Robby Campbell was interviewed on April 5, 2013 for a web site to "record your front row to history." You can see and hear his interview at www.generationslestweforget.com. The interview covers his early years growing up in Mt. Vernon, Texas, through high school, through WW II, through college, to the present time. Thanks to The Daughters of WW II organizations for arranging this interview. Also interviewed on this web site were Orville Rogers and Lamar Lovvorn.
Showing posts with label WW II. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WW II. Show all posts
Monday, November 3, 2014
Friday, June 6, 2014
Operation Care Int'l. Honored Veterans
OPERATION CARE INT’L HONORED VETERANS IN DALLAS, TEXAS
In December 2013, OCI not only provided spiritual counseling, shoes, food, coats and comfort to thousands of those in need but also honored veterans in a special way. Veterans joined other special guests at a pre-event breakfast. Following breakfast, an honor guard from Paralyzed Veterans of America presented the American flag to begin festivities. The honor guard - Jerry Hull, John Fay, Bill Fischer, and Ted Smith - consisted of wheelchair bound veterans who volunteer with either the PVA or the Veterans Administration or both.
World War II heroes: The Greatest Generation speaks: Five World War II veterans were special guests of honor at the breakfast and opening ceremonies: Charles Jennings, Robert Blatnik, Robby Campbell, Orville Rogers and Andy Horner.
Orville Rogers served in World War II and the Korean conflict. During the 1950's, he flew the B-36. "I loved that airplane," remarked Orville. "It was the largest airplane in the world at the time." Mr. Rogers is also a longtime friend of Susie Jennings of Operation Care. An avid runner, Orville, as of last summer, held 11 world records in the 95-99 age division at distances from 60 meters to 3,000 meters.
Robert Blatnik enlisted in US Army in 1938 and served in World War II. He was in the invasion of North Africa in November 1942, the invasion of Sicily in July 1943. "I was wounded once in Africa and twice in Sicily...and after Sicilian campaign, we thought we would be sent home to the states," recalled Robert. Instead, Robert's division was sent to England to await the Normandy invasion. "We landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944. To this day, I don't know how I survived," said Robert, who returned to the beaches of Normandy in June 2013 for a moving reunion to pay homage to compatriots who had fallen there. "The good Lord takes care of me, that's for sure," said Robert, who has logged over 6,000 hours as a volunteer at the VA hospital in Dallas.
Robby Campbell served in the US Navy during World War II. Campbell, a veteran of Okinawa, recalled the Japanese kamikaze attacks. "The battle lasted a while, but in the end, the Japanese didn't have anything left," said Robby. "My wife and I have known Susie for about 20 years and we support Operation Care because of her," said Robby.
Charles Jennings jokes "If it wasn't for me we wouldn't have won the war." Charles, who is Susie Jennings's father-in-law, served in the infantry in the European theater during World War II. "I was in communications. We laid wire on the front lines of Europe back to the company switchboards," explained Charles. "Boy, do I have a wonderful daughter-in-law," said Jennings, who has been closely connected to Operation Care since its earliest days.
Andy Horner served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. "We were on convoy duty in Scotland, Ireland, and up into Russia," said Horner. "The more I know about Operation Care, the more I learn...it's unbelievable!" exclaimed Horner. "Susie has a real vision, and I am so happy to be here," said Andy.
Homeless vets tell their stories: Also participating in Saturday's breakfast were veterans who had received assistance from Operation Care and other agencies. Some are homeless and living in shelters such as the Union Gospel Mission; others live in apartments thanks to the assistance of Operation Care. All have stories to tell. These men and women are facing significant challenges and are striving for a better life, a hope and a future grounded in faith in Jesus Christ.
Julie Pant was an electronics technician in the Nary. "I became homeless in 2010 and lived on the streets for a year," she said. "I suffered from PTSD and addiction. When I finished treatment, I was ready to start my life over and I had nothing, no money, nothing to live on. I was at the VA in Dallas. I got in contact with Susie through a friend. Operation Care took me under their wings. They provided the funds so I could get an apartment. They gave me household items. They truly picked me up." Julie, currently a college student at El Centro College, came to the Christmas Gift event as a volunteer. She plan to apply to a nursing school in the fall.
Hector Reynoso, Army veteran, was homeless due to a job loss. Reynosa worked for FEMA for 15 years before losing his job in a downsizing move. Reynoso lives at Union Gospel Mission currently and appreciates the support that Operation Care gives to residents.
Patsy Warren-Cook is an Air Force veteran who served her country for 15 years. After leaving an abusive husband, the mother of two returned to college, earning bachelors and master’s degrees. Patsy began a PhD program in Dallas, but living arrangements with a friend battling addiction did not work out. Warren-Cook and her son moved into an apartment, but the doctoral student was unable to find employment. "My finances ran out and we were evicted from the apartment right before Christmas," recalled Patsy and calls her experience "most humbling." Patsy was approved for housing through the Homeless Veterans Outreach Initiative. Patsy recalls, "I met Susie shortly after I was awarded housing. I had a serious need, and Operation Care stepped in and blessed me. I was prayed for and truly felt the love." Patsy has since become a part-time employee of Operation Care. She has been able to move into a house. Her son is a seventh grader, her daughter is a college senior who presides over the pre-law society at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Patsy is now enrolled in a master of counseling program and plans to become a licensed professional counselor by 2015. "I now am living my dream and living on purpose," said Patsy.
