Comments on: Midway http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/04/midway/ The unbearable lightness of Lex. Enjoy! Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:03:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Albany Rifles http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/04/midway/comment-page-1/#comment-7979 Albany Rifles Tue, 13 Jun 2006 17:07:16 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/04/midway/#comment-7979 Lex I had a similar experience in June 1984. At the time I was an infantry 1st Lieutenant in the 1st Infantry Division (Forward) in Germany and we were in Normandy to take part in the 40th Anniversary D Day celebration. As it turned out, the Army sent a contingent of the 82d ABN over but did not send anyone from the 101st ABN. Instead, we were asked to represent them in Carentan, the site of their earliest major battle. On 5 June 84 I had my honor platoon in the town rehearsing for the next day? Lex

I had a similar experience in June 1984. At the time I was an infantry 1st Lieutenant in the 1st Infantry Division (Forward) in Germany and we were in Normandy to take part in the 40th Anniversary D Day celebration. As it turned out, the Army sent a contingent of the 82d ABN over but did not send anyone from the 101st ABN. Instead, we were asked to represent them in Carentan, the site of their earliest major battle.

On 5 June 84 I had my honor platoon in the town rehearsing for the next day?

]]> By: Albany Rifles http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/04/midway/comment-page-1/#comment-409193 Albany Rifles Tue, 13 Jun 2006 17:07:16 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/04/midway/#comment-409193 Lex I had a similar experience in June 1984. At the time I was an infantry 1st Lieutenant in the 1st Infantry Division (Forward) in Germany and we were in Normandy to take part in the 40th Anniversary D Day celebration. As it turned out, the Army sent a contingent of the 82d ABN over but did not send anyone from the 101st ABN. Instead, we were asked to represent them in Carentan, the site of their earliest major battle. On 5 June 84 I had my honor platoon in the town rehearsing for the next day’s parade. As you can imagine, the town was swarming with old GIs. When we finished I was marching the platoon towards the square when suddenly someone was walking beside me….he was about 5’6”, 135 lbs but I could tell he was whipsaw tough. He looked me in the eye as if to ask permission and he then took over the platoon. I stepped aside and gave him the platoon. My soldiers, just average infantry grunts, not the Old Guard, snapped to when they heard this other voice start calling commands and calling cadence. For fifteen minuets he marched them all around the square. When he was done, he called them to a halt and did a perfect about face and returned the platoon back to me. There was not a dry eye in the platoon. Found out afterwards e had been a platoon sergeant in B/1/506 Parachute Infantry Regiment (one of the Toccoa Men, if you remember Band of Brothers). He said it was the first time he had marched since he had been mustered out in late 1945. He said “Thanks, Looie!” It was a real honor to have that WW II title bestowed upon me. For the next three days my life was one continuous walk amongst the heroes of the Greatest Generation. And while I was lucky to stand at Pointe Du Hoc while President Reagan spoke, I consider that 15 minutes in that town square as the highlight of my 3 years in Europe. As for family, my uncle was a Silver Eagle flying an FM-2 off of the Kalinin Bay and my dad had just left Great Lakes Naval Training Center as a Fireman 2d Class as a 17 year old and was off to join the fleet and serve aboard the USS Cabot….wheer he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for his action when his ship was hit a by a kamikaze…..on his 18th birthday. Sadly, we lost Dad 31 DEC 2000 and my uncle last Memorial Day. Sorry to go on for so long…..but I thought you folks could appreciate this. Lex

I had a similar experience in June 1984. At the time I was an infantry 1st Lieutenant in the 1st Infantry Division (Forward) in Germany and we were in Normandy to take part in the 40th Anniversary D Day celebration. As it turned out, the Army sent a contingent of the 82d ABN over but did not send anyone from the 101st ABN. Instead, we were asked to represent them in Carentan, the site of their earliest major battle.

On 5 June 84 I had my honor platoon in the town rehearsing for the next day’s parade. As you can imagine, the town was swarming with old GIs. When we finished I was marching the platoon towards the square when suddenly someone was walking beside me….he was about 5’6”, 135 lbs but I could tell he was whipsaw tough. He looked me in the eye as if to ask permission and he then took over the platoon. I stepped aside and gave him the platoon. My soldiers, just average infantry grunts, not the Old Guard, snapped to when they heard this other voice start calling commands and calling cadence. For fifteen minuets he marched them all around the square.

When he was done, he called them to a halt and did a perfect about face and returned the platoon back to me. There was not a dry eye in the platoon. Found out afterwards e had been a platoon sergeant in B/1/506 Parachute Infantry Regiment (one of the Toccoa Men, if you remember Band of Brothers). He said it was the first time he had marched since he had been mustered out in late 1945. He said “Thanks, Looie!” It was a real honor to have that WW II title bestowed upon me.

