Stories about veterans

[squawberryman]

As Ronnie and Jamey chimed in with stories about veterans on another thread, here's mine. When I was in junior high and knew everything I was in some gifted classes and had a teacher named Mr. Canning. He ended up kicking me out of his class. I found out last year that he was a pilot of a P38 and was on the sortie with the squadron that shot down Yamamoto. I wish I could have known him. If you have one, please offer.

[squawberryman]

Okay so here's the truth, my claim above is incorrect.

militaryaviationchronicles.com/wwii/doug-canning-recalls-guadalcanal-air-war/

[jbreland6128]

Mr. Canning seems like an interesting fellow. There appear to be many accounts of the Yamamoto mission he was on, and a lot controversy as to whom did what as far as the actual shooting down of the plane. There are even some oral recorded histories.
Thanks for sharing.
Jamie

[wendigo]

I'll expand a bit on the story of my friend's father. Iwo Jima was actually his third combat beach landing, the other two were Pelelieu and New Britain. None of the three were pleasant, but for sheer misery on top of danger it's possible that New Britain was the worst. Wet, raining with a series of undulating ridges and valleys filled with vegetation and snipers. He said that no one was clean, shaved or in a proper uniform. For the most part they looked more like pirates, cutoff trousers, beards and jewelry made from spent cases. When it came time for newsreel footage they'd bring fresh guys up from the rear. Not pleasant tales with the overarching themes being brutality and tragedy, but they were awe inspiring, in the most literal sense.

Another friend, who just passed in '18 at age 95 went through WW2 flight training with Pursuit School at Luke in '44. He was kept stateside and made a courier, flying classified documents around in a P-47. He was disappointed at not having made it into combat, but getting those papers to whoever needed to see them was likely a worthy contribution to the war effort.

[aciera]

This is a good thread.

[marlin35]

My great grandfather who I was blessed to get 16 years of my life with, told me many stories about his time in WWII. He made the practice landing in Africa prior to D-Day, and was the jeep driver/security detail for his commander. At one point, he had forgotten something in his jeep halfway to whatever building he was about to enter, and as he turned around to go get whatever he had forgotten, artillery landed in the room he had been about to enter. He said he climbed out of the rubble, grabbed his m1 carbine, and engaged the enemy. He also told stories of fighting the Germans through Italy, and chasing the “explicit krauts” back to where they came from. He was a wonderful man.

[bushog]

I’m lucky to have worked with a lot of Veterans, mostly WW2. Many of them were either in the Pacific or on their way preparing for the invasion of Japan (the way it was told to me so if the history is wrong…). When the bombs were dropped and put an end to things many came to the Laboratory in Los Alamos to help fight the Cold War by helping to develop and test our nuclear arsenal. They were so proud to be able to continue the work that, the way they viewed it, saved their and their friends lives and stopped the killing that effected so many. Very few of those guys around any more but I’ll never forget their gratitude and enthusiasm for the work they did. The knowledge they took with them of the above ground tests may never be again. I miss those old fellas….and their stories. The new generation of workers at the Lab will never have “it” or even know…

[brant]

My paternal grandpa worked in the east Texas oil and natural gas fields. Due to his job being a high priority, he was to stay home and work. He was issued a rifle, crate of ammo, and a helmet. This was to protect the oil wells. He was never given any training or instruction. No one ever asked for any of it back after the war either, and he traded them all to a salesman for some pots and pans for Mamaw having never fired a shot. For unrelated reasons he was the best man I have ever known.

[squawberryman]

Brant can you frame the time period on this?

[brant]

During WW2.

[mart]

Two days a week I haul bulk mail to rural post offices. At one of them last week the postmaster said he was going to be out for a week. I asked about his vacation plans and he said he was going to his grandfather’s funeral. Then told me his grandfather had been in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Survived the European theater unscathed, wounded in Korea and survived an explosion in Vietnam.

The list of three war vets must be pretty short.

[kooz]

While stationed in Texas , I worked in the evenings at a machine shop that was owned by a retired Col. (Larry Trout) who had served in WWII in the infantry , then switched to Army Air Corps mid war and flew B-26 bombers , participated in the Berlin airlift , flew in Korea and also flew in Vietnam .

[blacktailslayer]

I know of one three war veteran - Marion Carl. I worked for his brother on their ranch in Hubbard Oregon while in Jr. high and some in high school on their hay crew. He was a WWII ace and a test pilot where he and Chuck Yeager traded records trying to out-do one another. When he came home to visit he sometimes flew himself and always buzzed the ranch to let everyone know he was home and to come and pick him up at the Portland Air Base. He is on the wall of fame at the McMinnville, Or air museum where the spruce goose is.

Very decorated and accomplished man, I got to meet him once not knowing his history. He was just a normal guy and wanted to know more about a 13 year old kid hauling hay for his brother. The sad ending to his story is that he was taken out by a bad guy in his living room while defending his wife during a break-in after he was retired.


Don D.

[Grumpybuzzard]

Sam, My friend, Mom's (now deceased significant other), Volunteer Medic in Vietnam, still volunteers at the VA, lives in a Vetrans community house by choice, and one solid guy.
Sam on the left, 1966 Time magazine picture. Not a 3 war guy but I am sure he did his share.

[ridenshoot]

Mr. Linderfelt was our librarian at my grade school and we, as young children, always considered him to be very odd.  We all knew that he had survived the Bataan Death March and we were also aware of the detrimental effects it had on his health.  It is unfortunate, however, that we never truly understood what a horrific thing he endured and survived when so many others did not.  My father (a Marine Corp, Korean War Veteran) held Mr. Linderfelt in very high regard and as I grew older and more educated I came to understand why. This man is what America was once made of, the likes of which, I seriously doubt we will ever see again.  I had not thought of this man in a very long time, this thread lead me to search for him and this is what I found.

WILLIAM R. LINDERFELT (Murphys) — A memorial service will be conducted at 2 pm Tuesday at St James Episcopal Church, Sonora for William Robert Linderfelt who died Friday In his home in Murphys after a long illness. Burial will be in the Arlington National Cemetery. Linderfelt, a Marine Corps veteran of World War II, was a survivor of the Bataan Death March In the Philippines. While a prisoner of war for three and a half years Mr Linderfelt suffered sight and hearing impairment. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Stanford Universilty and formerly taught at Anderson High School, in Anderson where he was a member of the City Council. He taught political science at Summerville High School in Tuolumne City after moving to Tuolumne County in the early 80s. He later became the school librarian, retiring three years ago. He moved to Murphys a year ago. He was a boy scout troop leader and an avid horseman.