World War II History Thread

[PittsburghTiger 6175]

Today is the day, July 20, in 1944, that Operation Valkyrie did not succeed.

[retread 2951]

 

[Sbbruin 21829]

On 10/22/2018 at 4:47 PM, retread said:

 

I read a great book- The Winter Fortress- which I highly recommend.  

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Skiing you say ?  I'm in.....

[Armybrat 40820]

Good story to revive this interesting thread... The only American to serve in the US Army and the Soviet Army during WW2:

https://weirdrussia.com/2015/09/09/the-american-soldier-who-has-served-with-both-the-us-army-and-the-soviet-army-in-world-war-ii/

[SimonBolivar 10957]

If you're a gamer and a WW2 fan then you need to be playing Hearts of Iron IV.

 

 

I can't put it down 5 years later.

[4th and 5 4914]

30 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Good story to revive this interesting thread... The only American to serve in the US Army and the Soviet Army during WW2:

https://weirdrussia.com/2015/09/09/the-american-soldier-who-has-served-with-both-the-us-army-and-the-soviet-army-in-world-war-ii/

I’ve been to Saint Come du Momt to the church where he landed And started his sabotage operations before he was captured by the Germans. It’s a crazy story

[ImissWallyPryor 9046]

This was an excellent read. The military brass screwed with this guy his entire career. If it weren’t for Admiral Nimitz’ support, the Japanese codes may never have been broken in time for Midway.

Joe Rochefort's War: The Odyssey of the Codebreaker Who Outwitted Yamamoto at Midway

Edited April 3, 2021 by ImissWallyPryor
Too many images

[ImissWallyPryor 9046]

Whenever I hear someone say the movie was not as good as the book, I think of this. It is one of those stories that kind of pisses me off that Hollywood ever makes fictional war movies (or when they mess up a compelling true story like this one). Most people would think it’s way over-the-top if it weren’t true.

Louis Zamperini was young Olympian middle distance runner who would have likely been the first sub-4 minute miler if not for his WWII POW experience.

Edited April 3, 2021 by ImissWallyPryor

[Armybrat 40820]

Saw his story in a tv documentary 

[Brisketexan 105052]

 

Visited his statue in Alesund. “Badass” is an understatement.

[Guest]

Could use some help deciphering any of these photos, from a Nazi camera allegedly liberated on the way to Berlin...

This one is my favorite.  So much going on...

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

10 hours ago, ImissWallyPryor said:

Whenever I hear someone say the movie was not as good as the book, I think of this. It is one of those stories that kind of pisses me off that Hollywood ever makes fictional war movies (or when they mess up a compelling true story like this one). Most people would think it’s way over-the-top if it weren’t true.

Louis Zamperini was young Olympian middle distance runner who would have likely been the first sub-4 minute miler if not for his WWII POW experience.

A great read.

[Chad Fuck 17658]

Had not seen this before.  In.

BTW, I had a sunday school teacher who passed through one of the same POW camps as Zamperini.  They had remarkably similar stories.

 

 

[Armybrat 40820]

Oldest WW2 Medal of Honor recipient passes at 99.

Certified Badass.....RIP

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/04/08/charles-coolidge-medal-of-honor-recipient-who-fought-boldly-wwii-dead-99.html

Edited April 9, 2021 by Armybrat

[ImissWallyPryor 9046]

On 4/3/2021 at 9:34 AM, ImissWallyPryor said:

Whenever I hear someone say the movie was not as good as the book, I think of this. It is one of those stories that kind of pisses me off that Hollywood ever makes fictional war movies (or when they mess up a compelling true story like this one).

I jinxed myself a while back. My wife knows very well that I like WWII history, having read 100+ books on the subject. So now she’s decided to read some WWII fiction books. The latest is about a girl who was a taste tester for Hitler and who befriends an SS guard who she thinks has similar misgivings about Hitler. She had to tell me all the riveting details until she finally sensed my suffering. I told her that I was sorry, but I can’t handle made up stories on a subject I read 80% of the time. 

Edited April 12, 2021 by ImissWallyPryor

[ImissWallyPryor 9046]

On 10/30/2018 at 12:47 PM, Sbbruin said:

I read a great book- The Winter Fortress- which I highly recommend.  

