Monday, January 28, 2013

Wondering about WW2 in the South Pacific

I was born during Wold War Two so I don't remember too much about it.  Believe it or not, the only thing I can remember from that time is my Mother holding me and showing me a picture of my Dad.  Later, she told me she did that so that I would remember what he looked like when he came home.  My father escaped the horrors of the South Pacific when he was in the hospital with an intravenous blockage and his group shipped out and ended up on Batan Island.  I dug through the pictures on the internet and came up with this one of a typical island beach landing:

Not a pretty picture is it.

I was digging though some stuff while cleaning out my office and found some old pictures that my Mother had in her things.  It was really fun looking through these old pictures and then I came across one of my uncle during the big war when he was in the Navy and on a south Pacific island.  The note he put on the back was that he had gone native.  There was a U.S, Navy Censor stamp on the back with some snoopy guy's initials in it.

I would believe that this beach landing on this island was not quite the same as the one in the first picture.  What do you think?  It is such a nice day again here maybe I should put on my grass skirt and "go native".  Now you can do what you want to, but be sure to have a great day, you hear?
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11 comments:

  1. Andolphus GreyJanuary 28, 2013 at 10:18 AM

    If you go "native" please don't take any photos. :)

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  2. TROUBLEnTXJanuary 28, 2013 at 10:35 AM

    I remember Mother using those thingys for sugar, but that's all having do with the war. We lived on a farm.

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  3. Dizzy-DickJanuary 28, 2013 at 11:05 AM

    Sixbears, OK, I promise but if I did, I would have to find white grass to match my hair and beard.

    Trouble, not sure what thingies you are talking about unless you mean ration coupons.

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  4. Barney, The Old Fat ManJanuary 28, 2013 at 11:30 AM

    I did two amphibious landings in Nam and that is a horrible way to get on the land in combat. Those WWII guys in the Pacific had it miserable on a good day.

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    Replies
    1. EdJanuary 29, 2013 at 12:05 PM

      My one amphibious landing was by way of a LST, used as a ship tender, at Vung Tau off the USSN Walker. It was not too bad since no one was shooting at us but as you say it would have been a horrible way to get on the land if they had been.

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  5. HermitJimJanuary 28, 2013 at 11:34 AM

    Nothing good in a beach landing, unless you are one of the few that lived through it.

    Those guys had to make their fun when the could! I think that's a great attitude!

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  6. jimkabobJanuary 28, 2013 at 12:15 PM

    One thing you can say for certain, no matter how bleak things got, these guys never lossed their sense of humor. There was a reason they were called the Greatest Generation.

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  7. Dizzy-DickJanuary 28, 2013 at 2:11 PM

    Barney, I can not imagine what it was like. Thank you for serving your country.

    H.J., I would think that humor was about the only thing that could keep up the moral.

    Jimkabob, that truelly was the Greatest Generation and you Dad (the one in the grass skirt) was one of the greatest!!

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  8. The Odd EssayJanuary 28, 2013 at 4:58 PM

    It's amazing to me that your Dad could maintain a sense of humor in such a devastating situation. My Dad (born 1898) tried to enlist in both WW I and WW II, but was rejected because he had vision in only one eye. The biggest thing I remember is my Mom working that little bulb of red food coloring into that bag of white margarine to make it look like butter.

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  9. UnknownJanuary 28, 2013 at 5:51 PM

    It's certainly interesting to see what you find when you decide to clean up an office.

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  10. Dizzy-DickJanuary 28, 2013 at 6:39 PM

    The Odd Essay, it was my uncle in that picture. BTW, it was my job to spread the color into the bag of white margarine. Remember it well. It tasted the same white as it did yellow. One time my Mom was baking and had a cup of Crisco which I mistook for uncolored margarine. To my surprise it didn't taste too good when I stole a bite.

    Jill, it sure is and I am not done yet.

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