Left to right: Julie Pant, Mayor Mike Rawlings, Patsy Warren-Cook /
WW II Veterans: Charles Jennings, Robt. Blatnik, Robby Campbell, Orville Rogers and Andy Horner
World War II heroes: The Greatest Generation speaks: Five World War II veterans were special guests of honor at the breakfast and opening ceremonies: Charles Jennings, Robert Blatnik, Robby Campbell, Orville Rogers and Andy Horner.
Orville Rogers served in World War II and the Korean conflict. During the 1950's, he flew the B-36. "I loved that airplane," remarked Orville. "It was the largest airplane in the world at the time." Mr. Rogers is also a longtime friend of Susie Jennings of Operation Care. An avid runner, Orville, as of last summer, held 11 world records in the 95-99 age division at distances from 60 meters to 3,000 meters.
Robert Blatnik enlisted in US Army in 1938 and served in World War II. He was in the invasion of North Africa in November 1942, the invasion of Sicily in July 1943. "I was wounded once in Africa and twice in Sicily...and after Sicilian campaign, we thought we would be sent home to the states," recalled Robert. Instead, Robert's division was sent to England to await the Normandy invasion. "We landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944. To this day, I don't know how I survived," said Robert, who returned to the beaches of Normandy in June 2013 for a moving reunion to pay homage to compatriots who had fallen there. "The good Lord takes care of me, that's for sure," said Robert, who has logged over 6,000 hours as a volunteer at the VA hospital in Dallas.
Robby Campbell served in the US Navy during World War II. Campbell, a veteran of Okinawa, recalled the Japanese kamikaze attacks. "The battle lasted a while, but in the end, the Japanese didn't have anything left," said Robby. "My wife and I have known Susie for about 20 years and we support Operation Care because of her," said Robby.
Charles Jennings jokes "If it wasn't for me we wouldn't have won the war." Charles, who is Susie Jennings's father-in-law, served in the infantry in the European theater during World War II. "I was in communications. We laid wire on the front lines of Europe back to the company switchboards," explained Charles. "Boy, do I have a wonderful daughter-in-law," said Jennings, who has been closely connected to Operation Care since its earliest days.
Andy Horner served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. "We were on convoy duty in Scotland, Ireland, and up into Russia," said Horner. "The more I know about Operation Care, the more I learn...it's unbelievable!" exclaimed Horner. "Susie has a real vision, and I am so happy to be here," said Andy.
Homeless vets tell their stories: Also participating in Saturday's breakfast were veterans who had received assistance from Operation Care and other agencies. Some are homeless and living in shelters such as the Union Gospel Mission; others live in apartments thanks to the assistance of Operation Care. All have stories to tell. These men and women are facing significant challenges and are striving for a better life, a hope and a future grounded in faith in Jesus Christ.
Julie Pant was an electronics technician in the Nary. "I became homeless in 2010 and lived on the streets for a year," she said. "I suffered from PTSD and addiction. When I finished treatment, I was ready to start my life over and I had nothing, no money, nothing to live on. I was at the VA in Dallas. I got in contact with Susie through a friend. Operation Care took me under their wings. They provided the funds so I could get an apartment. They gave me household items. They truly picked me up." Julie, currently a college student at El Centro College, came to the Christmas Gift event as a volunteer. She plan to apply to a nursing school in the fall.
Hector Reynoso, Army veteran, was homeless due to a job loss. Reynosa worked for FEMA for 15 years before losing his job in a downsizing move. Reynoso lives at Union Gospel Mission currently and appreciates the support that Operation Care gives to residents.
Patsy Warren-Cook is an Air Force veteran who served her country for 15 years. After leaving an abusive husband, the mother of two returned to college, earning bachelors and master’s degrees. Patsy began a PhD program in Dallas, but living arrangements with a friend battling addiction did not work out. Warren-Cook and her son moved into an apartment, but the doctoral student was unable to find employment. "My finances ran out and we were evicted from the apartment right before Christmas," recalled Patsy and calls her experience "most humbling." Patsy was approved for housing through the Homeless Veterans Outreach Initiative. Patsy recalls, "I met Susie shortly after I was awarded housing. I had a serious need, and Operation Care stepped in and blessed me. I was prayed for and truly felt the love." Patsy has since become a part-time employee of Operation Care. She has been able to move into a house. Her son is a seventh grader, her daughter is a college senior who presides over the pre-law society at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Patsy is now enrolled in a master of counseling program and plans to become a licensed professional counselor by 2015. "I now am living my dream and living on purpose," said Patsy.
Left to right: Julie Pant, Mayor Mike Rawlings, Patsy Warren-Cook /
WW II Veterans: Charles Jennings, Robt. Blatnik, Robby Campbell, Orville Rogers and Andy Horner
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Iwo Jima Reunion of Honor
Iwo Jima gathering fosters blessings of friendship and peace at scene of horrific sacrifice, says Laura Leppert.