I read an earlier book on this subject, I think it was this one although it definitely had a different cover. 

Regardless, it was the book that inspired the docuseries THE HEAVY WATER WAR: STOPPING HITLER’S ATOMIC BOMB which aired around the time of the book you read.

The unfortunate thing about the docuseries is they glossed over the most suspenseful (to me) part of the book involving the cross country skiing chase covering tens of miles involving a Norwegian saboteur being pursued by a Nazi. Both were accomplished cross country skiers, almost Surly level.  

Edited April 12, 2021 by ImissWallyPryor

[mininghorn88 2276]

5 hours ago, ImissWallyPryor said:

I jinxed myself a while back. My wife knows very well that I like WWII history, having read 100+ books on the subject. So now she’s decided to read some WWII fiction books. The latest is about a girl who was a taste tester for Hitler and who befriends an SS guard who she thinks has similar misgivings about Hitler. She had to tell me all the riveting details until she finally sensed my suffering. I told her that I was sorry, but I can’t handle made up stories on a subject I read 80% of the time. 

I can watch a fictitious war movie but never read a fictitious book about WW2.

[Armybrat 40820]

Not a W.E.B. Griffin (Butterworth) fan?

[Droopy 2626]

My grandfather was in the 2nd Armored Div in WW2 under Gen. Patton and was the .50 cal gunner on a tank. He never really talked about the stuff he saw or did until later in life, and then to only a select few people. I was in college at the time of his death and about 1-2 months before he passed he wanted to talk to me about his time in the military. I could tell that he needed to get stuff off of his chest and to, maybe, be forgiven a little and find some peace. Like most grandfathers, he was tough as nails and didn't take shit from anyone. Always calm, but he could stare right through anyone/thing and get his point across. I miss him. But after speaking with him and writing down some of his stories, I could tell he finally got a little of what he was looking for. Saying that the Nazi's did some messed up shit is an understatement, but his time in the French countryside was rough to say the least. Speaking of understatements, calling these people the "Greatest Generation" is one as well. Anyone that has to deal with war, and the effects of it, are special people in my eyes. My grandfather did not believe that he was special or great, but he told me that he fought because it felt like the right thing to do. He tried to watch Saving Private Ryan once, but had to leave in the first 10 minutes of the film. Too close to the real thing.

Most of the stories are sad, but he did have one cool thing happen. As stated above, lots of poker playing goes on and at the end of the war he was sitting on a train playing poker with 4 other guys, one of whom was Gen. Patton's driver. He and my grandfather are the last two in the hand and my grandfather made an "all in" bet for the hand. Patton's driver was taped out, but said he had something that Patton was given two of and Patton didn't want them both and he would lay that on the table to square the pot. My grandfather asked what it was, and the guy told him it was some sort of fancy map. Grandfather argues back and forth, but finally agrees to the addition of the map to square everything. My grandfather won the hand and got the money, and "that map". My father knows more details about the map, but apparently it was commissioned and given to Patton to commemorate his campaign. Patton kept one copy and gave the other to his driver because he didn't need two. The map that Patton kept is in the Smithsonian and looks old and worn. My grandfather never took his out of the container it was in unless he took it to Fort Hood during reunions towards the end of his life. Before he passed, my grandfather gave the map to my dad stating, "It's worth some money, and I'd rather it go to someone that will appreciate it instead of selling it, like the rest of the family would." My dad had it framed later that week and it has hung in his home office since that day. It will be mine one day, and it will hang in my home office as well. A print of the map is below for reference. I can't find my photo of it, but will take one and post it the next time I'm over at my parent's house.

Bless all those who fought in this war and the ones who still continue to fight.

I forgot to add my grandfather's thoughts when I asked him about Patton.

To the question, what was he like?:

"The only time I got to speak to him was when he visited a group of us in the "hospital". Basically, he was pissed off that we (the injured) weren't well enough to get back out there. He would ask how guys were doing but really he was tryin to see who was well enough to go back out and fight. He asked me where I was from and if I was healing. He was an asshole and I didn't like him, but he was a tough son of a bitch."

