My step father died yesterday

[gcode]

I thought I'd take a moment to honor him
He was 98 years old when he passed
He lied about his age and joined the Army at 17 in 1942
and was assigned to an engineering battalion.
He was saw action in North Africa, Italy and was in the first waves
of the landing in southern France in August 1944.
His engineering battalion was responsible for building roads and bridges
to keep the tanks moving and was constantly at the tip of the spear.
Of the 1000 men in his unit who went ashore in Aug 1944, less than 200 remained in May 1945.
He was a member of Patton's army for the relief of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge
and one of the first units across the Rhine. He was awarded a Bronze Star for the Rhine assault.
When the war ended his unit was guarding a concentration camp in eastern Germany.
He told me the people in the camp they liberated were so weak and starved that C rations and army chocolate
killed them. They had to let them starve until the medical corps and Red Cross arrived with food
they could digest.
When the atomic bombs were dropped in August 1945, he was boarding a transport ship headed for the Philippines
to take part in the invasion of Japan.
The ship sailed to New York instead.


After the war he got a job in the oil fields of Oklahoma which lead to a 40
year career in Saudi Arabia. He ended his career as a manager of an oil field maintenance unit.

If you met him, you would never in a million years guess that he had done these things.
He was mild mannered, impeccably polite and until the very last years of his life
never discussed his war years.

We owe him and the men of his generation a debt that can never be repaid.

 

[Tim Johnson]

My condolences for your step father. Your eulogy shows him to have been a great man.

[Dan_AKA_ROY23]

Great story about a great man. Condolences, Tom.

[JParis]

Sorry to hear this Tom.

A great remenberence for a man who lived life to the fullest.

[Here's Johnny!]

Tom sincere condolences to you and your family!

He sounded like a person that anyone would be proud to have met.

Every bit of freedom that we enjoy was paid for by someone else's blood. To those serve or have served, thank you!

[Flycut]

Sorry for your loss brother.

[Smit]

Sorry for your loss gcode.

[__]

Sorry G, sounds like he was a great guy!

[CNCAppsJames]

My deepest condolences G... nearl6 every WWII vet I've ever met shared most if not all of those characteristics. 

🍻

[beej]

Wow! What a life he lived! I am sorry for your loss. But thank you for taking me about him. A true hero

[Incogneeto]

Just another average joe.

"American Hero"

"Thank you for your Service."

"RIP"

[John316]

.
I drop in from time to time to see what you all are up to and don't post but this one deserves a response.

From the oil industry and Saudi Arabia, it sounds like this is the man you grew up with as not just your stepfather but the man who raised you.
Even when our elders are in their waning years and very vulnerable, when they go it is a sad time and it seems like life has made a major change.
I'm sure that he will be sorely missed by your family.
I didn't catch his name or military rank.
May he rest in peace.

[mowens]

You have my condolences.

[CADCAM3D5AXIS]

Tom   I and many other Others Near And Far have Sent a Lot of Men And Women onto there Final Mission, They all Did The Right Things At The Right Times and Fought Like Hell The Whole Way, So That They may Have A Restful Eternity For Job Well Done. My condolences For Your Loss and To any and All who May have Shared Time With The Man May They Know He will Rest In Peace, While Others Fill His and Others Post's . Man The Stories All who Served Could Tell would fill The Library Of Congress many Times Over I am Sure .
I had a Step Dad In The Sea Bees who served in The Pacific during the Island Hopping Campaigns  and he only spoke about some the the Nice stuff they did like USO Tour drivers and Landing Craft action on the way ashore  but A Lot Of Guys  Gave It All and the ones who Lived Lost A Lot of Buddies in the process. so Rest In Peace to All Who Served . 

[champshire]

Sorry for your loss.