World War II Stories
FURY, FUMAROLES AND BRIMSTONE The Japanese Named It Sulfur Island. The U. S. Marines Called It (Censored) by TONY WELCH For seven months – May through November, 1945 – George E. Pickett and three fellow sailors held sway over what would soon become the world’s most iconic and instantly recognizable piece of real estate. None of them held a trust deed to the property, and yet this foursome lorded over their patch of ground…
An Artilleryman Follows In His Father’s Footsteps by Tony Welch “I was standing on the back porch as he drove away in his car,†says Bob Lamkin. “And that’s the last I ever saw of him. I was six years old.†Lamkin, now 91, is referring to his father, Robert L. Lamkin, a veteran of the Spanish-American War (1898-99) and the Philippine Insurrection that closely followed. The senior Lamkin served during the latter…
United States Marine Corp. / World War II Immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, my father enlisted in the Marines. He said he wanted to be a Marine because they were “The Best!†He was assigned to the South Pacific and was a navigator. Unfortunately, my father was very reluctant to share stories or experiences of his years in the service. Later, we learned that this is not uncommon…
Motor Machinist Mate Second Class(MoMM2) Ralph J. Gervasio WWII Honorable Service 1941-1943 his story takes us… In And Beyond Coastal Waters As verbalized in his 89th year to his son, Ralph Jr.
Anthony B. Chapek etnered the Army in April 1941 and was assigned to Ft. Leonard Wood. On 11-1-1944 he was promoted to Corporal. He moved quickly up the ranks to Captain. In January, 1944, while serving as part of the 159th Combat Engineers he met Major Michael McNamera who was so impressed with him that he never forgot him The following account was written by Major McNamara about Captain…
The Jacket by Brian J. Miller Clothes back in the days of the cave man were most likely first used in keeping the body warm in that forbidding primitive environment. Coats, jackets and sweaters do the same for us today. Recently I acquired a jacket that provided warmth of another kind, one that warmed my heart. This jacket wasn’t one of the latest fashions bought fresh off the rack at a…
I went to visit Normandy and travel the path our Dad’s did after landing on Utah Beach D Day+6 and put this You Tube show together to share the memory. This is a presentation put together to honor the 951st Field Artillery Battalion
1942-1946 Commissioned as an ensign in the US Maritime Service at the height of the “American Shooting Season†for German U-boats, he first served above oil tankers on the Houston – New York Run. Later, he served aboard Liberty ships ferrying bombs and supplies to North Africa and Europe. One ship was named the Comerford. Wounded by shrapnel during the German air attack at Anzio, Italy, he was promoted to the…
Nearing my 85th birthday on July 4, 2010, I wondered about the existence and history of my old Army outfit during WWII, Even as a tyro with my laptop computer I tried out “Google†for the first time. I entered “287th Combat Engineer Battalion.†I was unsuccessful. I initially added “George Patton’s 3rd Army.†What came up was the American Veterans Center and a letter dated May 8, 1995…
Born June 14, 1920, Jack Coyne attended school and high school at Winnetka, Illinois, then attended Cornell University at Ithaca, NY. He enlisted on October 11, 1941 from his hometown of Evanston, IL., became an Aviation Cadet April 27, 1942, trained at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, was commissioned as an Ensign on November 1, 1942, assigned to Naval Air Station Miami, Florida., promoted to Lieutenant Junior…