 

To the question of OU?:

They suck.

Edited April 29, 2021 by Droopy
Grandfather's thoughts on Patton and OU

[HouTex 1866]

Just finished Shirer’s The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich for the third time. Hitler was one lucky SOB for a long time. Evil too, of course.

[Ted Dantzler 149]

Cleaning out my grandfather's stuff I found a picture of the flight board they used to document each bombing run. This was one for a bombing run on Berlin, May 8th 1944.

I put it in a frame along with a poster for his unit and some other random items.

[Ted Dantzler 149]

Also found a couple of newspapers in a cubby in the garage. No idea how mice didn't get to them in the 50+ years but they were in pretty good shape.

[Gatorubet 30184]

My grandfather was in the 2nd Armored Div in WW2 under Gen. Patton and was the .50 cal gunner on a tank. He never really talked about the stuff he saw or did until later in life, and then to only a select few people. I was in college at the time of his death and about 1-2 months before he passed he wanted to talk to me about his time in the military. I could tell that he needed to get stuff off of his chest and to, maybe, be forgiven a little and find some peace. Like most grandfathers, he was tough as nails and didn't take shit from anyone. Always calm, but he could stare right through anyone/thing and get his point across. I miss him. But after speaking with him and writing down some of his stories, I could tell he finally got a little of what he was looking for. Saying that the Nazi's did some messed up shit is an understatement, but his time in the French countryside was rough to say the least. Speaking of understatements, calling these people the "Greatest Generation" is one as well. Anyone that has to deal with war, and the effects of it, are special people in my eyes. My grandfather did not believe that he was special or great, but he told me that he fought because it felt like the right thing to do. He tried to watch Saving Private Ryan once, but had to leave in the first 10 minutes of the film. Too close to the real thing.
Most of the stories are sad, but he did have one cool thing happen. As stated above, lots of poker playing goes on and at the end of the war he was sitting on a train playing poker with 4 other guys, one of whom was Gen. Patton's driver. He and my grandfather are the last two in the hand and my grandfather made an "all in" bet for the hand. Patton's driver was taped out, but said he had something that Patton was given two of and Patton didn't want them both and he would lay that on the table to square the pot. My grandfather asked what it was, and the guy told him it was some sort of fancy map. Grandfather argues back and forth, but finally agrees to the addition of the map to square everything. My grandfather won the hand and got the money, and "that map". My father knows more details about the map, but apparently it was commissioned and given to Patton to commemorate his campaign. Patton kept one copy and gave the other to his driver because he didn't need two. The map that Patton kept is in the Smithsonian and looks old and worn. My grandfather never took his out of the container it was in unless he took it to Fort Hood during reunions towards the end of his life. Before he passed, my grandfather gave the map to my dad stating, "It's worth some money, and I'd rather it go to someone that will appreciate it instead of selling it, like the rest of the family would." My dad had it framed later that week and it has hung in his home office since that day. It will be mine one day, and it will hang in my home office as well. A print of the map is below for reference. I can't find my photo of it, but will take one and post it the next time I'm over at my parent's house.
Bless all those who fought in this war and the ones who still continue to fight.
I forgot to add my grandfather's thoughts when I asked him about Patton.
To the question, what was he like?:
"The only time I got to speak to him was when he visited a group of us in the "hospital". Basically, he was pissed off that we (the injured) weren't well enough to get back out there. He would ask how guys were doing but really he was tryin to see who was well enough to go back out and fight. He asked me where I was from and if I was healing. He was an asshole and I didn't like him, but he was a tough son of a bitch."
 
To the question of OU?:
They suck.

Q

Cool map, but maybe not one of two??? Who cares. It is original to your pops and has a cool story.

[HouTex 1866]

Highly recommend The Splendid and the Vile by Eric Larsen. It’s about my Avatar’s family life during the blitz. London life continued largely uninterrupted while around 45k civilians in the city were killed in the bombings. Churchill’s daughter attended deb parties in the city while bombs were falling. One night a bomb destroyed their late night after party venue. They just went to another bar. I love their defiance. They were not pussies. God how I hate the 21st century.

