Great points mdgiles.  It seems public schools should be teaching these things to young people.  Instead they get sentiments that make it look like we were just war mangers anxious ro drop the bomb and could have found another way. seems teaching kids the truth about how things go dowin real life would be the best way to avoid problems in the future.

Quote from: ShadowBear12 on June 30, 2012, 08:39:49 AM
Great points mdgiles.  It seems public schools should be teaching these things to young people.  Instead they get sentiments that make it look like we were just war mangers anxious ro drop the bomb and could have found another way. seems teaching kids the truth about how things go dowin real life would be the best way to avoid problems in the future.

I think the other problem is that almost all veteran do not like talking about their time at war.  Unless there talking to another vet, that know what there talking about.  How do you tell your kids or wife what you have been through.   What you had to do to just stay alive.  I know I and my 4 brothers only talk about it when we are alone.   

Quote from: walkstall on June 30, 2012, 11:08:26 AM

I think the other problem is that almost all veteran do not like talking about their time at war.  Unless there talking to another vet, that know what there talking about.  How do you tell your kids or wife what you have been through.   What you had to do to just stay alive.  I know I and my 4 brothers only talk about it when we are alone.

True, my brother only talked about it once in 45+ years and that was when I visited him in Letterman general hospital.
He was with 20 other guys that were all banged up and on morphine, they all shared their stories with me and they were all equally horrifying.
The one that seemed to take it all in stride was the one with no legs or hands, he was grateful to be alive.

My brother never talked about it again, he didn't want to remember.

Quote from: Solar on June 30, 2012, 11:42:42 AM
True, my brother only talked about it once in 45+ years and that was when I visited him in Letterman general hospital.
He was with 20 other guys that were all banged up and on morphine, they all shared their stories with me and they were all equally horrifying.
The one that seemed to take it all in stride was the one with no legs or hands, he was grateful to be alive.

My brother never talked about it again, he didn't want to remember.

That's the key, we don't!

My dad died last year, September 13, aged 85. He served from 1943 until after the end of hostilities in the navy, an SFC on a Fletcher-class destroyer, DD530, USS Trathen. Until his later years, he was EXTREMELY reluctant to talk about his war-time experience.

I like to think that what brought him around was the obvious fact that I had made a hobby of studying the war in which he was an active participant. When I got to the point that I could describe the differences between an F4F Wildcat and an F4U Corsair, and I could recite which battles they played a role in, and which carriers they called home, THEN he began to open up. The tales he told were marvelous.

GOD, I miss that man.

Other friends and acquaintances who served in WWII have shown to me the same reluctance to talk about their experiences.

Quote from: tbone0106 on June 30, 2012, 01:56:54 PM
My dad died last year, September 13, aged 85. He served from 1943 until after the end of hostilities in the navy, an SFC on a Fletcher-class destroyer, DD530, USS Trathen. Until his later years, he was EXTREMELY reluctant to talk about his war-time experience.

I like to think that what brought him around was the obvious fact that I had made a hobby of studying the war in which he was an active participant. When I got to the point that I could describe the differences between an F4F Wildcat and an F4U Corsair, and I could recite which battles they played a role in, and which carriers they called home, THEN he began to open up. The tales he told were marvelous.

GOD, I miss that man.

Other friends and acquaintances who served in WWII have shown to me the same reluctance to talk about their experiences.

My dad only talked once about his experience.
People don't want to relive the experience of killing another human being.
He gave me his M-1 Carbine he carried across the Philippines, I still have it.

Quote from: tbone0106 on June 30, 2012, 01:56:54 PM
My dad died last year, September 13, aged 85. He served from 1943 until after the end of hostilities in the navy, an SFC on a Fletcher-class destroyer, DD530, USS Trathen. Until his later years, he was EXTREMELY reluctant to talk about his war-time experience.

I like to think that what brought him around was the obvious fact that I had made a hobby of studying the war in which he was an active participant. When I got to the point that I could describe the differences between an F4F Wildcat and an F4U Corsair, and I could recite which battles they played a role in, and which carriers they called home, THEN he began to open up. The tales he told were marvelous.

GOD, I miss that man.

Other friends and acquaintances who served in WWII have shown to me the same reluctance to talk about their experiences.

It ain't like the movies. I served and never did active combat duty, but I know guys that did. Both from WWII and Vietnam. God bless them. Decent human beings are not hardwired to go through those experiences. I thank them every day.