For the next three days my life was one continuous walk amongst the heroes of the Greatest Generation. And while I was lucky to stand at Pointe Du Hoc while President Reagan spoke, I consider that 15 minutes in that town square as the highlight of my 3 years in Europe.

As for family, my uncle was a Silver Eagle flying an FM-2 off of the Kalinin Bay and my dad had just left Great Lakes Naval Training Center as a Fireman 2d Class as a 17 year old and was off to join the fleet and serve aboard the USS Cabot….wheer he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for his action when his ship was hit a by a kamikaze…..on his 18th birthday. Sadly, we lost Dad 31 DEC 2000 and my uncle last Memorial Day.

Sorry to go on for so long…..but I thought you folks could appreciate this.

]]> By: Subsunk http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/04/midway/comment-page-1/#comment-7698 Subsunk Tue, 06 Jun 2006 23:27:18 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/04/midway/#comment-7698 Dad always remembered his buddies from Burma. To this day, the few who are still alive send notes to Mom telling us how much they miss and admired my father, a First Sergeant in the Mars Task Force. "Crossed two mountain ranges and a river the Japanese thought white men couldn't cross", he always used to say. I miss my Pop. I have yet to meet a WWII vet who can't reduce me to tears in a heartbeat. And Death was their constant companion. Subsunk Dad always remembered his buddies from Burma. To this day, the few who are still alive send notes to Mom telling us how much they miss and admired my father, a First Sergeant in the Mars Task Force. “Crossed two mountain ranges and a river the Japanese thought white men couldn’t cross”, he always used to say.

I miss my Pop. I have yet to meet a WWII vet who can’t reduce me to tears in a heartbeat. And Death was their constant companion.

Subsunk

]]> By: lex http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/04/midway/comment-page-1/#comment-7677 lex Tue, 06 Jun 2006 15:40:31 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/04/midway/#comment-7677 Great inputs, Mike. As I was telling an email correspondent last night, it's a source of continual amazement to me the sacrifices people of that generation walked willingly into certain death, like the Marines at Tarawa, or like the aviators of VT-8. They grew up hard, survivors or the hard-time depression. One of out three US draftees were rejected by medical boards for being undernourished. I don't know that they really expected life to be fair. Great inputs, Mike. As I was telling an email correspondent last night, it’s a source of continual amazement to me the sacrifices people of that generation walked willingly into certain death, like the Marines at Tarawa, or like the aviators of VT-8.

They grew up hard, survivors or the hard-time depression. One of out three US draftees were rejected by medical boards for being undernourished. I don’t know that they really expected life to be fair.

]]> By: Shadow http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/04/midway/comment-page-1/#comment-7673 Shadow Tue, 06 Jun 2006 14:35:51 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/04/midway/#comment-7673 Oddball side note to George Gay, for many years he had a car dealership (Chrysler, I think) between Houston and Galveston. At one point I had a down the street neighbor who had flown one of the dive bombers at Midway, his son ended up in the Marines. Oddball side note to George Gay, for many years he had a car dealership (Chrysler, I think) between Houston and Galveston.
At one point I had a down the street neighbor who had flown one of the dive bombers at Midway, his son ended up in the Marines.

]]> By: Mike Tyukanov http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/04/midway/comment-page-1/#comment-7660 Mike Tyukanov Tue, 06 Jun 2006 03:38:28 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2006/06/04/midway/#comment-7660 Have just finished rereading War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk. Naturally, as Midway was the pivotal point of the war in Pacific, it is the pivotal point of the book, too, and with the death of one of the novel's main characters and the complete list of three torpedo bomber squadrons it shows both the victory and the dear price paid for it. While historical details may be a bit outdated (although, for a fiction, it is extremely well-researched), it's the human side that is so compelling that it keeps me rereading more and more this 2000-page novel. "It was a perfect coordinated attack. It was timed almost to the second. It was freak accident." is a solid aphoristical description of the combination of bad and good luck that led to the destruction of three Japanese carriers. But what matters is: "What was not luck, but the soul of the United States of America in action, was this willingness of the torpedo plane squadrons to go in against hopeless odds. That was the extra ounce of martial weight that in a few decisive minutes tipped the balance of history." Have just finished rereading War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk. Naturally, as Midway was the pivotal point of the war in Pacific, it is the pivotal point of the book, too, and with the death of one of the novel’s main characters and the complete list of three torpedo bomber squadrons it shows both the victory and the dear price paid for it.

While historical details may be a bit outdated (although, for a fiction, it is extremely well-researched), it’s the human side that is so compelling that it keeps me rereading more and more this 2000-page novel.

“It was a perfect coordinated attack. It was timed almost to the second. It was freak accident.” is a solid aphoristical description of the combination of bad and good luck that led to the destruction of three Japanese carriers. But what matters is:

“What was not luck, but the soul of the United States of America in action, was this willingness of the torpedo plane squadrons to go in against hopeless odds. That was the extra ounce of martial weight that in a few decisive minutes tipped the balance of history.”

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