rat now

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I have posted here in awhile but I have peeked in once in awhile to see whats new. Been busy with colds and making a living..lol I recently took my dad to the WWII Museum in New Orleans for the new addition. Tom Brocaw was the MC along with alot of WWII dignitaries. If you havent been there it is well worth the trip. The newest wing has red tail P-51, Avenger, B-24 just to name a few hanging from the celling. Here are a few pics. Oh...if you do visit...you HAVE to see the 4D movie.

rat now

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More pics

rat now

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and a few more....

FreakyDude

hey Rat now  do me a favour and say thanks to your dad for me. I think he will understand even though I don't know him personally.

Panther F

Me too... many thanks to ALL our Vets!

Oh, and very nice pics as I need to add that to our "must see" list in 2013.














~ Jeff

rat now

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No problem, I tell him all the time when people say that. We stopped at one place on the way to New Orleans to eat and I was helping dad out of the truck. A man came up and asked if he was my dad, I said yes. He was with a group of about 8 or so teenage boys. He shook dads hand and told the whole group to " shake this mans hand...its not everyday you meet an American hero" Dad replied " Im no hero...I just did a job they asked me to do" Hes not used to all this as he never told all of us kids about the part he had in the war until 2001. Hes never had any time to go to any memorial stuff as he was taking care of my mom before she passed away.

I'll be sure and tell him thanks for all of you tonight.

thanks guys,
Rat

Rebellion13

And that is the respect, that should be shown to your Father and all the vets. He was and still is a hero in my book, so a hearty hello to the man, and thank you.

Cheers,
Wade

rat now

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Oh I agree...Hes always been my hero as well as any vet! Its a shame our country doesnt honor them more. I remember when my brother came back from Viet Nam. When we went to the airport to pick him up....what a disgrace it was to hear some of the comments people gave our troops. Even though that was a very controversial war ....our guys were just doing a job they were told to do.....sad.

Rebellion13

Up in our area every year the first weekend of June near D-Day there is an "event" Supposedly the biggest in the nation as far as WWII re-enactment is concerned. It is a great show to honor our vets it truly is an incredible event. Bob aka "thecommander" can attest to that. My brother and I go every year and do a little bonding together, and this past year I took my 2yr old son with me and he behaved lol and was in awe of the planes, what a great memory. My father served at the very end of the war, and he passed away when I was only 16. And I know you will, but cherish these "little" times they are precious. And thank you for creating this post. http://www.maam.org/maamwwii.html

Cheers
Wade

WhiteWolf McBride

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Rat:

Seeing those bunks reminded me of my late granpa & granma in Sydney NS. They had a set of those in the cottage for ~decades~, as my Dad used to remark about them every year. They were WW2 era, bought then, or just after/surplus'd. I slept in 'em many summers, was the only grandkid (out of 14) that would sleep out there in 'em. If I'd known when my undle renovated the place years back, I'd have driven down to NS to collect 'em (3000km return) Fond memories...

Grannpa did his part, though not as a trooper. He ran the Sydney Steel Mill, so the guys at the sharp end got what they needed - steel for the ships, tanks, weapons. He and granma are gone, close to 20 years now. Tell your dad that even non-Americans appreciate what he did, even if it was just "what they asked him to do". Never let him forget that, ok?

And for those of you who had relatives in the so-called 'Police Actions' (gods how I HATE that label), tell them the same: that there are lots of us that appreciated it, but weren't as vocal as that minority who insulted them. You think the public would tolerate that behavior today with vets coming back from the Sandbox? NOT ON YOUR LIFE. I'd be there to kick their asses, and tell them to have some respect.

I think thats why I really like 'Nam era music (for lack of a more definitive term, sorry) ... was born in '65, and think my " hippy " babysitters used to listen to The Stones and other stuff. Subliminal impression as a kid? Mebbe.