[Post Oak 20205]

17 minutes ago, HouTex said:

Highly recommend The Splendid and the Vile by Eric Larsen. It’s about my Avatar’s family life during the blitz. London life continued largely uninterrupted while around 45k civilians in the city were killed in the bombings. Churchill’s daughter attended deb parties in the city while bombs were falling. One night a bomb destroyed their late night after party venue. They just went to another bar. I love their defiance. They were not pussies. God how I hate the 21st century.

+1

[mininghorn88 2276]

10 hours ago, Droopy said:

My grandfather was in the 2nd Armored Div in WW2 under Gen. Patton and was the .50 cal gunner on a tank. He never really talked about the stuff he saw or did until later in life, and then to only a select few people. I was in college at the time of his death and about 1-2 months before he passed he wanted to talk to me about his time in the military. I could tell that he needed to get stuff off of his chest and to, maybe, be forgiven a little and find some peace. Like most grandfathers, he was tough as nails and didn't take shit from anyone. Always calm, but he could stare right through anyone/thing and get his point across. I miss him. But after speaking with him and writing down some of his stories, I could tell he finally got a little of what he was looking for. Saying that the Nazi's did some messed up shit is an understatement, but his time in the French countryside was rough to say the least. Speaking of understatements, calling these people the "Greatest Generation" is one as well. Anyone that has to deal with war, and the effects of it, are special people in my eyes. My grandfather did not believe that he was special or great, but he told me that he fought because it felt like the right thing to do. He tried to watch Saving Private Ryan once, but had to leave in the first 10 minutes of the film. Too close to the real thing.

Most of the stories are sad, but he did have one cool thing happen. As stated above, lots of poker playing goes on and at the end of the war he was sitting on a train playing poker with 4 other guys, one of whom was Gen. Patton's driver. He and my grandfather are the last two in the hand and my grandfather made an "all in" bet for the hand. Patton's driver was taped out, but said he had something that Patton was given two of and Patton didn't want them both and he would lay that on the table to square the pot. My grandfather asked what it was, and the guy told him it was some sort of fancy map. Grandfather argues back and forth, but finally agrees to the addition of the map to square everything. My grandfather won the hand and got the money, and "that map". My father knows more details about the map, but apparently it was commissioned and given to Patton to commemorate his campaign. Patton kept one copy and gave the other to his driver because he didn't need two. The map that Patton kept is in the Smithsonian and looks old and worn. My grandfather never took his out of the container it was in unless he took it to Fort Hood during reunions towards the end of his life. Before he passed, my grandfather gave the map to my dad stating, "It's worth some money, and I'd rather it go to someone that will appreciate it instead of selling it, like the rest of the family would." My dad had it framed later that week and it has hung in his home office since that day. It will be mine one day, and it will hang in my home office as well. A print of the map is below for reference. I can't find my photo of it, but will take one and post it the next time I'm over at my parent's house.

Bless all those who fought in this war and the ones who still continue to fight.

I forgot to add my grandfather's thoughts when I asked him about Patton.

To the question, what was he like?:

"The only time I got to speak to him was when he visited a group of us in the "hospital". Basically, he was pissed off that we (the injured) weren't well enough to get back out there. He would ask how guys were doing but really he was tryin to see who was well enough to go back out and fight. He asked me where I was from and if I was healing. He was an asshole and I didn't like him, but he was a tough son of a bitch."

 

To the question of OU?:

They suck.

Perhaps your grandfather served with the Medical Officer that wore this uniform.  He made it overseas in July 1944 and received a campaign star for Central Europe.  He served in the Medical Detachment, 66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division.

 

[Gatorubet 30184]

My dad’s tank, “Blondie”. He was part of the St. Vith ‘Goose Egg’ defense that held up the German advance for about five crucial days during the Bulge.

Three months later he was one of the first US tanks in Germany. His unit (CCB of the 14th Tank Battalion, 9th Armored Division) stumbled upon the still intact Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen. History, as they say.

[Carl Spackler 3479]

1 hour ago, Gatorubet said:

My dad’s tank, “Blondie”. He was part of the St. Vith ‘Goose Egg’ defense that held up the German advance for about five crucial days during the Bulge.
 