On March 26, 1945, after 36 days of ferocious battle between American and Japanese forces, the island of Iwo Jima was declared secure, after nearly 7,000 Americans and over 22,000 Japanese soldiers had perished. It was a costly and courageous victory for the United Sates, and the remarkable bravery displayed on that battlefield led Adm. Chester Nimitz to declare, "Among the Americans serving on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue."
Recently, Laura Leppert accompanied four Iwo veterans from Dallas, Texas to Iwo Jima for the 19th Reunion of Honor. Thanks to the efforts of an 94-year-old Iwo veteran, Lt. Gen. Lawrence Snowden, Americans and Japanese convene one day each year to jointly honor our soldiers' sacrifices. This tiny, 5-mile-long island is the only place in the world where formerly bitter battlefield enemies come together as strong allies in the pursuit of global peace in a memorial service for bereaved families, veterans and government and military leaders. The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James Amos, flew from Washington, D.C. to Iwo and exhorted this austere gathering of 300 Americans and Japanese to "continue to draw stronger together, not as enemies but as partners."
Laura said "I know very little about my father's service on Iwo Jima. I have letters he wrote to my grandmother, describing the night he was wounded. They were later published in the newspaper of his small Ohio railroad town. Like most of his generation, when he returned from the war, he did not speak of his service. But before he passed away, he asked me to remember his service in World War II, and with that resolve, I co-founded the Daughters of World War II."
During the last three reunions, the Dallas-based nonprofit has escorted nine survivors of this horrific battle back to the black sands where they lost so many of their countrymen united in preserving our freedoms. We have done so at no cost to the veterans because of the generosity of private donors.
I have watched as veterans walked the beaches where they landed nearly 70 years ago, with closed eyes, everything comes back to them - the deafening sounds of the rifles, the screams and the stench of death. I think how brave they were - and how brave they are, to return to this battlefield, this burial ground. As they walk the hallowed ground where 300 Americans and 12,000 Japanese are still missing in action and presumed entombed, they pay tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, those who will remain forever young. Returning allows these courageous men to put the battle behind them, to bring closure to a necessary duty and to find peace, and also new friends to carry on their legacy,
Dallas resident Clyde Jackson traveled with Daughters of World War II and met Kathy Painton, whose father was killed in the first wave on Feb. 19, 1945. She never knew her father, and her young widowed mother had only a letter from the government thanking her for her sacrifice. Jackson was in the same division, same regiment, same battalion, even the same company as her father. Jackson knew the man, the father that Painton had never known. And that is what Daughters of World War II is all about--connecting one generation to another.
The Iwo Jima Reunion of Honor also forges new friendships between Americans and Japanese. Under the brilliant Iwo sun, with the silence broken only by the songbirds, I was introduced to Tetsuro Teramoto, president of the Iwo Jima Association of Japan. We exchanged business cards and bowed.
He told me how his father had been killed on Iwo while his mother was pregnant with him. I assured him, "It is our duty to carry on the memory of our fathers and the sacrifices made on this island by both of our nations, so the world will never forget and our peoples will remember the blessing of peace and friendship."
(Laura Leppert is president and co-founder of Daughters of World War II and a board member of the Iwo Jima Association of America. Her father was an Iwo Jima Marine, Fifth Marine Division, 26th Regiment, 1st Battalion. Her email address is Laura.leppert@daughtersofww2.org.)
On March 26, 1945, after 36 days of ferocious battle between American and Japanese forces, the island of Iwo Jima was declared secure, after nearly 7,000 Americans and over 22,000 Japanese soldiers had perished. It was a costly and courageous victory for the United Sates, and the remarkable bravery displayed on that battlefield led Adm. Chester Nimitz to declare, "Among the Americans serving on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue."
Recently, Laura Leppert accompanied four Iwo veterans from Dallas, Texas to Iwo Jima for the 19th Reunion of Honor. Thanks to the efforts of an 94-year-old Iwo veteran, Lt. Gen. Lawrence Snowden, Americans and Japanese convene one day each year to jointly honor our soldiers' sacrifices. This tiny, 5-mile-long island is the only place in the world where formerly bitter battlefield enemies come together as strong allies in the pursuit of global peace in a memorial service for bereaved families, veterans and government and military leaders. The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James Amos, flew from Washington, D.C. to Iwo and exhorted this austere gathering of 300 Americans and Japanese to "continue to draw stronger together, not as enemies but as partners."
Laura said "I know very little about my father's service on Iwo Jima. I have letters he wrote to my grandmother, describing the night he was wounded. They were later published in the newspaper of his small Ohio railroad town. Like most of his generation, when he returned from the war, he did not speak of his service. But before he passed away, he asked me to remember his service in World War II, and with that resolve, I co-founded the Daughters of World War II."
During the last three reunions, the Dallas-based nonprofit has escorted nine survivors of this horrific battle back to the black sands where they lost so many of their countrymen united in preserving our freedoms. We have done so at no cost to the veterans because of the generosity of private donors.