PS: Got a good site to sells those car-stickers that say " If you don't stand behind our troops, feel free to stand ~IN Front~ of them! " and similar sentiments (preferrably Cdn, but Allied will do) (* girltankette, mebbe you have some? *)

WhiteWolf,
who sadly would come up 4F these days... (if the doc's could stop laughing, that is!)

rat now

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Hey thanks for all the kind words WhiteWolf...I grew up in those years (born in 1953) I missed the war only by a couple years as I was still in school till 71. I can truly relate to all the music and the hippie riots on the news. I too would want to kick some major ass if those comments were made today about our Vets. Just sad the Nam guys had to wait for there thanks...and even then some never heard it. I met a guy at the local river restraunt here...had a Viet Nam Vet hat on... I thanked him for his service... I asked him where he served in Nam.... he just said he was a tunnel rat over there. I just had to shake his hand and buy him another beer. Man he had some stories to tell that day. God Bless them!

thecommander

And we all had a great time at the Mid-Atlantic Air Mus. WW II weekend. Got to spend some time with Wild Bill Guarnere again......always a treat.

DO NOT MISS THESE EVENTS....THEY ARE DISAPPEARING FAST.

pattoncommander

Thanks so much for posting the photos. Having been active in military museums for many years and being severely restricted in doing anything to maintain artifacts, it is really reassuring to see that at least somewhere, historic artifacts can be presented complete, maintained and in a way that they were used. They all look absolutely great,

YHR

Thanks for posting. Let your Dad know, we are thankful. We owe them a lot.

tlojak38

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thanks for the pics and thanks to your dad for his sacrifice. my father was a viet nam vet, (hope i spelled that right) and he was proud that he was able to serve his country. and i have to agree, that wasnt the best time for our country. and the way the soldiers were treated when they returned was unforgivable. its been said here many times, they were just doing what they were told to do. they were all heroes in their own right, and should be seen as such. Also, thanks for the maam link. i live less than an hour from Reading, and never knew about this place. there are a few of us at the club that are into warbirds, and i will be talking to them about attending the WWII weekend there!

pattoncommander

Whitewolf, my dad had the same problem..He was a master tinsmith and was drafted and had to leave his shop and work in a place making what-ever from sheet metal. Always complained about the money he was loosing, but did realise that much of his work was helping the war effort. My mom worked in the Ilion, NY Remington factory assembling rifle parts...many times bringing boxes home to get more done...and earn "home work pay". They all contributed to the war but never really thought too much about it, other than "a bad time and we have to do our part. "

I took part in Truman's "police action" but never did see any other police departments running around in a tank with 5 gallon Jerry cans of solid ice on the turret and got no acknowledgement for doing so, other that being called a "lifer" whio couldn't make it on the outside. . VietNam was also a bad time when wearing a uniform got you labeled as "baby killer" and accosted by anti war protestors. Drugs were a real problem. Only time I felt uneasy about wearing my uniform and becomming a target for adverse remarks, but now, more people are waking up and seeing what the military is doing. I again proudly wear my uniforms, although the Army has had some drastic changes...some good, many not so good. Now we are opening up slots for our girls to serve where they want and have been prevented from doing so...."safe" MOS's are no longer safe and females are winding up on the front anyhow, so why not. Use the IDF as a shining, positive example.

Music. I'll stay with Mozart, Telemann and traditional Jewish folk music.

rat now

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Thanks again for all the kind words for my dad and all other Vets!!! Bill, I have utmost respect for your generation as well for your service. I lived through the Nam generation, although I didnt agree with their views, I remember all the news cast with Walter Cronkite reporting, watching to hope my brother wasnt part of the KIA. I sometime wish it were me over there and not him. If I had it to do over I would have joined the military, but I was full of hot rods and parties ( such a dumbass back then).
I post more pics as I get more for you Bill.
Thanks to all,
"Rat"

rat now

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Heres my favorite...

MAUS45

Thanks for sharing this Rat! I lost my Grandfather about four years ago. He was in a chemical mortar battalion the 83rd. They were supposed to be used in North Africa, but by the time they got there DAK had already surrendered. So they ended up going to Sicily and then Anzio. Really loved it when he would share stories with me. Just wish we had gotten him to write this stuff down. I have some stuff, but not as much as he shared. Tell your dad thanks for his service!

Airbrushler

or maybe this one to...lol

pattoncommander

I dig the unit...29th Infantry. My uncle was with them, 39th Inf Regt. ...he was badly hit in Brest, France. They took 8 lbs of schrapnel out of his now nearly useless right side, which he kept hanging on a wire. The suffering doesn't end when the war does. The 29th Inf. Div took a lot of casualties.

rat now

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Nice touch Airbrushler.... Dads unit went to St Low, to Colongne and the Rhine River. He was in the 175th