One of my uncles was in Belgium when the Germans started their offensive.  He got assigned to man some lonely crossroads out in the countryside by himself at night.  Said it was dark as hell and he was as scared as he had ever been.  I remember him saying, "Hell, for all I knew, the whole German army was coming over the hill, and it was just me out there with a rifle."  Said when his relief finally showed up to take over, he was so happy. 

[mininghorn88 2276]

6 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

One of my uncles was in Belgium when the Germans started their offensive.  He got assigned to man some lonely crossroads out in the countryside by himself at night.  Said it was dark as hell and he was as scared as he had ever been.  I remember him saying, "Hell, for all I knew, the whole German army was coming over the hill, and it was just me out there with a rifle."  Said when his relief finally showed up to take over, he was so happy. 

[Droopy 2626]

On 4/29/2021 at 5:52 PM, Gatorubet said:

Q

Cool map, but maybe not one of two??? Who cares. It is original to your pops and has a cool story.

Ha! Yes, except his map is hand drawn and not shit out of a printer. Also, The Smithsonian offered him $250k for it. 

[Brisketexan 105052]

I read an earlier book on this subject, I think it was this one although it definitely had a different cover. 

Regardless, it was the book that inspired the docuseries THE HEAVY WATER WAR: STOPPING HITLER’S ATOMIC BOMB which aired around the time of the book you read.

The unfortunate thing about the docuseries is they glossed over the most suspenseful (to me) part of the book involving the cross country skiing chase covering tens of miles involving a Norwegian saboteur being pursued by a Nazi. Both were accomplished cross country skiers, almost Surly level.  

Got to see the memorial to Ronneberg....one of history’s biggest badasses....in Alesund, Norway a couple of summers ago. They LOVE him. And they still hate them some Nazis.




And after Gunnerside, they had to ski cross country - LITERALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY - all the way to Sweden. Bad. Asses.

[Fuck Tim Beck 3815]

On 4/29/2021 at 11:28 PM, mininghorn88 said:

Perhaps your grandfather served with the Medical Officer that wore this uniform.  He made it overseas in July 1944 and received a campaign star for Central Europe.  He served in the Medical Detachment, 66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division.

 

This is really cool. My grandfather's uniform is still stored away at my parent's house. 

My grandfather was the medical officer for the 893rd Tank Destroyer Battalion. They came to Camp Hood 

in late 42 or early 43 from Ft. Meade since Hood was the new tank destroyer training center. 

Got to Europe D+28 if I remember correctly.  I never got to meet him. He died in 1965 from his fourth heart attack. 

Mom said he never talked about the war to anyone. Fortunately my mom and grandmother kept everything from his service. 

We even have all the letters he wrote home to my grandmother which is really cool.  My grandmother always had this bumper sticker on her

car. As a kid i had no idea what it was, just that it was cool looking. 

 

[mininghorn88 2276]

41 minutes ago, Fuck Tim Beck said:

This is really cool. My grandfather's uniform is still stored away at my parent's house. 

My grandfather was the medical officer for the 893rd Tank Destroyer Battalion. They came to Camp Hood 

in late 42 or early 43 from Ft. Meade since Hood was the new tank destroyer training center. 

Got to Europe D+28 if I remember correctly.  I never got to meet him. He died in 1965 from his fourth heart attack. 

Mom said he never talked about the war to anyone. Fortunately my mom and grandmother kept everything from his service. 

We even have all the letters he wrote home to my grandmother which is really cool.  My grandmother always had this bumper sticker on her

car. As a kid i had no idea what it was, just that it was cool looking. 

 

That is awesome that you have much of his stuff. Ensure that the uniform is properly stored as moths love wool! No matter the cleanliness of your house moths always show up!

[Gatorubet 30184]

Ha! Yes, except his map is hand drawn and not shit out of a printer. Also, The Smithsonian offered him $250k for it. 

Way cool then! I have a similar map from my dad’s 9th Armored Division. I think that was pretty common for units to create them before they left service/deactivation. But it makes sense that there was an original or two hand-drawn that was the source of the thousands of maps given the troops.

Congrats!

