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<p>True. When I read their stories, I simply think of them as Americans, as soldiers, or sailors, or Marines. </p>
<p>When you get a chance, read some of the actual citations of the men honored.</p>
<p>I am humbled when I read these stories. Most of them make Rambo look like a sissy.</p>
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<p>I saw something along those lines when I toured the USS Alabama in Mobile a few years ago. They had a section below deck with all of the Alabama native sons who had won the MOH and their citations.</p>
<p>Some incredible stories.</p>
<p>I’m looking forward to visiting Charleston to see it.</p>
<p>I happened to of met Roy Benavides in Houston many years ago. If I recall correctly, the City of Houston was naming a street after Macario Garcia, another person to whom the medal of honor was awarded.</p>
<p>Benavides was a gentleman. A GENTLE man who commanded respect.</p>
<p>I did not see that statistic on the website and had not ever heard that before either. Asian MOH winners must have the same problem: No Budget!</p>
<p>Luigi,
While waiting for our D to finish the San Diego Marathon last year my wife and I wandered about the USMC Recruiting Depot (it was near the finish line). They have a museum there and I remember reading the specific citations of a number of MOH winners from the Marine Corps.
You are correct, Rambo has nothing on them.</p>
<p>WOW. Last nights episode on the Huertgen (sp?) Forest and Operation Market Garden was pretty powerful. The part on the Japanese -American Regiment was also well done and brought out some things you don’t normally read about.</p>
<p>Shogun! I’m having the hardest time watching it. Hubby has threatened to disconnect the Dish if I don’t stop with the blubbering. My Grandmother called me crying after watching just one episode. I begged her not to watch any more. Too many memories for her & things she was never aware of. It almost feels like watching a train wreck & I’m rubber-necking right into it. I’d never heard of Market Garden. What a complete disaster it was… I think the most amazing thing (& I can’t seem to comprehend one tenth of it) is what the human spirit can endure. Talk about feeling small… 
I will continue to watch but think I better not post about it anymore for fear of making a complete mushy gooshy idiot of myself. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Curious: We only got to see a little bit of last night’s episode as we ere on the road coming back from Annapolis for the AF game (Way to go Navy!). The part we picked up on was about fighting in the Pacific, which I was particularly interested in, but AFTER the time frame of the Battle of Kwajalein. I used to live there as a kid, and really wanted to see something about it in the series.<br>
Did they have very much info on that battle?? I’ll have to make a point to watch for a repeat if they did…</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>bz2010-- The battle they were showing last night that I believe you are referring to was on the Island of Peleliu. There is a great book called “With the Marines at Peleliu”. The book also touches on the point in the documentary which discussed whether it was even necessary to take that particular island. Regardless, it was a long bloody affair.</p>
<p>Jamzmom—yep, I hear ya! There is a great movie called “A Bridge Too Far” which portrays Market Garden. Its pretty long but a very good movie.</p>
<p>My husband and I are watching the series too. What really gets to me is when they tell the numbers of men killed and wounded in a battle. It is hard to get your mind around such huge numbers. Sometimes is seems amazing to me that anyone survived some of these battles. </p>
<p>Jamzmom - I am a blubbering mess too. How could you not cry when “Babe” was killed in Italy?</p>
<p>Thanks shogun - saw the part about Pelelieu. That was in April '44 I believe. The Battle of Kwajalein was in Feb. so I thought we might’ve missed a segment about that. </p>
<p>We did notice a marker at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium commemorating the battle tho’. Interesting to see “Kawajalein” up there in big bold letters - seeing the names of all those battles written around the stadium really makes you stop & think even tho’ a football game is going on. So many heroes sacrificing so much just so we can have the freedom to enjoy something like a football game on a beautiful September day… </p>
<p>May we all always be appreciative of that!</p>
<p>You want to hear something really “Cheesie”? The comments I hear about this series, not just here but in person, reminds me of the saying Jack Nicholson said in the movie “A Few Good Men”. </p>
<p>“You want the truth? You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth”.</p>
<p>That saying is so true. Most Americans want their opinion of war to be as they see it in a John Wayne type movie. I’m glad people are watching this series. While some of it isn’t done as I would have recommended, it’s basically pretty good. If nothing else, maybe it will make some people have a different respect for the military. Unfortunately, I think it will also make a lot of people even more left coast and non-supportive of the men and woman in the service.</p>
<p>I joined right after Vietnam. (That’s a war most people are definitely not ready for). To this day, there is still stuff I don’t talk to my wife about concerning the Gulf War, Grenada, Libya, Panama, and other engagements. Deep down in side, most people don’t want to know the truth.</p>
<p>christcorp,
Thank you for your service in the US military. Did it occur to you that the left coast offered many brave soldiers, sailors, and marines to fight in current and past wars? Not to mention Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Lockeed Aircraft. Would that include Camp Pendleton, San Diego, Long Beach, Edwards AFB, Camp Roberts, The Presidio, San Francisco, Everett, Whidbey Island, Top Gun school in Nevada? Additionally, California sends more cadets/midshipmen to USNA/USMA/USAFA by virtue of our population (33 million) than any other state in the nation. My father was a highly decorated B17, B24 Army Air Corps pilot in WWII. Flew 52 combat missions, Silver Star, six Bronze Stars, DFC, etc. and he was born in Los Angeles. Spare us the sweeping generalizations.</p>