I have watched as veterans walked the beaches where they landed nearly 70 years ago, with closed eyes, everything comes back to them - the deafening sounds of the rifles, the screams and the stench of death. I think how brave they were - and how brave they are, to return to this battlefield, this burial ground. As they walk the hallowed ground where 300 Americans and 12,000 Japanese are still missing in action and presumed entombed, they pay tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, those who will remain forever young. Returning allows these courageous men to put the battle behind them, to bring closure to a necessary duty and to find peace, and also new friends to carry on their legacy,
Dallas resident Clyde Jackson traveled with Daughters of World War II and met Kathy Painton, whose father was killed in the first wave on Feb. 19, 1945. She never knew her father, and her young widowed mother had only a letter from the government thanking her for her sacrifice. Jackson was in the same division, same regiment, same battalion, even the same company as her father. Jackson knew the man, the father that Painton had never known. And that is what Daughters of World War II is all about--connecting one generation to another.
The Iwo Jima Reunion of Honor also forges new friendships between Americans and Japanese. Under the brilliant Iwo sun, with the silence broken only by the songbirds, I was introduced to Tetsuro Teramoto, president of the Iwo Jima Association of Japan. We exchanged business cards and bowed.
He told me how his father had been killed on Iwo while his mother was pregnant with him. I assured him, "It is our duty to carry on the memory of our fathers and the sacrifices made on this island by both of our nations, so the world will never forget and our peoples will remember the blessing of peace and friendship."
(Laura Leppert is president and co-founder of Daughters of World War II and a board member of the Iwo Jima Association of America. Her father was an Iwo Jima Marine, Fifth Marine Division, 26th Regiment, 1st Battalion. Her email address is Laura.leppert@daughtersofww2.org.)
Monday, July 1, 2013
Survey of WW II Veterans-Revised
SURVEY
OF WORLD WAR II VETERANS (46)
WHAT
DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE U.S.A.?
1. Is
the U.S.A. going in the right
direction? Yes 8 No 37
direction? Yes 8 No 37
2. Do
you think Barack Obama is doing a good
job as President Yes 4 No 42
3. Do
you believe in more or less governmentjob as President Yes 4 No 42
control? More_ 0 Less 46
4. You are 18 years old again/would you volunteer to serve in
a war now? Yes 19 No 26
5. Are you a Conservative or a
Liberal? Con. 43 Lib. 3
6. Are you a Republican or Democrat or “Other”?
Rep. 38 Dem. 4 Other__2
7. Do you approve of water boarding the enemy to get
information? Yes 34 No 11
8. Do you think we should close Guantanamo (Get-Mo)
Prison? Yes 10 No 34
9. Did you vote for Obama or
Romney? Obam 4 Rom 40
10. Do you think Obama is honest and straight-forward
when delivering his political speeches? Yes 5 No 39
11. Is Obama or Congress more at fault for the condition
this country is in? Obama 28 Cong 19
12. Do you believe in free enterprise or
Socialism? Free 46 Soc 0
13. Do you believe openly gay men and women should
serve in the military? Yes 8 No 36
14. Should women serve on the frontline
in combat? Yes 4 No 41
15. Does Obama take too many
vacations? Yes 38 No 8
16. Does Obama spend too much money on
parties/entertainment? Yes 40 No 5
17. Do you think too many people are on
food stamps? Yes 41 No 4
18. Do you believe in same-sex
marriage? Yes 5 No 40
19. Is there too much partisanship in
Washington, D.C.? Yes 35 No 9
20. Is national debt or lack of jobs the government’s biggest
problem? Debt 30 Jobs 16
21. Has racism under Obama become
worse? Yes 36 No 7
22. Which is this country’s biggest problem?
No. Korea 11 Iran 14 Afghanistan 14
23. Should we bomb nuclear bomb factories in Iran and
No. Korea? Yes 25 No 21
24. Should we give more support to
Israel? Yes 36 No 10
25. Do you believe in government loans for college
students? Yes 40 No 6
26. Should students go to jail if they do not re-pay
government loans? Yes 29 No 14
27. Do you think the government should give poor people
fish or teach them to fish (work)? Give 1 Teach 45
28. Do you believe in a one-party or two-party system of
government: One 0 Two 46
29. Do you think the national media is fair and balanced
to both Democrats and Republicans? Yes 2 No 33
Who is the most fair and balanced news person?
Name: Greta (2), Lehrer, Hannity (3), Brower, Brian Williams,
Kranthammer (2), O’Reilly (3)
30. Are there too many unqualified and inexperienced
people in government jobs? Yes 46 No 0
31. Do you think Obama has taken a strong enough stance
against terrorists? Yes 7 No 35
32. The Obama administration is very
“transparent.” Yes 2 No 39
33. People are very careful about what they say because they
fear being called a racist. Yes 33 No 5
34. At the end of Obama’s eight years as President, will
he be a success or a failure? Suc 5 Fail 35
35. Would you have voted for or against the gun law that
Congress voted down on April 17, 2013? (Background checks)
For 14 Agn 22
36. The U.S. government sent a delegation to Hugo Chavez’s
funeral in Venezuela but not to Margaret Thatcher’s funeral in
England. Was this a good decision? Yes 1 No 37
37. Which of these describes your opinion of Obama best?
Like 4 Dislike 7 Loathe 20
38. Who was/is the better U.S. President?
Geo. W. Bush 32 Obama 4
39. Do you believe that the Obama administration has been
honest, fair and open about: (a) the Benghazi terrorist attack?