[Fuck Tim Beck 3815]

37 minutes ago, mininghorn88 said:

That is awesome that you have much of his stuff. Ensure that the uniform is properly stored as moths love wool! No matter the cleanliness of your house moths always show up!

Yeah fortunately my mom was meticulous about storing it correctly. She even loaned it to Ft. Hood for a display a number of years ago. 

[Bogeywon 2519]

On 4/29/2021 at 3:18 PM, HouTex said:

Just finished Shirer’s The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich for the third time. Hitler was one lucky SOB for a long time. Evil too, of course.

I listened to the audiobook. LOOOOONGEST book by a mile I’ve ever listened to but GREAT book

[Texzilla58 4731]

Yeah fortunately my mom was meticulous about storing it correctly. She even loaned it to Ft. Hood for a display a number of years ago. 

Had the fucking French come down hard on the Germans when Hitler remiliterized the Rhineland he might have gotten Mussolinied. The what if historians don’t see a restoration of the Republic but either a return to the autocracy of the Kaiser and Junkers, or a new communist state. Both probably still result in a war.

[HouTex 1866]

8 hours ago, Texzilla58 said:

Had the fucking French come down hard on the Germans when Hitler remiliterized the Rhineland he might have gotten Mussolinied. The what if historians don’t see a restoration of the Republic but either a return to the autocracy of the Kaiser and Junkers, or a new communist state. Both probably still result in a war.

That, or the French/English would have easily defeated him.  

[TexPx 2322]

Dug this Yosegaki Hinomaru out of my Mom’s closet before the moths decimated it. Luckily most of the writing is still legible. Taken from a soldier in the battle of Balete Pass in Northern Luzon.

This will be on its way back to Japan via the OBON Society.

https://obonsociety.org/eng/page/yosegaki-hinomaru

[Carl Spackler 3479]

Didn't want to create a new thread just for this, so I figured I'd put it here.  It gave me a laugh.  Knowing the type of, uh, unique individual Bader was, the story is probably true.  

[HouTex 1866]

I recently read The Few by Alex Kershaw.  Great book.  It’s about several American flyers that joined the RAF in the summer of 1940.  Because they were violating the neutrality laws they basically had to smuggle themselves out of the country through Canada.  

[AUinHsv 579]

1 hour ago, Carl Spackler said:

Didn't want to create a new thread just for this, so I figured I'd put it here.  It gave me a laugh.  Knowing the type of, uh, unique individual Bader was, the story is probably true.  

Bader would deserve his own thread.  He flew and fought with two artificial legs. He was shot down and lost one of them. An arrangement was made for a British plane to drop a new leg one night. After getting them Bader tried to escape and as punishment the Germans took at least one of his legs away every night.

[Parliament 14231]

On 4/3/2021 at 9:34 AM, ImissWallyPryor said:

Whenever I hear someone say the movie was not as good as the book, I think of this. It is one of those stories that kind of pisses me off that Hollywood ever makes fictional war movies (or when they mess up a compelling true story like this one). Most people would think it’s way over-the-top if it weren’t true.

Louis Zamperini was young Olympian middle distance runner who would have likely been the first sub-4 minute miler if not for his WWII POW experience.

It's a tremendous story of course, but what makes the book is Hillenbrand's writing.  She is so good at putting you right in the action.  I remember one passage in particular where she described the danger of flying on the B24 Shitbox.  Gave me nightmares.  Literally.

[PRONG HORN 3131]

 

Pascal Cleatus Poolaw, Sr., the most decorated Native American soldier in US history

4 Silver Stars

5 Bronze Stars

3 Purple Hearts

He earned a total of 42 medals and citations.

Born on January 29, 1922, in Apache, Oklahoma, Poolaw, a full-blooded Kiowa, served with the United States Army in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Poolaw, his father and two brothers joined the Armed forces in 1942 during World War II. He earned his first Purple Heart when he was wounded in September 1944. While serving with the 8th Infantry Regiment's M Company near Recogne, Belgium, Poolaw's unit was engaging fire with the Germans. He pushed his unit forward under heavy fire and hurled hand grenades at enemy machine guns, causing numerous enemy casualties and as a result of his heroic actions, many of his comrades lives were saved and the company was able to continue the attack and capture strongly defended enemy positions.

