All the best to Veterans and Families this weekend

[Spearit]

Remember the Vets. Nice story about Densil Washington pulling out his checkbook and paying for another hotel at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio for families of burned vets returning from Iraq and other hostile environments. We don't see this in the paper, but veterans everywhere know of it. I was drafted in the Army in 1971 for Viet Nam and became a pharmacy specialist 91Q20 at Fort Sam. Memorial Day means little to those who have not felt the sting of war- but to those who have served and the families of those that served- many prayers and well wishes go out to you.

[wayne1218]

Well said and i couldn't agree more!

[Spearit]

I forgot to mention that the present Hotel for families (of burned veterans) was filled up- thats when Densil Washington pulled out his checkbook.

[Spearit]

Please include your or your family veteran status in the service of our country. All are honored and many would like to hear a story or two. What better way to acknowledge you and your unselfish service to our country. Be Proud- Its for Veterans everywhere- no matter if you peeled potatoes. So we lost a couple of wars- gave it the best we had without the best of political figures to point us in the right direction. Iraq and other incursions - not being able to mention some - You are honored as well. My grandpa in the Spanish American War- riding against Pancho Villa. My Dad- one of only 3 returning from 60 B-24 planes over Germany. My cousin 1 of 4 who died on a merchant ship right outside of Jacksonville Beach (Fla) 9 miles out -from a hit by a german sub. Years of fighting Seminole Indians and its toll. I could go on- you are all honored this weekend. You took out years of your life in the service of your country or fighting for freedom. You are honored and remembered here.
(Where is KMann? Wake him up.)

[ChuckLazar]

Please include your or your family veteran status in the service of our country. All are honored and many would like to hear a story or two. What better way to acknowledge you and your unselfish service to our country. Be Proud- Its for Veterans everywhere- no matter if you peeled potatoes. So we lost a couple of wars- gave it the best we had without the best of political figures to point us in the right direction. Iraq and other incursions - not being able to mention some - You are honored as well. My grandpa in the Spanish American War- riding against Pancho Villa. My Dad- one of only 3 returning from 60 B-24 planes over Germany. My cousin 1 of 4 who died on a merchant ship right outside of Jacksonville Beach (Fla) 9 miles out -from a hit by a german sub. Years of fighting Seminole Indians and its toll. I could go on- you are all honored this weekend. You took out years of your life in the service of your country or fighting for freedom. You are honored and remembered here.
(Where is KMann? Wake him up.)

I always walk in the Vets Parade, to honor all those that deserve it! It's a great honor to walk beside someone special! Best wishes to your family, Bud!!

[Spearit]

Thanks Mr. Cheese. I am honored to know of your devotion - means alot especially to those who care not to relive the moments but hopefully will understand that their sacrifice meant something.

[Luv2Play2]

I'm proud to be an American ........

thanx spearit and bol to you....

[frankb03]

Nice thread. We have lots to be thankful for.

[WayneChung]

hey hey hey its chung here

your the man spearit-almost lost my dad in a trench in belgium in w.w.11-its what makes this country great..

[Kaptain]

Thanks Spearit---I and many ohers appreciate it...be safe this holiday...kapt

[Spark]

Thanks Spearit ... Nice thread ... Hoping everyone has a great weekend ... God Bless

[Spearit]

Hoping to keep this thread alive with interesting comments or stories on veterans. This one is a favorite of mine. A poem was introduced yesterday by a member on 'Will God accept him into heaven concerning his actions in the war' - nice to have it aboard again if you see it.

This is a piece on Butch O'Hare
Please check out the airplane he was flying- "The Iron Works" awesome to even be up in this crate - totally amazing.



O'Hare's Story of Bravery
On February 20, 1942, the U.S.S. Lexington was approximately 400 miles from its destination of Rabaul Harbor in the Solomon Islands when the aircraft carrier was spotted by enemy patrols. Lt. O'Hare and another pilot returning from a mission picked up the formation of enemy fighters closing in on the Lexington and immediately ordered an attack. Within moments, his wingman's guns jammed, and without assistance, O'Hare carried out a swift and decisive strike on the enemy fighters, saving the U.S.S. Lexington and his fellow pilots.

For his inspiring leadership and gallant fighting spirit, O'Hare received the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called the mission that saved the Lexington, "one of the most daring, if not the most daring, single action in the history of combat aviation."

Edward "Butch" O'Hare. O'Hare International Airport is named for Lt. Cmdr. Edward "Butch" O'Hare, a World War II fighter pilot from Chicago known as one of the greatest heroes in naval history. O'Hare's incredible courage and effective leadership inspired Col. Robert H. McCormick, publisher of the Chicago Tribune, to lead the charge to rename the Chicago-area airport (formerly named Orchard Field) in O'Hare's honor in 1949.

