your family's military history

father-drafted and served in vietnam war maternal grandfather-korean war paternal grandfather and great uncle-wwII

as you may imagine, my father pushed me away from any sort of military service. I never needed any pushing away but my mom often use military school as a threat when i was a junevile delinquent.

I think this may be an interesting question for an international site.

jonathan

"The Campbells Are Coming"

nuff said LOL

Uncle on mom's side was in the army, served in Vietnam. Uncle on my dad's side was in the Air Force, stationed all over the world: Iceland, Alaska, Perth, Las Vegas, amongst other places. Worked at Area 51 a bit, still won't talk about it

--some of my ancestors served in the revolutionary war (on the 'terrorist' side).

--my grandfather was a commander in the navy and served in the pacific in WWII. he was then head of the ROTC program for pennsylvania in the 1950s and 1960s.

--my uncle was a second lieutenant in the navy (naval intelligence) and served in vietnam.

--my cousin, fred, was in the marines (?) in vietnam and was killed in action in 1970.

--my cousin ralph was a marine and was stationed in thailand and england. i don't think he went to vietnam.

--my dad was a second lieutenant in the navy (also intel) and worked briefly for the secretary of the navy before being transferred to japan, where he was in charge of the chinese interpreters who would go on submarines and translate morse code coming from the warships above. he left the navy for a combination of reasons: a) he met my mother on the base (she was a DOD teacher) and didn't want to raise a military family, b) he was becoming disillusioned with the war, and c) he didn't like to give orders (he's a librarian--you can see the conflict there).

--my cousin, sean, is a marine and served one tour of duty in iraq. he is now training other marines at a camp in djibouti.

Paternal father : in the Navy. Narvik at the beginning. Then, joined de Gaulle in England. Took part to all the war in cojonction with the Royal Navy on a Free French destroyer (therefore he speaks English and still smokes Player's Navy Cut). Several medails : French, British and two American ones. Met his wife when the war was about to finish. Integrated Air Forces because my grandmother did not want to see him away. Sent to Indochina ! Later, served in Algeria. Last airbase was in France. His military life began with the Munich Agreements and finished with the Algerian's independance.

Maternal father : found asylum in France in the twenties. Become French in the thirties. So, no war for him. He was from this generation who was too young to take part in the WWI and too old to take part in the second. Been asked by Jews who were afraid to be deported to keep their goods instead of being spoiled by Nazis and Milice... Gave back everything, of course, from 1945 to 1951... Sadly, to more relatives than the ones he knew...

Two uncles went to Algeria.

And even if I never took part to any war, made my time (national service) in Alpine troops (where I have been asked wether I wanted to go to Sarajevo - said no). Finished my service in an office of the Ministry of Defence...

• I remember a sergeant by the Alpine Troops, who told me smoking hash late at night, this following sentance which was to be my motto : "In the Army, the only fact to think is already betraying"...

Somehow my ancestors' generations skipped wars. My great grandmother (father's side) was a sister of mercy though in 1915-17 before she turned into a Bolshevik activist in Central Asia. :)

My great grandfather's father (mum's side) was not a young man already when WW1 broke out, so he kept his civil job (architect designer).

So there weren't professional military men in my family (that's why I'm quite aloof to the topic). I had an ancestor, named Alexander Engelhardt, who was an army officer in late 1830s (so says an official order on his promotion).

Oh damn, how come could I forget my uncle who is just 7 years younger than me... He was drafted and served in 1988-90 (tank division) and took part in a chaotic ethnic conflict in the Caucasus Quite stressful.

He spent 'bout four years to get back to normal life afterwards. :(

this is a subject that is not much spoken about in my family. all i know is that my mother's father spent five years in ian's country after wwii. i believe that he was of that unfortunate age where he also saw service in wwi.

My Grandpa (my father's father) was brutally murdered in WWII.

Reckon I'll have plenty to talk about to my grandchildren too ha ha

Here are some pics from my family archive.

My great grandfather's parents (ca. 1900):

And my great grandmother in 1914:

Cool photos.

My Grandad was in the Navy in WW2 and I was in The Gulf in '91 and Northern Ireland in '93.

We're a pretty conflict-free family... I think a great uncle was killed in WWII... Apart from that it's all peace and love round here...

