Take a moment to visit the Korean War Project's "Letters to the Lost."
Here's my father during the Korean War with Item Company, 8th Cavalry, called "Scrappy Blue." He came home safe and sound and went off to fight again elsewhere:
Cleaning a weapon. I don't know what else he's doing, but that's his mischievous face.
What an untidy camp. You can see a larger image of it here.
Wishing he were back in the Navy, perhaps.
Korea was his least favorite war: it was mighty cold over there for a South Florida boy. Once when I complained to him about my freezing my tail off during a long maneuver, he asked if I had to piss on my weapon to make it work. No, Dad, of course not. He outwars me every time. (Larger image here.)
Another man from this company, Hungarian-born Tibor Rubin, received the Congressional Medal of Honor. I'll honor this man's bravery while at the same time being thankful that my father never had to prove his courage to that degree, first by trying to hold a hill alone against a full-scale assault to try to buy his retreating unit some time, and then later as a prisoner of the Chinese. Before joining the American Army, Rubin, God bless him, had been liberated by the same from the Mauthausen concentration camp.
UPDATE:
INDC Bill has excerpted the comments made at the MOH ceremony and links to the rest. It's a beautiful summation of the life of man whose legacy is life to others.
Oh, what awesome frickin' pictures! Happy V-Day, FC Dad! I hope you're toasty wherever you are right now!
Posted by: tree hugging sister at November 11, 2006 10:56 PMI'm glad he's not dead, or your comment would take on a whole new meaning. ;) He's home laying on the couch watchin' TV, where all old daddies should be.
The pics are framed and on the mantel. It's surprising he actually had some pics from there.
Happy V-Day to you and the Major.
Posted by: Donnah at November 11, 2006 11:08 PMGreat pics is right ! sry I am late (11NOV is my oldest's birthday.. She's a Preacher !)
Your Dad does rock, Donnah !
Happy Vet's Day to all of our Vets !
btw, Thanks for helping save the World, WW2 Vets !
Scrappy Blue looks like some rounders to me, Donnah.
Those m1 Garrands (in your Dad's lap) were the
meat & potatoes..but I would love to lay my hands
on one of those BAR's laying nearby..what a weapon. One of the PCSO's pilots is a Korean War vet. He has lost a leg to cancer, but he still manages a helo ok.
He is the proud owner of a captured Soviet PPSH, which he carried as a service weapon for a year, and was allowed to bring home. After all this time, I was the only one that knew what it was...a burp gun ! 71 round drum !!!
honorable mentions if I may :
Wayne Hart, 88thDiv. Blue Devils in Italy(d)
Roger Hale, USN Pearl Survivor
Duane Crosby, USAF, MACV
Two wars before I even got a chance to exist. Honestly, he should have his ass kicked for the chances he took with my life.
Posted by: Donnah at November 12, 2006 04:09 AM(I double checked your post to make sure he was still SNORTIN' fire, not breathing it. {8^P )
Posted by: tree hugging sister at November 12, 2006 09:48 AMHappy Veteran's Day Cracker Dad. You were (are) a bad-ass.
That Tibor Rubin story is unreal.
Posted by: Bill from INDC at November 12, 2006 10:55 AMGod, I just read the President's remarks at the ceremnony for Rubin:
http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/rubin/citation/president.html
That got me something fierce.
Posted by: Bill from INDC at November 12, 2006 11:01 AMThe Rubin story is freaky. What an awful segment of his life. Those survival skills so well-honed in Mauthausen were put to good use in the POW camp. Celebrities always talk about their hard times and how they're "survivors," but geez, this guy's the real deal.
Posted by: Donnah at November 12, 2006 01:02 PMhim and every other MOH recipient..
Donnah, those Letters to the Lost, WOW !
What an awesome idea. That has got to be a little relief for some. Just a nice site.
Posted by: csason at November 12, 2006 02:04 PMBtw, Bill, guess who you're taller than. ;)
Posted by: Donnah at November 13, 2006 10:08 AM