For his heroic actions in battles near Marcus Island on August 31, 1943
and near Wake Island on October 5, 1943, O'Hare was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Gold Star, some of the Navy's highest honors.
Just one month later, in November 1943, O'Hare volunteered to lead his squadron on a daring mission to conduct the first-ever Navy nighttime fighter attack from an aircraft carrier. After receiving the go-ahead from his Admiral, O'Hare led the first fighter section to intercept a large force of enemy torpedo bombers, but his plane was lost in enemy action and never found. He was just 29 years old. On November 27, 1944, Butch O'Hare was declared dead. The U.S. Navy recognized his unparalleled bravery with the Navy Cross award. He is also listed in the Navy Memorial Foundation.

The Butch O'Hare Airplane
In his Congressional Medal of Honor winning flight to save the U.S.S. Lexington, Butch O'Hare flew an F4F-3 Wildcat. The Wildcat was an extremely basic flying machine - it had hand-cranked landing gear made primarily of bicycle chains and sprockets, manually-charged guns, vacuum-powered wing flaps, a simple electrical system, and no hydraulics. Despite its simple design, it was a tough plane with a high degree of pilot survivability in crashes. The Wildcat earned for the Grumman Aircraft Factory, where it was built, the nickname "The Iron Works."

An original F4F-3 Wildcat was recovered from Lake Michigan by the United States Navy and donated to the Air Classics Museum. The plane was restored to replicate the one flown by Butch O'Hare. Sponsored by the City of Chicago and McDonald's Corporation, the recovered F4F-3 Wildcat is exhibited in Terminal Two at the West end of the ticketing lobby to honor the extraordinarily heroic feats of O'Hare International Airport's namesake.

[moondog22]

Even though I never served in the armed services,I am most grateful to those who gave their lives not only for America but also other countries so that they may also have the freedoms we so dearly have.

[Lsufan]

Great thread Spearit!!

May each and everyone of you have a safe and blessed holiday weekend!!!

[Spearit]

Sharing another story
"While a friend of mine was traveling through Iwo Jima many years after the war, he came across a lone gravestone with words scratched on it," Nass said. "On the grave was written,
'When you go home tell them for us, that for their tomorrow, we gave our today'."

"Suppose the Japanese would have won, we wouldn't be sitting here today enjoying the life we have."

World War II veteran Sgt. Donald Nass, 80, had about 40 Jefferson Middle School eighth-graders flying through the air over Iwo Jima in their imaginations while telling his story of being a Central Fire Control gunner on a Boeing B-29 Superfortress airplane during World War II.
"Now when I tell this story you're not going to get a funny feeling in your stomach, your heartbeat most likely isn't going to increase and your mouth won't get dry like mine will," Nass said to the students. "But you'll have to use your imagination the best you can."
Nass, a 1943 graduate of Jefferson High School, enlisted into the Army Air Corps at the age of 18 knowing that he would've eventually been drafted. After training he was sent overseas to the Pacific and was stationed with the 29th Bomb Group on the island of Guam.
Nass shared with the students his experience from his 14th mission of bombing a munitions factory just south of Tokyo.
Nass said the 3,000 mile trip to Japan from Guam took eight hours.

As a CFC bomber Nass said he sat in the center of the back of the plane, the only position on the plane that could see what was happening to the entire plane and from his position Nass was able to take control of any of the other gun positions.

"The B-29, for its time, was state of the art," Nass said. "It was the only plane at that time that was pressurized and had heated compartments. We sat in a warm room and fired guns that were aided by a computer for aiming."

On the 14th mission to the factory in Japan their airplane was hit numerous times, causing holes throughout the plane and all the while Nass was able to see it happen.
"When we got closer to the target we started seeing and getting hit by flak, red balls of exploding fire that would go straight through the plane," Nass said. "Then we saw the swarm of Japanese fighter planes."

At one point during the mission Nass said the whole airplane fogged up because of being hit by the flak. He said everyone thought it was smoke and that the plane was on fire. Nass said the last thing the crew wanted to do was bail out of the plane because chances of surviving as a prisoner of the Japanese was almost nil.

"Think about it, the inside of our plane was 70 degrees, outside it was 45 degrees. It took awhile, but they figured out the plane wasn't on fire (your mind plays tricks on you- tough to prepare for dying) - it was just condensation," Nass said. "The whole event of flying in (8 hrs) and dropping the bombs that only took seven seconds, but it seemed to last a lifetime."

Because of the damage Nass' plane received after the mission it wasn't able to make it all the way back to Guam. They had to stop half way at Iwo Jima for repairs.

Each bomb group had 45 planes. Nass said when they arrived in Guam in February until they left in August after the war was over, 21 planes had gone down. Nass said his air commander or pilot had a mental breakdown so the crew spent six weeks waiting around for a new air commander.

"We were lucky that we didn't go down," Nass said. "Our crew would've went on quite a few more missions if our air commander wouldn't have left. Who knows what would have happened then." Nass said his bomb group was successful with the mission and the war ended a week later.