thecommander

Hi Guys,

It has been a very hectic fall for me. I battled my tanks in Texas and in Danville VA (twice) and ran two NEAD tank events within 6 weeks of each other. So, when a buddy of mine (a retired Lt. from my PD) Bill "Gunny" Reilly called me to go bird hunting for pheasant and chukar partridge, I jumped at the chance. Another mutual friend, Ray Kooman, belongs to an exclusive hunting and fishing club in Amwell, NJ. It is top shelf hunting with plenty of wing shooting over German Short-haired pointers. It was bitterly cold and clear with fresh snow on the ground this morning as we drove the two hours to the club, Ray, age 87, stared out the window of my Tahoe and matter of factly stated "Yep, 66 years ago today and about this time and in weather just like this, a Kraut major came into town under a white flag and told us all to surrender or we'll be dead in one hour."

I've been buddies with Ray since joining the police department in 1982 just a few years after Gunny. Ray doesn't like to talk too much about WW II but every now an then I can get him to open up. It was very rare that he started the converstaion today about his trip across Europe from Normandy to Bastogne. We talked for about 1/2 an hour about the hedgerows, 88s, flamethowers, his time in Ranger school, his way to heavy BAR and how he traded up to a "borrowed" Thompson near St. Lo. He spoke of the agony of surrender but "what can you do with small arms and a few grenades against a King Tiger." He didn't even know the Germans had any tanks that big. In a few weeks he would be in a POW camp near Hanover until the camp was over-run by the Allies later that spring. He told how he was to get the Bronze Star on Dec 17th, 1945 is Bastogne but that never happened since Piper had other plans for the 28th Div. that day. He finally did get it along with his Purple Heart. But by then he was 40 pounds lighter. I've only seen his scrap book once and all the medals still in their boxes. He is a wealth of information and talks in great detail. He rattles off the weight of his guns, with and without ammo, and recalls the pro and cons of each weapon. He didn't like having two guys carrying the extra BAR ammo. He also toted two 1911 45s which he liked very much since the ammo was that was same as his Thompson.

Ray walks a little slower now, uses the trails instead of busting thru the brush and shoots fewer birds each season. But, he has two new hips courtesy of the V A that he puts to good use working that bird-dog. I hope that he lives to be 100 years old and that he continues to treat me like the son her buried 6 years ago.

Thanks Ray. And thank you to all our veterans who survived Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge, December 16th, 1944.

Bob

Here is a brief video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVTZP1I_Fk

jasonthehunted

I lost my granddad this past April. Army Air Corps veteran of Italian Campaign, DDay, Market Garden, and The Bulge. Salute to your friend and to all others.

HAL_HUSKER

sometimes when i read stories like that (also about our vets), my eyes become wet...
greets to your vet-fellow, wishing good health.

YHR

Thanks for the story.

They went through so much. We owe them so much

I friend of my related the story of an old vet who took our society to task. Apparently he had a heavy foot and was pulled over often for exceending the speed limit. Nothing dangerous, just slightly faster then posted. HE fought every ticket, and wore his medals to traffic court. The story is he never did have to pay a ticket. What I like most about that story is the realization from the judges, that this guy was owed something. For the judges it was letting them off on a ticket, but each one of us can do somehitng when we encounter a vet.

This Christmas the nursing homes are full of "old people" . Well a large majority of these Old frial people were wearing a uniform and served when called upon. Perhaps they might like a donut, Tim Hortins coffee and a visitor this Holiday season.

thecommander

Thanks guys,
Ray is a real gem. I know no one like him. I think the reason he chose that day to go hunting with me and my ex-partner Bill from the PD, was to get his mind off the events of that infamous date in his life. One the way back home I asked him if he called his WW II buddy he was intered with as a POW. Ray called him the Deacon since he became a pastor in Wisconsin after the war. Ray said that he had died a few months ago at age 89. I'm glad we were able to serve as a pleasant distraction for him on Thursday. I think that is why he brought it up earlier that morning. It must have been weighing on his mind.

We plan to go hunting again just after his 88th birthday on Dec. 26th. I hope to get some more pix and video with him so I can preserve these moments for my golden years.

Ray has my PBA cards and a Ex-POW license plate on his car. In my department your friend with the lead foot probably wouldn't have gotten a ticket to begin with, but a written warning insead.

Bob

PS I just uploaded a short video here and on the intial post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVTZP1I_Fk

candycab

Funny how life goes and sometimes sad when you realize you let amazing opportunities pass bye without notice. Over the years I have come into contact with many WWII veterans like your friend and while I had some idea of what they went through while serving I was never able to appreciate the magnitude of it all. As I have gotten older I have come to realize the sacrifices our Veterans have endured and try as we might there just no way we could ever thank them enough for their service.

I Joined the USMC on my 18th Birthday and before I even had a year in we[ 3rd AABn 15th MEU ] deployed on a year long stay in Kuwait for Desert Shield where we took the Kuwait International Airport after 5 days of fighting. We came home to Pendleton then shipped out to Mogadishu in 1992 and stayed until 1995 for Operation Restore Hope. It was a long haul and I got a few ribbons etc, to this day I don't see how it could ever compare to serving during WWII. Technology makes War easy, probably too easy and our guys in WWII didn't have the luxury of technology. I think they did it all with endless Tenacity and Brute Force and I thank them all for it. 

They are all our true Heroes and really did change the world for the better, the rest of us youngsters were just doing our job. 

When I got out I joined The California Highway Patrol and had a great career until 2007/2008 when a bad day left me with a medical retirement. Now turning 40 I feel older than my years even though I'm still a youngster to most.