Poolaw's military career did not end in Belgium ow with Germans. During the Korean War, Poolaw saw combat and was wounded again and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, a second Purple Heart, and two more Silver Stars.

He returned to the U.S. in 1952 and retired from the Army ten years later. This is not where his military career ends.

During the Vietnam War, all four of the Poolaw's sons were in the military. In February 1967, his son, Pascal Jr., was injured by a landmine in Vietnam. This injury resulted in amputation of his right leg below the knee. Poolaw’s youngest son, Lindy, was also drafted. Afraid of what could happen to his sons as the war progressed, Poolaw rejoined the Army at the age of 45. Giving up his rank as a 2nd Lieutenant with the intentions of serving in direct combat, Poolaw hoped to keep his youngest son away from the front lines by taking his place. Regulations prohibited two members of the same family from serving in combat at the same time without their consent. Unfortunately, by the time he arrived on the West Coast, Lindy had left for Vietnam the day before.

Poolaw was deployed on May 31, 1967 as a first sergeant of the 26th Infantry Regiment's C Company. His last Silver Star was for an event that occurred a few months later. On November 7, 1967, Poolaw's unit were part of a search and destroy mission near the village of Loc Ninh. Poolaw and his unit were ambushed by the Viet Cong force with intensive claymore mine, rocket, small arms, and automatic weapons fire. While wounded, he continued moving among his squad making sure everyone was positioned properly while pulling casualties back.

As Poolaw was carrying a wounded soldier to safety, he was struck by a rocket propelled grenade and killed. For his heroic actions Poolaw was awarded a Silver Star and a third Purple Heart posthumously. " He has followed the trail of the great chiefs," his wife Irene said at Poolaw's funeral. His people hold him in honor and highest esteem. He has given his life for the people and the country he loved so much."

 

 

 

 

[Armybrat 40820]

A story from 2011 about the discovery & excavation of tunnels from the “Great Escape” in WW2:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2064068/Tunnel-time-Revealed-67-years-passage-used-Great-Escape.html

In a related post from the source is this interesting story about escape maps…..

Quote

In a related post:
Many of the recent generations have no true notion of the cost in lives and treasure that were paid for the liberties that we enjoy in this United States. They also have no idea in respect of the lengths that the “greatest generation” went to in order to preserve those liberties. Below is one true, small and entertaining story regarding those measures that are well worth reading, even if the only thing derived from the story is entertainment.
Escape from WWII POW Camps — starting in 1940, an increasing number of British and Canadian Airmen found themselves as the involuntary guests of the Third Reich, and the Crown was casting about for ways and means to facilitate their escape.
Now obviously, one of the most helpful aids to that end is a useful and accurate map, one showing not only where stuff was, but also showing the locations of 'safe houses' where a POW on-the-lam could go for food and shelter.
Paper maps had some real drawbacks -- they make a lot of noise when you open and fold them, they wear out rapidly, and if they get wet, they turn into mush.
Someone in MI-5 (similar to America's OSS) got the idea of printing escape maps on silk. It's durable, can be scrunched-up into tiny wads and, unfolded as many times as needed and, makes no noise whatsoever.
At that time, there was only one manufacturer in Great Britain that had perfected the technology of printing on silk, and that was John Waddington Ltd When approached by the government, the firm was only too happy to do its bit for the war effort.
By pure coincidence, Waddington was also the U.K. Licensee for the popular American board game Monopoly. As it happened, 'games and pastimes' was a category of item qualified for insertion into 'CARE packages', dispatched by the International Red Cross to prisoners of war.
Under the strictest of secrecy, in a securely guarded and inaccessible old workshop on the grounds of Waddington's, a group of sworn-to-secrecy employees began mass-producing escape maps, keyed to each region of Germany, Italy, and France or wherever Allied POW camps were located. When processed, these maps could be folded into such tiny dots that they would actually fit inside a Monopoly playing piece.
As long as they were at it, the clever workmen at Waddington's also managed to add:
1 A playing token, containing a small magnetic compass
2. A two-part metal file that could easily be screwed together
3. Useful amounts of genuine high-denomination German, Italian, and French currency, hidden within the piles of Monopoly money!
British and American air crews were advised, before taking off on their first mission, how to identify a 'rigged' Monopoly set – by means of a tiny red dot, one cleverly rigged to look like an ordinary printing glitch, located in the corner of the Free Parking square.
Of the estimated 35,000 Allied POWS who successfully escaped, an estimated one-third were aided in their flight by the rigged Monopoly sets. Everyone who did so was sworn to secrecy indefinitely, since the British Government might want to use this highly successful ruse in still another, future war.
The story wasn't declassified until 2007, when the surviving craftsmen from Waddington's, as well as the firm itself, were finally honored in a public ceremony.
It's always nice when you can play that 'Get Out of Jail' Free' card!
Some readers of this email are probably too young to have any personal connection to WWII (Sep. '39 to Aug. '45), but this is still an interesting bit of history for everyone to know.

