a feeling only the first couple of stories were true. Now people are just making stuff up.

[CLTPanther]

My friends grandfather died on the first day in Normandy during the intial European invasion phase. His father was still unborn and I believe he was born like 4 months after his grandfather died, so his father never met his grandfather.

[Carolina Husker]

My grandmother told me a story my great grandfather told her about WWII. I was too young to hear it at the time, but I would have liked to have heard it from him.

He was stationed in India working a trade route between there and China, and quite often he was required to accompany carrier planes back and forth, along with Chinese soldiers. Often times they'd fly with the cargo doors or side doors open along the way.

He said one time he was mid-flight with several American soldiers and a few Chinese soldiers on their way back to India, and a couple Chinese soldiers were standing near the open door on the side of the plane, looking out. They were laughing and pointing and whispering to each other. Then one of the soldiers signaled to another Chinese soldier who was sitting down in the plane to come over and look out at what they were pointing to. When he came near, they pushed the guy out of the plane, then laughed a bit, went back to their seats and started talking like nothing had happened.

He said he'd never seen such a complete lack of respect for human life at any other point in the war.

[charlotte49er]

My Grandpa from Arkansas was rejected by the military for WWII for high blood pressure when he was in his mid 20s.

Country boys like to pork!

Fixed!

[Matt Foley]

My grandmother told me a story my great grandfather told her about WWII. I was too young to hear it at the time, but I would have liked to have heard it from him.

He was stationed in India working a trade route between there and China, and quite often he was required to accompany carrier planes back and forth, along with Chinese soldiers. Often times they'd fly with the cargo doors or side doors open along the way.

He said one time he was mid-flight with several American soldiers and a few Chinese soldiers on their way back to India, and a couple Chinese soldiers were standing near the open door on the side of the plane, looking out. They were laughing and pointing and whispering to each other. Then one of the soldiers signaled to another Chinese soldier who was sitting down in the plane to come over and look out at what they were pointing to. When he came near, they pushed the guy out of the plane, then laughed a bit, went back to their seats and started talking like nothing had happened.

He said he'd never seen such a complete lack of respect for human life at any other point in the war.

All the way down he yelled "Gelonimo!"

[Jackofalltrades]

3-13. Bronze Star Medal

a. The Bronze Star Medal was established by Executive Order 9419, 4 February 1944 (superseded by Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962).

b. The Bronze Star Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Army of the United States after 6 December 1941, distinguished himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy; or while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

c. Awards may be made for acts of heroism, performed under circumstances described above, which are of lesser degree than required for the award of the Silver Star.

d. The Bronze Star Medal may be awarded for meritorious achievement or meritorious service according to the following:

(1) Awards may be made to recognize single acts of merit or meritorious service. The lesser degree than that required for the award of the Legion of Merit must nevertheless have been meritorious and accomplished with distinction.

(2) Award may be made by letter application to Commander, ARPERCEN, ATTN: DARP-VSE-A, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200 (enclosing documentary evidence, if possible), to each member of the Armed Forces of the United States who after 6 December 1941, has been cited in orders or awarded a certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat against an armed enemy between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, inclusive, or whose meritorious achievement has been other wise confirmed by documents executed prior to 1 July 1947. For this purpose, an award of the Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge is considered as a citation in orders. Documents executed since 4 August 1944 in connection with recommendations for the award of decorations of higher degree than the Bronze Star Medal will not be used as the basis for an award under this paragraph.

(3) Upon letter application, award of the Bronze Star Medal may be made to eligible soldiers who participated in the Philippine Islands Campaign between 7 December 1941 to 10 May 1942. Performance of duty must have been on the island of Luzon or the Harbor Defenses in Corregidor and Bataan. Only soldiers who were awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (Presidential Unit Citation) may be awarded this decoration. Letter application should be sent to the Commander, ARPERCEN, ATTN: DARP-VSE-A, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200.

[Matt Foley]

Okay, a serious story...my friend/neighbor's dad served in Nam as a medic. Said he came up to a crashed helicopter one time and the dude's eyeball was hanging out of the orbit.

[Jackofalltrades]

3-9. Silver Star

a. The Silver Star, section 3746, title 10, United States Code (10 USC 3746), was established by Act of Congress 9 July 1918 (amended by act of 25 July 1963).

b. The Silver Star is awarded to a person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Army, is cited for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The required gallantry, while of a lesser degree than that required for the Distinguished Service Cross, must nevertheless have been performed with marked distinction.

c. It is awarded upon letter application to Commander, PERSCOM, ATTN: TAPC-PDA, Alexandria, VA 22332-0471, to those individuals who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Army, received a citation for gallantry in action in World War I published in orders issued by a headquarters commanded by a general officer.

[Jackofalltrades]

http://www.americal.org/awards/achv-svc.htm

FYI

[Hawk]

Okay, a serious story...my friend/neighbor's dad served in Nam as a medic. Said he came up to a crashed helicopter one time and the dude's eyeball was hanging out of the orbit.

seen that at a baseball game...and didn't have to go to Nam!