Snorri xxx

Okay on my fathers side- my grandfather was in the Brittish navy, im not sure of the details but i think he joined in Argentina, or was posted in Argentina, they made a trip to new york around 1918? not sure, but he jumped ship and stayed.i have a cool picture of him in his uniform and you can just read the ships name on his cap, it was the sutherland. my dad was in the army, duing & After WII, and was stationed in germany, although i think he missed most of the combat he was more in the cleanup phase. his older brother was in combat in WWII he survived, but died later in a car accident on his way to Pennsylvania. their younger brother was a marine, not sure he saw combat.

my mothers side

my grandfather was a in the Army and a prisoner of war in WWII, was feared dead for about 2 years but Came home fine after the war

as you can tell my Dad was a lot older than my mom

i thought about sighning up when i was like 16(i just watched full metal jacket or something) but quickly changed my mind

We Ebars (Guevaras) have slacked since WWII. My grandfather and his two brothers served in the USAAF, two in the 9th AF and the youngest a P51 jock in the Pacific. Their uncle was one of the federalis that chased poncho Villa.

Another branch of Ebars that did not leave Spain fought with the Blue Division against the USSR, specifically the battle for Leningrad.

My maternal great Uncles served with distinction, one as an army scout in the PTO, the other as a FAO in ETO. The latter was in the Battle of the Bulge and was ordered to guard a road. He recalled the night a jeep came down the road and his buddy shot the driver twice in the head. They were SS disguished as US.

My step grandfather (maternal) served in the army in the Pacific. Guadalcanal. He witnessed his CO getting fragged by the company hardcase when the ship hit the beach. Quite a gentle person, he rarely talked of the horrors he saw.

Since that war nobody has served. I was going to join the NG after HS and did take the test but declined after receiving a scholarship. I would have gone to Germany. I regret this. Mom was afraid I'd get sent to Elsalvador since Reagan was POTUS.

I forgot to say that I was in The Royal Army Medical Corps; just in case anyone thinks I'm an ex-gun toting loon!

OK... I may be a bit of a loon, but that's all...

Erm...My Grandad was in the RAF in WWII

And 2 of my great-uncles died in WWI

you all guys have a really great military stories, here is mine: my grandfather was killed fighting against SS squadron in Monte Cassino, Italy, trying to get the fookin hill with old abbey-fortress, WWII.

Grandad..James Windom Brown in the army ,Combined British Forces champion boxer in 1930's(AKA Jack Brown)Bit of a legend in the Brown clan..

The story goes...He battered a Seargent with a couple of well aimed digs, who liked to pick on the milkman that delivered to the barracks each day..The Colonal was a boxing enthusiast who promptly put him on the boxing team and Grandad never looked back...turning pro upon leaving the army,ultimatly fighting for the European Title,fighting for the last six rounds with a brocken hand and losing,still on his feet after 15 rounds.A hard Bastard,but lovely man

Spotnick wrote:

In fact I think I've never met anybody who had been in the army.

But you know me.

Anti Air Defence 2001 - 2003

Never again, ta very much

Maya wrote:

Spotnick wrote:

In fact I think I've never met anybody who had been in the army.

But you know me.

Anti Air Defence 2001 - 2003

Never again, ta very much

me too 1988-1990 with 21 days in a jail, I was a bit naughty as a soldier, hehe

Maya wrote:

Spotnick wrote:

In fact I think I've never met anybody who had been in the army.

But you know me.

Anti Air Defence 2001 - 2003

Never again, ta very much

you was Anti Air Defence? that makes it sound like you were against Air Defence.Like you would sabotage the attempts to thwart atttacks from the air.

A Sabotuer?

Johnny "Two Sheds" Jackson wrote:

Like you would sabotage the attempts to thwart atttacks from the air.

Correct

... or is it Air Force and Air Defence or whatever you call it ...

I know a lot about rockets and stuff but shhhh can't tell, it's a top secret!! hee hee

I dunno about you but the thought of Maya armed with anything more dangerous than a paper plate scares the bollox out of me :D

Steve Campbell wrote: I dunno about you but the thought of Maya armed with anything more dangerous than a paper plate scares the bollox out of me :D

I'm staying quiet, don't want to upset her again! :)

Snorri xxx

arek p. wrote:

Maya wrote:

Spotnick wrote:

In fact I think I've never met anybody who had been in the army.

But you know me.

Anti Air Defence 2001 - 2003

Never again, ta very much

me too 1988-1990 with 21 days in a jail, I was a bit naughty as a soldier, hehe

yeh but it was my job, not a call to duty

Interesting; when I visited the village in Italy where my grandfather was born, there was a monument to all the men in the village who had been killed in WWI. Noboduy from my family. Makes sense, because afterwards, I did some research, and discovered that my two great uncles emigrated to America just a few months before WWI broke out. Coincidence? I think not. My paternal grandfather was too young to serve, but the two brothers who were just the right age for military service somehow ended up abroad when war broke out.

My maternal grandfather was just the right age for service in the U.S. military WWI, but somehow never served.

Too old for service in WWII.

My father was just the right age for servcie during the Korean War, so his mother enlisted him in the Coiast Guard, far away from any bullets, stray or otherwise.

A long tradition of staying alive in my family. :D