(Ambassador killed) Yes 1 No 38
(b) the Internal Revenue Service (delaying tax-exempt
status for conservative groups) Yes 2 No 37
(c) News media (tracking AP phone calls)
Yes 2 No 37
40. Obama made a policy that no U.S. serviceman can
speak at any faith-based public event. Is that okay?
Yes 2 No 37
FUNNY QUESTIONS:
1. Do you still drive a car day and
night? Yes 32 No 14
2. Do you exercise often?
Yes 24 No 22night? Yes 32 No 14
3. Do you still weigh the same as you did when
discharged from military? Yes 16 No 24
4. Do you routinely take prescription drugs most
every day? Yes 34 No 12
(Viagra doesn’t count – that’s voluntary)
----------------------------------------------------------
To check out the writer (Robby Campbell), go to my
blog www.robby-campbell.blogspot.com. or
Franklin Count Courthouse, Mt. Vernon, Texas. My
brothers (Phil, Zack, John Campbell), and I all served
in WW II and our discharge papers are filed there.
For a 20 minute video interview of me, go to
www.generationslestweforget.com and type in
Campbell in the search space. This is sponsored by
Daughters of WW II, president Laura Leppert.
-2-
Monday, February 11, 2013
Phil C. Campbell, Staff Sgt. US Army
Combat Engineer, Platoon Sergeant, Rifle Marksman
23rd Armored Engineers, Company E
Served from 16 Jan. 1942 to 14 Sept. 1945
Served in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, Central Europe
Wounded May 11, 1945 Rhine River, Germany
Medals: Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Campaign Medal with 5 bronze stars, Purple Heart.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Warning to Japanese
This is an English translation of the above Japanese language tract issued by U.S. military in WW II:
Do you not think that you want to save the lives of your parents, sisters, brothers, and friends? If so, please read this tract carefully.
Within a few days, U.S. Air Forces will bomb four or five military facilities selected from those of cities mentioned on the other side of this tract. In these cities there are military facilities or factories which produce military goods. U.S. Air Forces will destroy all weapons which will be used for the prolongation of this war that is a hopeless battle for Japan. But since bombs do not have eyes, we cannot tell where the bombs will drop. As you know, America is humanitarian. We do not harm those who are innocent. Therefore, please evacuate from the cities mentioned below.
The enemy of America is not you, but the headquarters of Japanese Army who compel you to fight against this war. The peace that America envisages is to liberate you from the distress by the headquarters; if you are liberated, you will be able to establish a new, better Japan.
Why don't you enthrone a new leader who is capable of ceasing this war, and why don't you recover the peace?
Even if not mentioned on this tract, there might be some cities which will be bombed. But at least we will attach four cities among those mentioned below.
As we warn you in advance, please evacuate from these cities:
Aomori
Nishinomiya
Ogaki
Ichinomiya
Kurume
Uwajima
Nagaoka
Hakodate
Koriyama
Tsu
Ujiyamaia
Tokyo
Friday, August 24, 2012
E. Henry Garland, Sr.
Pvt. Garland, WW 2, 45th Ordnance - Medical Maintenance Co.
This veteran was my father. He was stationed in Aberdeen, MD before taking a troop ship across the Atlantic, passing Gibraltar, and landing in Italy. There were foreign submarines and other threats en route, according to his sketchy diary. I have postcards, "aeromails," and trinkets from Sicily and Pisa. He told occasionally of giving chocolate candy to children along the way. Later, his group moved along the coast to France and were transported by train north, paralleling the German border. From there - we think - he went into the Strasbourg (or Black Forest) area of Germany. I have often wondered if he saw General Patton. Would this have been possible?
Henry (sometimes called Hank by friends) was my "Daddy." His absence left a gap in our family. I was 5 - 7 years old and had two young teen aged brothers. Mother ran the household with faith and strength of character, but it was hard for her. My best memory of those times was one of the Christmases. I received a child-size military uniform of my own and the most beautiful doll I have ever seen before or since! After what seemed a long time to me, Daddy returned home, got over an illness, and returned to his regular job.
In later years, I developed a great pride in the fact that my father served our country. He perhaps helped to save many lives by keeping the medical vehicles in working order. We likely will never know since he spoke very little of the war once he returned. The war was part of the lives of at least four of my uncles and one cousin. It greatly impacted the family lives of that era.
Ruby A. Bryant
Dallas, Texas
This veteran was my father. He was stationed in Aberdeen, MD before taking a troop ship across the Atlantic, passing Gibraltar, and landing in Italy. There were foreign submarines and other threats en route, according to his sketchy diary. I have postcards, "aeromails," and trinkets from Sicily and Pisa. He told occasionally of giving chocolate candy to children along the way. Later, his group moved along the coast to France and were transported by train north, paralleling the German border. From there - we think - he went into the Strasbourg (or Black Forest) area of Germany. I have often wondered if he saw General Patton. Would this have been possible?