I feel odd posting all this but I wanted you to have a clear picture of where I'm coming from if that makes any sense.

Tell Ray Thanks and buy the man a Beer for me  I'm also a Ray bye the way

thecommander

You just have to make the best of what you have Ray. I wanted to be an M P and hopefully get stationed in Germany when I was in H S . My dad and older cousin did everything they could to talk me out of it. My dad had been in the Army and my cousin, Gene, had just reutrned from a few years in Vietman with the Air Force. Carter was the "Commander and Chief" but he evicerated the Armed Forces so much that my family wanted me to wait til after college. I got hired at 19 in the Fall of my second year and that was that. A DWI driver tried to end my carrer in 1988 when he hit my Chevy Caprice broadside the the driver's door. My wifes uncle was a commander of a tank destroyer in WW II but he never talked about it much. I might get to see a picture here of there, but he never did open up. He died suddenly about 7 years ago before I got inot the RC tanks. Another opportunity lost. I can get Ray to talk but he doesn't like too many people around when doing so. No wonder they are call the Greatest Generation. I think living thru the Depression made them into a very tough and resourcefull lot.

I just turned 49 and will finish my 29th year at the end of the month. In about 8 month or so I'll be done. I'm sorry to hear that you had to pack it in so early. Ive done alot and have had a blast. I run a traffic bureau and reconstruct car crashes. I'm using the math that I told my teachers I'd never ever need. Small world too..... I ride a CHP BMW RTP motor that my PD got from NYC when I went in for 9-11.

Thank you for your service. You did your part....now enjoy life. Bob

candycab

Thanks Bob

I had a drunk fixate on my lights while on a stop at about 0300 and ended up getting tossed into a section of K-Rail. The impact crushed the majority of the vertebrae in my low to mid back. Lost all feeling in my lower body for a short period due to inflammation which was scary as hell. 4 surgeries later and I'm all fused up and told to take it easy or risk living in a chair the rest of my life. I'm pretty good to go but cant stand for long periods without lots of pain later.

I have ridden one of our 1200RS BMW's a few times, I had the opportunity to join a few guys on a couple of training days. lol  that usually means they suit up in Commercial Uniforms and get paid to ignore the radio and ride anywhere they feel like. The guys here like to shoot down Highway 1 from Big Sur to San Luis Obispo, the scenery is second to none and the road is a blast on a bike  The BMW's are really nice bikes, if I was still into riding I would pick up a used one in a minute.  I used to ride Sport Bikes almost daily, now its really uncomfortable and hurts too much at the end of the day.

I have an old GSX-R 7/11 [ 1990 SlingShot with a worked 1100 in it ] that only sees the sun a few times a year and it just feels more barbaric every time I ride it, I miss those pointless 300 mile weekend rides sometimes. 

Glen B

From the 3rd picture, it looks like Ray is carrying a 12g autoloader, perhaps a Remington 1100? If my guess is right, thats impressive, a number of guys half his age whine about the weight of something like that for field use.

We had a few gents at our small, local trapshooting club that were WWII vets, we lost our last one a few years ago.

He didn't talk about it much, but he went ashore in July 1944 and wentthrough France and the Low Countries. He usedto sayif he had gone ashore at Juno beach on D-Day, he wasn't sure he'd have been arround after VE Day.

tankmaster5001

As far as remebering our Vets who served during WWII. My grandfather who is still with us (he is 89)..He served in the Aleutian Islands during the battle of dutch harbor. And he always talks about the bitter cold and how for sometimes for weeks they had very little to eat more than hersey bars and small portions of cold rations.

A big thanks to all those who fought and died for our freedom.

Green Amphibian

My father also served in the Aleutian Islands at Dutch Harbor when the Japanese attacked it. After that he was sent to Europe and fought in the battle of the bulge. He always told me that there were 20,000 Army soldiers defending Dutch Harbor and about 400 Marines. The headlines my mother sent him from back in the states read "Marines defend Dutch Harbor". He never let me forget that and would call me Jar Head while saying we had the best news reporters he had ever heard of. He never talked about his experiences very much either.

thecommander

Good eye, Glen. But I know you shoot trap and skeet, as do I. That was my 1100 he was carrying while I was taking some pix. He uses a 20 and is a great wing shooter. I'm an autoloader guys at heart. I've driven next to a 870 Wingmaster for 29 years and love Remmingtons. We cary about 50 rounds in the field at this club since it is such a target rich enviorment. My first time there I brought a mere 20 rounds with me and was waking back to the lodge one hour into the day to get more ammo. I have a 1187 to but the barrel is shorted and I like long range shots the 1100 affords. I'm so used to carring a gun that I sometimes wear my of duty Glock when hunting. It is force of habit. Almost all the trap and skeet clubs were formed in the years following WW II and the "Old timers" are disappearing fast. Cherish each day with them and preserve their history.
Bob

thecommander

There is no greater thrill than lifting that front wheel a little while you whack the trottle to W O T and light them up with the wail blaring away. I've only had it up into the teens but I know the RTP has got more to give. The best part is that the crotch rockets can't even hear me coming like they can the Harleys. I'm on them in seconds.
Bob

city hunter

Good to hear stories from survivors. My grandpa passes away in 1984 or so and I was only 4 at the time. I would have loved to talk with him if I was older and had the chance. He servered in quite a few of the pacific battles including guadalcanal. Came back supported a huge family, moved to oregon from kansas, and became a steel worker. Ironically he died because a doctor prescribed him a new heart medicine. Dead the next day from a heart attack -_-