 

Edited June 14, 2023 by Armybrat

[Texzilla58 4731]

A story from 2011 about the discovery & excavation of tunnels from the “Great Escape” in WW2:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2064068/Tunnel-time-Revealed-67-years-passage-used-Great-Escape.html
In a related post from the source is this interesting story about escape maps…..

In a related post:
Many of the recent generations have no true notion of the cost in lives and treasure that were paid for the liberties that we enjoy in this United States. They also have no idea in respect of the lengths that the “greatest generation” went to in order to preserve those liberties. Below is one true, small and entertaining story regarding those measures that are well worth reading, even if the only thing derived from the story is entertainment.
Escape from WWII POW Camps — starting in 1940, an increasing number of British and Canadian Airmen found themselves as the involuntary guests of the Third Reich, and the Crown was casting about for ways and means to facilitate their escape.
Now obviously, one of the most helpful aids to that end is a useful and accurate map, one showing not only where stuff was, but also showing the locations of 'safe houses' where a POW on-the-lam could go for food and shelter.
Paper maps had some real drawbacks -- they make a lot of noise when you open and fold them, they wear out rapidly, and if they get wet, they turn into mush.
Someone in MI-5 (similar to America's OSS) got the idea of printing escape maps on silk. It's durable, can be scrunched-up into tiny wads and, unfolded as many times as needed and, makes no noise whatsoever.
At that time, there was only one manufacturer in Great Britain that had perfected the technology of printing on silk, and that was John Waddington Ltd When approached by the government, the firm was only too happy to do its bit for the war effort.
By pure coincidence, Waddington was also the U.K. Licensee for the popular American board game Monopoly. As it happened, 'games and pastimes' was a category of item qualified for insertion into 'CARE packages', dispatched by the International Red Cross to prisoners of war.
Under the strictest of secrecy, in a securely guarded and inaccessible old workshop on the grounds of Waddington's, a group of sworn-to-secrecy employees began mass-producing escape maps, keyed to each region of Germany, Italy, and France or wherever Allied POW camps were located. When processed, these maps could be folded into such tiny dots that they would actually fit inside a Monopoly playing piece.
As long as they were at it, the clever workmen at Waddington's also managed to add:
1 A playing token, containing a small magnetic compass
2. A two-part metal file that could easily be screwed together
3. Useful amounts of genuine high-denomination German, Italian, and French currency, hidden within the piles of Monopoly money!
British and American air crews were advised, before taking off on their first mission, how to identify a 'rigged' Monopoly set – by means of a tiny red dot, one cleverly rigged to look like an ordinary printing glitch, located in the corner of the Free Parking square.
Of the estimated 35,000 Allied POWS who successfully escaped, an estimated one-third were aided in their flight by the rigged Monopoly sets. Everyone who did so was sworn to secrecy indefinitely, since the British Government might want to use this highly successful ruse in still another, future war.
The story wasn't declassified until 2007, when the surviving craftsmen from Waddington's, as well as the firm itself, were finally honored in a public ceremony.
It's always nice when you can play that 'Get Out of Jail' Free' card!
Some readers of this email are probably too young to have any personal connection to WWII (Sep. '39 to Aug. '45), but this is still an interesting bit of history for everyone to know.

 

Thanks for this story. As big a wwii history buff as I am and this story missed me.