Henry (sometimes called Hank by friends) was my "Daddy." His absence left a gap in our family. I was 5 - 7 years old and had two young teen aged brothers. Mother ran the household with faith and strength of character, but it was hard for her. My best memory of those times was one of the Christmases. I received a child-size military uniform of my own and the most beautiful doll I have ever seen before or since! After what seemed a long time to me, Daddy returned home, got over an illness, and returned to his regular job.
In later years, I developed a great pride in the fact that my father served our country. He perhaps helped to save many lives by keeping the medical vehicles in working order. We likely will never know since he spoke very little of the war once he returned. The war was part of the lives of at least four of my uncles and one cousin. It greatly impacted the family lives of that era.
Ruby A. Bryant
Dallas, Texas
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Unique Story of Pearl Harbor - Japanese Military Leader Converted to Christianity
Japanese military leader converted to Christianity
By Donald L. Gilleland
On December 7th Patrick Air Force Base honored ten survivors from the
Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, a day President Franklin Roosevelt said would live in infamy. We traditionally remember that day because the Japanese attack ushered us into World War II and took the lives of 2,388 Americans.
However, there is a little known story about that event that few Americans
have ever heard. Mitsuo Fuchida, a Commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy, was the air-strike leader of the Japanese carrier force that attacked Pearl Harbor. Considered one of Japan's most skillful fliers, Commander Fuchida, who was later promoted to Captain, led the first wave of 183 airplanes against the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor; he was the one who shouted the war cry "Tora, Tora, Tora."
Of the 70 Japanese officers who participated in the raid on Pearl Harbor,
Fuchida was the only one who returned to Japan alive. He later fought
against the United States throughout the war in the Pacific. Fuchida was a national hero in Japan, but at war's end he was a disillusioned and bitter man. In 1951 he published his recollections of those historic events and his book was subsequently translated and published in English in 1955.
Following the war, Fuchida met Jacob DeShazer, an American Doolittle
Raider who was captured and imprisoned from 1942-1945. DeShazer had
become a Christian missionary who returned to Japan in 1948 to preach to the nation that held him captive for 40 months. He wrote a tract, "I Was a Prisoner of Japan," which Fuchida read. Fuchida was so impressed by what he read that he sought out and met with DeShazer, who subsequently converted Fuchida from Buddhism to Christianity.
Fuchida wrote of his salvation experience in a book titled From Pearl
Harbor to Calvary, in which he recounts how profoundly he was affected by the bible passages describing the Crucifixion--particularly the passage in hich Christ says: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
That experience changed his life dramatically and he became a Christian
evangelist, traveling across Japan and the Orient introducing others to
Christianity.
In From Pearl Harbor to Calvary he wrote: "I would give anything to
retract my actions of twenty-nine years ago at Pearl Harbor, but it is
impossible. Instead, I now work at striking the death-blow to the basic hatred which infests the human heart and causes such tragedies."
In 1952, Fuchida toured the United States as a member of the Worldwide
Christian Missionary Army of Sky Pilots. In 1960 he became an American
citizen, in the country he hated as a young man. Fuchida embraced Christianity completely and spent the rest of his life telling others what God had done for him and apologizing for the pain he had caused at Pearl Harbor.
He died of complications caused by diabetes on May 30, 1976. A Fuchida
Film Project is in preproduction to make a $140 million motion picture to
tell Fuchida's life story, which should interest Pearl Harbor survivors.
By Donald L. Gilleland
On December 7th Patrick Air Force Base honored ten survivors from the
Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, a day President Franklin Roosevelt said would live in infamy. We traditionally remember that day because the Japanese attack ushered us into World War II and took the lives of 2,388 Americans.
However, there is a little known story about that event that few Americans
have ever heard. Mitsuo Fuchida, a Commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy, was the air-strike leader of the Japanese carrier force that attacked Pearl Harbor. Considered one of Japan's most skillful fliers, Commander Fuchida, who was later promoted to Captain, led the first wave of 183 airplanes against the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor; he was the one who shouted the war cry "Tora, Tora, Tora."
Of the 70 Japanese officers who participated in the raid on Pearl Harbor,
Fuchida was the only one who returned to Japan alive. He later fought
against the United States throughout the war in the Pacific. Fuchida was a national hero in Japan, but at war's end he was a disillusioned and bitter man. In 1951 he published his recollections of those historic events and his book was subsequently translated and published in English in 1955.
Following the war, Fuchida met Jacob DeShazer, an American Doolittle
Raider who was captured and imprisoned from 1942-1945. DeShazer had
become a Christian missionary who returned to Japan in 1948 to preach to the nation that held him captive for 40 months. He wrote a tract, "I Was a Prisoner of Japan," which Fuchida read. Fuchida was so impressed by what he read that he sought out and met with DeShazer, who subsequently converted Fuchida from Buddhism to Christianity.
Fuchida wrote of his salvation experience in a book titled From Pearl
Harbor to Calvary, in which he recounts how profoundly he was affected by the bible passages describing the Crucifixion--particularly the passage in hich Christ says: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
That experience changed his life dramatically and he became a Christian
evangelist, traveling across Japan and the Orient introducing others to
Christianity.
In From Pearl Harbor to Calvary he wrote: "I would give anything to
retract my actions of twenty-nine years ago at Pearl Harbor, but it is
impossible. Instead, I now work at striking the death-blow to the basic hatred which infests the human heart and causes such tragedies."