<p>Left Coast is a figure of speech for far left liberal. Coast usually referring to “Hollywood” and such. It has no reference to the actual citizens of California, Oregon, Washington, or any other implied place of residency. i.e. a person from New York can be part of the “Left Coast” thinking. Sorry you took it the wrong way.</p>
<p>Shogun, good grief! Ive seen that movie and had apparently totally forgotten about it. I guess my short term memory is way better than the long term . </p>
<p>Usna09mom, I cant help but to be completely humbled by the amazing deeds of bravery from the stories told by some of the veterans in this series who flew aircraft. To hear some of their words about flying their missions, your Dad flying 52 of them & living through it is beyond incredible. To have his history must be a true treasure to your family.</p>
<p>Christcorp, Im not beyond begging on behalf of any future grandchildren of yours, that you please find it in your heart to someday put pen to paper and tell your stories, atleast for your family. I know I dont know you but I know what it is to be a granddaughter who worshipped her Grandfather and wanted to know everything about him. He wouldnt talk about the War and after hed passed, it took me two years to piece together his story that will forever & always lack his personal stories & views. So much was lost to us but we treasure the knowledge we do have. See, now Im just playin all over your sympathies. Top that for being cheesie. ;)</p>
<p>Shogun Me too, never thought about the movie and Market Garden until you pointed it out.</p>
<p>Please Please Please those who were there and Those of us with family member who were there … the nation needs your stories. Your families need your stories. If you can’t tell your spouse or children - seek out the LOC Veterns Project some times it is easier with at stranger with a set of prompts! If you still can’t tell it, try writing it. Your memories and stories are important to your family, this nation and her people.</p>
<p>My father was an Army Air Corp B24L pilot who flew the hump India to China 44 - 45. He has just started telling giving me his memento’s. Have his uniform still had every piece, of course the Mid loves the bomber jacket!. The photo albums and paperwork is about to come my way. I sat with him last summer going through it all so that if he does not document I have my notes.</p>
<p>Read Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose (or watch the mini-series). </p>
<p>It covers Operation Market-Garden in great detail.</p>
<p>I too have been watching Ken Burns documentary with great interest… I think it has given me a better appreciation for what my father went through…</p>
<p>My dad enlisted in the army in 1936. After the war started he went through parachute training at Ft. Benning and in 1943 went overseas from Ft. Bragg with the 504th PIR (those devils in baggy pants) of the 82nd Airborne. From North Africa he made the night combat jump at Gela Sicily… That jump resulted in one of the worst friendly fire incidents in U.S. Army history. More than 400 paratroopers were shot from the skies by their own men… From there the 82nd fought its way through Sicily… He then made another combat jump with the 504th behind the enemy lines at Salerno and then later made the assault at Anzio… After nine months of combat he was sent back stateside to be an instructor at TPS. </p>
<p>He never really talked much about what he had seen… He did relate a few stories though… and they stick in my mind… He told me about the jump at Gela… How as they were getting ready to board the planes, Colonel Reuben Tucker the regimental commander (later the Commandant of Cadets at The Citadel), drove down the flight line in his jeep and told the men its open season on krauts, boys… How he stepped out of the plane into the darkness, wondering were he would land… Seeing dead paratroopers being brought down from the mountains in Italy on the backs of mules… He also talked about his battalion being surrounded by the Germans after the jump at Salerno… He said while they were on a hill near Altavilla, Colonel Tucker told the men the only way they were leaving that hill was if they fought their way off or were carried off dead! Talk about seriously scary stuff… It shows you why war makes all other forms of human endeavor pale in comparison… Anyway my dad stayed in the army and later fought in Korea and eventually retired as an SFC in 1965. He definitely had a hard edge that Im sure was a result of his wartime experiences. He passed away in 1991…</p>
<p><em>beats head on desk</em> Luigi59, I have seen Band of Brothers 10 times. Perhaps I’m mentally blocking it for some reason. </p>
<p>DD1, I can find no words worthy enough to put here about what you’ve shared. Just a far deep down appreciation for all like your Father who came back from it all & those who could not. </p>
<p>With all I have seen & read on the War, watching this series broke my heart like nothing else. Tonight especially.</p>
<p>BZ, if you’ve a Blockbuster near you, its already hit the shelves in ours. Maybe check there?</p>
<p>I’ll say it again:</p>
<p>If we had to fight that war today, we would all be speaking German.</p>
<p>Not that the military forces wouldn’t do their job, (they would), but the civilian population as a whole would not make the necessary sacrifices.</p>
<p>“A” cards for gas, shoes rationed (along with sugar, butter, rubber, etc etc etc), scrap drives, bond drives, blackouts - the selfish average American would scream about “their rights” and file countless lawsuits.</p>
<p>We owe that generation so much.</p>
<p>I agree 100% luigi. Then tack onto that the politicians who care about what it “Popular” instead of letting the military do what they know how to do. The military then becomes a political platform.</p>
<p>Of course, we can’t forget our ever loving media who would make sure that they had a reporter assigned to every military unit and would start questioning every move they make.</p>
<p>There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that we are still in Iraq and the mission hasn’t been accomplished because of the politicians and media.</p>