World War Two History

[BrunswickDawg]

Those sound like some interesting stories it would be awesome if you could share more about those stories too. And I know we have some of his service records somewhere in my parents house but it'll be hard to find it. All I know about he was drafted into the navy and volunteered for the marines in navy boot camp. Then he was shipped out aboard the USS Yorktown CV-10. I think carriers had 60-80 marines to keep the navy in line.

Brunswick did they bring back any souvenirs they showed you? And stories of how they got them?

Unless you count a steel plate for half a skull for my tank commander great uncle, no, no souvenirs. I do have a great collection of photos from my grandfather. Everything from training in Tennessee, Canada, and England to on the move in France. Below is my favorite. On the back it reads "VE Day, near Elbe R. - Old Hard Hearted Hunter has laid down his gun and will fight no more."
[IMG][/IMG]

[Srt201]

Unless you count a steel plate for half a skull for my tank commander great uncle, no, no souvenirs. I do have a great collection of photos from my grandfather. Everything from training in Tennessee, Canada, and England to on the move in France. Below is my favorite. On the back it reads "VE Day, near Elbe R. - Old Hard Hearted Hunter has laid down his gun and will fight no more."
[IMG][/IMG]

If you could share any stories please do, I'd love to hear some of them.

[BrunswickDawg]

If you could share any stories please do, I'd love to hear some of them.

After my granddad got captured after St. Lo, he was put on a prison train to be taken into Germany. Just before the French border, he realizes there is only 1 guard on the rail car and the door was open. He turned to the guy next to him and said "I'm rushing the guard, pass the word and we can all jump out of the train. He tackled the guard from behind, wrapped him up and launched them out the door. He landed on the ground on top of the guard - breaking his neck and killing him. Grandad looked back at the train and saw no one else had jumped. He was alone, miles behind the lines. He travelled at night toward the sound of guns, until one night he was caught by a French farmer. The farmer turned out to be an American who had deserted in WWI. He helped granddad get with resistance fighters who smuggled him back to the lines. When he got back, he realized the Germans had taken his dog tags - and he got thrown in with the German POWs. He only got out when a friend from our hometown walked past and ID'd granddad and got him out.