In 1952, Fuchida toured the United States as a member of the Worldwide
Christian Missionary Army of Sky Pilots. In 1960 he became an American
citizen, in the country he hated as a young man. Fuchida embraced Christianity completely and spent the rest of his life telling others what God had done for him and apologizing for the pain he had caused at Pearl Harbor.
He died of complications caused by diabetes on May 30, 1976. A Fuchida
Film Project is in preproduction to make a $140 million motion picture to
tell Fuchida's life story, which should interest Pearl Harbor survivors.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Six Boys and Thirteen Hands
(Author Unknown)
Each year I am hired to go to Washington, DC with the eighth grade class from Clinton, Wisconsin, where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I greatly enjoy visiting our nation's capitol, and each year I take some special memories back with me. This fall's trip was especially memorable.
On the last night of our trip, we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial. This memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in history - that of the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag at the top of a rocky hill on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan, during WW II.
Over one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed towards the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, and as I got closer he asked, "Where are you guys from"?
I told him that we were from Wisconsin. Hey, I'm a cheese head, too! Come gather around, cheese heads, and I will tell you a story.
(James Bradley just happened to be in Washington, DC, to speak at the memorial the following day. He was there that night to say good night to his dad, who had passed away. He was just about to leave when he saw the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington, DC, but it is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night.)
When all had gathered around, he reverently began to speak. Here are his words that night:
"My name is James Bradley and I'm from Antigo, Wisconsin. My dad is on that statue, and I just wrote a book called 'Flags of Our Fathers' which is #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. It is the story of the six boys you see behind me.
"Six boys raised the flag. The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an all-state football player. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior members of his football team. They were off to play another type of game. A game called "War." But it didn't turn out to be a game. Harlon, at the age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands. I don’t say that to gross you out, I say that because there are people who stand in front of this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know that most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old - and it was so hard that the ones who did make it home never even would talk to their families about it.
(He pointed to the statue.) "You see this next guy? That’s Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire. If you took Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was taken and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph, a photograph of his girlfriend. Rene put that in there for protection because he was scared. He was 18 years old. It was just boys who won the battle of Iwo Jima. Boys, not old men.
The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They called him the 'old man' because he was so old. He was already 24. When Mike would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn’t say, 'Let's go kill some Japanese' or 'Let's die for our country.' He knew he was talking to little boys. Instead he would say, 'You do what I say, and I'll get you home to your mothers.'
"The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from Arizona. Ira Hayes was one who walked off Iwo Jima. He went into the White House with my dad. President Truman told him, 'You're a hero.' He told reporters, 'How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me and only 27 of us walked off alive’?
"So you take your class at school, 250 of you spending a year together having fun, doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only 27 of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes. He had images of horror in his mind. Ira Hayes carried the pain home with him and eventually died dead drunk, face down at the age of 32 (ten years after this picture was taken)
"The next guy, going around the statue, is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop, Kentucky. A fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. His best friend, who is now 70, told me, 'Yeah, you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows couldn't get down. Then we fed them Epsom salts. Those cows crapped all night. Yes, he was a fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at the age of 19. When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, it went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up to his mother's farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and into the morning. Those neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away.
"The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue, is my dad John Bradley, from Antigo, Wisconsin, where I was raised. My dad lived until 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Cronkite's producers or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little kids to say ‘No, I'm sorry, sir, my dad's not here. He is in Canada fishing. No, there is no phone there, sir. No, we don't know when he is coming back.’ My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually, he was sitting there right at the table eating his Campbell's soup. But we had to tell the press that he was out fishing. He didn't want to talk to the press.
"You see, like Ira Hayes, my dad didn't see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks these guys are heroes, 'cause they are in a photo and on a monument. My dad knew better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a caregiver. In Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died. And when boys died in Iwo Jima, they writhed and screamed, without any medication or help with the pain.
"When I was a little boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I went home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, I want you always to remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back. Did NOT come back.
"So that's the story about six nice young boys. Three died on Iwo Jima, and three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7,000 boys died on Iwo Jima in the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is giving out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time."
Suddenly, the monument wasn't just a big old piece of metal with a flag sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the heartfelt words of a son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. Maybe not a hero for the reasons most people would believe, but a hero nonetheless.
We need to remember that God created this vast and glorious world for us to live in, freely, but also at great sacrifice.
Let us never forget from the Revolutionary War to the current War on Terrorism and all the wars in-between that sacrifice was made for our freedom.
Remember to pray praises for this great country of ours and also pray for those still in murderous unrest around the world.
STOP and thank God for being alive and being free at someone else's sacrifice.
REMINDER: Everyday that you can wake up free, it's going to be a great day.
One thing I learned while on tour with my 8th grade students in DC that is not mentioned here is … that if you look at the statue very closely and count the number of 'hands' raising the flag, there are 13. When the man who made the statue was asked why there were 13, he simply said the 13th hand was the hand of God.
Each year I am hired to go to Washington, DC with the eighth grade class from Clinton, Wisconsin, where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I greatly enjoy visiting our nation's capitol, and each year I take some special memories back with me. This fall's trip was especially memorable.
