Anyone watching "The War" on PBS?

[cwsmith]

I've always been interested in WWII and have found Ken Burn's documentary fairly accurate. I very much like his perspective from the "homefront". Unless you lived during those times, I think it is difficult to understand the impact it had on daily life.

I was born in 1944, my Dad met my Mom while in the south training in 1942. My paternal grandparents lived in Wellsboro, PA at the time, having moved from Binghamton in the mid-thirties. The family was rather large with seven boys and two girls.

My Uncle Lawrence was lost with the Oklahoma when she was sank at Pearl Harbor. Five or the six remaining boys (including my Dad) enlisted almost immediately. The sixth uncle couldn't get in because of a back injury.

Soon after I was born, my Mom came up to PA to stay, as the living conditions were much better on the farm, and news, letters from all the boys, etc. was also better. Also, with an infant (me), the farm eased some of the shortages like milk, eggs, etc.

I know my Dad served in the Pacific, with the Army. The photo he had taken on his return to the states, shows him as a Staff Sargeant and with the insignia indicating he was in artillery. He's wearing two gunnery medals with several bars, as well as two rows of service ribbons... beyond that, the war simply wasn't a point of conversation. I've always been curious, but repectful and frankly, Dad just wouldn't talk about the war, not even with his friends and brothers.

My uncles were like that too. While the old farm house had lots of memorabilia, including those large rotoscope photos of military units, I never once heard any war stories from anyone. There were also a couple of silk pillows and some painted sea shells from various areas in the Pacific. I always figured my Uncle Lawrence sent those home before he was killed. I knew he had been in the Navy for awhile and had been to the Philippines (he had a wife and son there). I could never bring myself to ask, as the "war" always seemed to be a taboo subject. I do know "the boys" served in the Navy, Army, and Marines, with all but two serving in the Pacific theater. Fortunately they all came home.

On occasion, my grandfather would talk about the "rationing" and how he used to take milk and eggs to the local hospital and help out with scrap drives etc. My grandfather was from the "old country" and the farm was pretty self-sufficient with cows, chickens, and a couple of draft horses for the plow and other implements.

Here in Painted Post, the Ingersoll-Rand plant was 100% into the war effort. Before I retired, one of my responsibilities was the company photo file. The plant made engines for liberty ships, compressor starters for B-24's and a wealth of other equipment. There was even a picture of a couple of the exec's of the time, sitting on an anti-aircraft gun, out in front of the building. There's still a memorial photo plaque of more than thirty men who didn't come back from the war.

"The War" series is a nice tribute to the men and the country. It doesn't neglect some of the discriminations either. It does do a great job, IMO, of how it effected every community in the country.

CWS

[Perfidiajoe]

I almost feel as if I were there, my father & his 4 brothers, my mother's 5 brothers all served covering all branches. And I can't forget the men my aunts married, most of them were vets also. My dad was Navy in the Pacific, I heard many of his stories. The uncle I was closest with, my mother's brother, was with the Army 4th. Div. they made the D-Day invasion first wave. He lasted 17 days after that, as he described it, his heavy mortor took a direct hit, the other 3 guys he was with KIA he was lucky, he wound up with a paralysed right arm. All said the same thing, "There's a war on, we did what we had to do." My mother's story, (aunts also) they worked in defense factories, most making clothing, one making boots. They would tell me of rationing, giving up a days pay for the war effort, & such. when I was young, and wanted to say no to me about something, it came as a "When I was your age" story, always about the war. I hated those stories then, but I sure miss them now. I remember, I believe, every one of them, & use bits & pieces of them now & again.

[TB Roye]

I was born in Sacramento in September 1942. My Dad enlisted in the Army shortly after Pearl Harbor and served in the Alutians(spelling) untill injured in a accident and was discharged. He also was guard at an interment camp before going over seas. He was in his early 30's when he enlisted after coming from Sweeden in the early 1930's. I was named after my Uncle Tom and B-17 Bombadier(1st Name) and my Dad (middle name Bernth) While my dad is gone my uncle Tom is still going at 92. I was too young to remember much all I can remember is the family was all upset when as I found out later President Rosevelt died. The were 3 major military bases in Sacramento at that time 2 air base and on Army Depot (repairing equipment) they were all closed in the late 80's and early 90's. While the men in our family were serving in various services the women and young childer lived in my mom's uncles house, which one of my cousins later bought and restored. There is a Ken Burke interviewed in the program, who later worked with my Dad for a major Department store. The was a large population of Japanese in Sacramento who were interned for the war. They had to dispose of their property and many in Sacramento bought the property for $1 and sold it back to the various families after the war. I went through School and later worked with many Japanese kids who were born in the interment camps, but they never talked about it until much later It is interesting seeing pictures of Sacramento as that is how I remember it after the war. I do remember the Victory Gardens after the war as we had one. I can also remember playing war and killing Japs and at the time didn't know any better. I only know of one member of the family killed during that time my Aunts Brother died in a plane crash, was never found, on a secret mission of some kind, never did find out what is was all about. Have enjoyd the series so far, as it is part of my history and in some ways shaped who I am.

In 1994 LOML, I and our youngest son went tho England to vist our oldest Son and his wife who were both in the Air Force (RAF Chicksands) We got ther shortly after the D-Day aninversary. One Day I took my Son's out the America Cemetary at Cambridge. How impressive. There is a wall listing the missing in action, including Joe Kennedy and Glenn MIller. As we walked among the graves I pointed out to my son's that the men buried there were their age and the sacrafices of these men is the reason we have what we have today. For the next hour they walked seperatly looking at the graves and stoped at one grave that still had flowers for the Memorial service on June 6th. I saw both of them break down as the looked at the ribbon on the flowers, It said Husband, Father, Grandfather. It brought the war home to me like nothing else. I think all kids should visit one of these cemeteries and get an understanding what we have is a result of these brave men. There were also 3 graves from Dessert Storm also.

Tom

Tom

[MilDoc]

Yep, love it. Very moving, especially listening to the vets and families. In college I read a lot of books about WWII, the Nazis, concentration camps, etc. One thing Burn's does make very clear - the number of idiot mistakes that cost lots of lives by Allied commanders (Anzio, etc).

[TB Roye]

PBS and maybe Ken Burns did a documentry using the P47 Pilot for Lavene Minnisota back around the 50 aniversary of D-day. The used his letter and his girl friends letters as part of the story. He ended up flying P-51s later. He did all the commentary during the documentry. Glad to see he is still around. Have a good framily friend from church who was a B24 pilot in the Pacific. He was supposed to have been highly decorated but a SNAFU and a corrupt Commanding Officer deprived him of his medals. In the mid 80's at the end of a church service the husband of the pastors daughter, was a retired fighter pilot in the Air Force came forward in full uniform along with 3 Star General and asked Chet to come forward. The surviving member of his crew also were there an came forward and we presented the missing medal. It was very stirring. Not a dry eye in the church.

Tom