On the last night of our trip, we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial. This memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in history - that of the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag at the top of a rocky hill on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan, during WW II.
Over one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed towards the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, and as I got closer he asked, "Where are you guys from"?
I told him that we were from Wisconsin. Hey, I'm a cheese head, too! Come gather around, cheese heads, and I will tell you a story.
(James Bradley just happened to be in Washington, DC, to speak at the memorial the following day. He was there that night to say good night to his dad, who had passed away. He was just about to leave when he saw the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington, DC, but it is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night.)
When all had gathered around, he reverently began to speak. Here are his words that night:
"My name is James Bradley and I'm from Antigo, Wisconsin. My dad is on that statue, and I just wrote a book called 'Flags of Our Fathers' which is #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. It is the story of the six boys you see behind me.
"Six boys raised the flag. The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an all-state football player. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior members of his football team. They were off to play another type of game. A game called "War." But it didn't turn out to be a game. Harlon, at the age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands. I don’t say that to gross you out, I say that because there are people who stand in front of this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know that most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old - and it was so hard that the ones who did make it home never even would talk to their families about it.
(He pointed to the statue.) "You see this next guy? That’s Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire. If you took Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was taken and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph, a photograph of his girlfriend. Rene put that in there for protection because he was scared. He was 18 years old. It was just boys who won the battle of Iwo Jima. Boys, not old men.
The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They called him the 'old man' because he was so old. He was already 24. When Mike would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn’t say, 'Let's go kill some Japanese' or 'Let's die for our country.' He knew he was talking to little boys. Instead he would say, 'You do what I say, and I'll get you home to your mothers.'
"The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from Arizona. Ira Hayes was one who walked off Iwo Jima. He went into the White House with my dad. President Truman told him, 'You're a hero.' He told reporters, 'How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me and only 27 of us walked off alive’?
"So you take your class at school, 250 of you spending a year together having fun, doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only 27 of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes. He had images of horror in his mind. Ira Hayes carried the pain home with him and eventually died dead drunk, face down at the age of 32 (ten years after this picture was taken)
"The next guy, going around the statue, is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop, Kentucky. A fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. His best friend, who is now 70, told me, 'Yeah, you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows couldn't get down. Then we fed them Epsom salts. Those cows crapped all night. Yes, he was a fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at the age of 19. When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, it went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up to his mother's farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and into the morning. Those neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away.
"The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue, is my dad John Bradley, from Antigo, Wisconsin, where I was raised. My dad lived until 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Cronkite's producers or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little kids to say ‘No, I'm sorry, sir, my dad's not here. He is in Canada fishing. No, there is no phone there, sir. No, we don't know when he is coming back.’ My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually, he was sitting there right at the table eating his Campbell's soup. But we had to tell the press that he was out fishing. He didn't want to talk to the press.
"You see, like Ira Hayes, my dad didn't see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks these guys are heroes, 'cause they are in a photo and on a monument. My dad knew better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a caregiver. In Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died. And when boys died in Iwo Jima, they writhed and screamed, without any medication or help with the pain.
"When I was a little boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I went home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, I want you always to remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back. Did NOT come back.
"So that's the story about six nice young boys. Three died on Iwo Jima, and three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7,000 boys died on Iwo Jima in the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is giving out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time."
Suddenly, the monument wasn't just a big old piece of metal with a flag sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the heartfelt words of a son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. Maybe not a hero for the reasons most people would believe, but a hero nonetheless.
We need to remember that God created this vast and glorious world for us to live in, freely, but also at great sacrifice.
Let us never forget from the Revolutionary War to the current War on Terrorism and all the wars in-between that sacrifice was made for our freedom.
Remember to pray praises for this great country of ours and also pray for those still in murderous unrest around the world.
STOP and thank God for being alive and being free at someone else's sacrifice.
REMINDER: Everyday that you can wake up free, it's going to be a great day.
One thing I learned while on tour with my 8th grade students in DC that is not mentioned here is … that if you look at the statue very closely and count the number of 'hands' raising the flag, there are 13. When the man who made the statue was asked why there were 13, he simply said the 13th hand was the hand of God.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Great Warriors Charlie Brown & German Franz Stigler
Look carefully at the B-17 and note how shot up it is -- one engine dead, tail, horizontal stabilizer and nose shot up. It was ready to fall out of the sky. (This is a painting done by an artist from the description of both pilots many years later.) Then realize that there is a German ME-l09 fighter flying next to it. He ran a big risk flying so close to the waist guner’s 50 caliber. This waist gunner was out of ammo, dead, wounded, gun damaged, or he too had compassion, which would be the rest of the story. Now read the story below. I think you'll be surprised.
Bomber Group at Kimbolton, England. His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.
After flying the B-17 over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Stigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.
Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.
Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to, and slightly over, the North Sea towards England. He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe. When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.
More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.
They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now -- all because Franz never fired his guns that day.
(L-R) German Ace Franz Stigler, artist Ernie Boyett, and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.
When asked why he didn't shoot them down, Stigler later said, I didn't have the heart to finish those brave men. I flew beside them for a long time. They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do that. I could not have shot at them. It would have been the same as shooting at a man in a parachute.
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