I firmly believe that surviving veterans of World War II would be jubilant to read the headline shown in the doctored photo above: OBAMA QUITS.
Seriously though, I salute all who’ve worn the uniform of their country on this day we commemorate the sacrifices made at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941.
In honor of Mother’s Day 2011, I share the photo above of my Mom and Dad shortly before he deployed to Europe to fight German forces in Northwest Germany during World War II and she went to work in an ammunition factory in Iowa.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom, and thanks for everything you’ve done for me during the past 50 years!
EDITOR’S NOTE: To read some of my dad’s stories from the war, click here.
If you enjoy this blog and want to keep reading stories like the one above, show your support by using the “Support Bob” tool at right. Thanks in advance for your support!
One of the most popular stories about members of the “Greatest Generation” is that of “The Fighting Sullivans” who died aboard the U.S.S. Juneau during the Battle of Guadalcanal. That story is heroic, in part, because it has to do with five brothers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country during World War II.
Whenever I hear talk about the Sullivans, however, I can’t help but think of four not-so-famous brothers — Max, Verle, Guy and Ted — who also answered their nation’s call. Like many thousands of others, they set aside any personal plans they had for a while and went into harm’s way to fight for freedom.
Max, the oldest, was among the first to be drafted into the Army. Next in line, Verle went to the Navy. Guy followed, donning Army green.
By March 1943, only the youngest son remained at home. That fact prompted a conversation to take place between the 19-year-old Iowan and his father.
“Ted, do you want me to declare you essential to my farm work?” his dad asked, knowing that one son from each farm family could be deferred from entering service if he was needed to work on the farm.
Ted took little time to answer.
“No. If my brothers can go into the service, then I feel that I should go also,” he said, adding, “Besides, I want to do my part in the war” and “Dad, you really don’t need me.”
It wasn’t long before Ted was drafted and assigned to the Army’s 406th Regiment of the 102nd Infantry Division at Camp Swift near Austin, Texas.
Though I don’t have many details about the service records of the three oldest brothers, I do know that two of them — and Ted — saw front line combat. Most importantly, I know all four brothers returned from World War II.
Private Ted McCarty
Ted summed things up best when he was interviewed by a high school student more than 60 years later: “I had three brothers in that war, and we all came home alive!’
This story is important to me, because the men in this story were — and still are — important to me; they are my dad, Ted, and his three older brothers, my uncles (a.k.a., “The Fighting McCarty Brothers”).
After the war, Max and Verle went on to own and operate a successful water well drilling company in Promise City, Iowa. Guy went to work for the federal government and play an important role in the effort to harness atomic energy. My dad became a petroleum geologist, active in oil and natural gas exploration and development in Oklahoma for several decades.
Today, only my 86-year-old dad remains to talk about the “last great war.”
To read my father’s first-hand accounts based upon his time served as a low-ranking enlisted man in the U.S. Army during World War II, I invite you to read World War II Stories Shared to Honor Veterans.
PERSONAL NOTE: To my dad, my uncles, my brother Jack, sister Barb, brothers-in-law Dennis and John, and all of the men and women with whom I served in uniform, thank you for your service!
UPDATE 11/11/10 at 10:45 a.m. Central: Cross-posted at BigGovernment.com.
Each year as Veterans Day approaches, I share “My Father’s War Stories From World War II.”
Written by my 86-year-old father, Ted, the stories first appeared in his self-published 1992 autobiography, Some Events in One Life: Mine!, and offer firsthand accounts based upon his time served as a low-ranking enlisted man in the U.S. Army during World War II.
While my dad recorded these stories as a means to provide his children and future generations a glimpse into one man’s participation in one of history’s most harrowing events, I share them as my way of honoring my fellow veterans, past and present, living and dead.
This year, I’m offering the stories in an easy-to-share PDF format. You can click here or on the graphic above to download the document 20-page document. As always, please feel free to share them.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Every year on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, I share “My Father’s War Stories From World War II” as my small way of paying honor to those who’ve served and/or paid the ultimate price in service to their country. Links to each of the 12 segments appear below. Each is accompanied by a brief excerpt of what you’ll find in the segment written by my father who served as a low-ranking enlisted man in the U.S. Army during World War II.
My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part One — With the shells streaking above us as we stood there waiting to move out, the hair literally stood up on the back of my neck. This feeling soon passed.
My Father’s War Stories From World War II — Part Seven — I thought about how simple it was to dispose of a man’s life because he was an annoyance.Thanks in advance for sharing this post, especially with young people who might not be familiar with the sacrifices of those who serve and have served.
Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Bill Mauldin today received one of the nation’s highest honors in being featured on a U.S. postage stamp. The 44-cents stamp was dedicated at the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, N.M., and goes on sale nationwide today.
During World War II, Mauldin’s cartoons, appearing in Stars and Stripes, made him a hero to many in the military. His sympathy for “dogfaces,” the slang term for soldiers in the infantry, was clearly expressed through his characters Willie and Joe, who gave their military audiences a hearty laugh and civilians an idea of what life was like for soldiers.
My Dad, Circa 1944
In 1945 Mauldin won the first of his two Pulitzers “for distinguished service as a cartoonist” and the Allied high command awarded him its Legion of Merit. His illustrated memoir, “Up Front,” was a bestseller. That same year, his “dogface” Willie appeared on the cover of Time.
In 1958, he took a job as a cartoonist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the following year he won a second Pulitzer for his cartoon portraying Boris Pasternak, author of “Doctor Zhivago,” as a Soviet prisoner.
U.S. Postal Service art director Terry McCaffrey chose to honor Mauldin through a combination of photography and an example of Mauldin’s art. The photo of Mauldin is by John Phillips, a photographer for Life magazine; it was taken in Italy on Dec. 31, 1943. Mauldin’s cartoon, showing his characters Willie and Joe, is used courtesy of the 45th Infantry Division Museum in Oklahoma City, Okla.
EDITOR’S NOTE: My dad was one of those “dog faces” for whom Mauldin had sympathy. To read “My Father’s War Stories from World War II,” click here or on the photo of my father, above.
So what if he starred in Steven Spielberg’s 1998 blockbuster, “Saving Private Ryan.” It’s time to evict Tom Hanks from the Ranger Hall of Fame.
An excerpt from a recent Los Angeles Times article, ‘The Pacific’s’ Tom Hanks: The right wing’s new boogeyman, makes the case clearly about the actor who, while busily pimping “The Pacific,” his latest effort for HBO, threw verbal mud in the face of everyone who fought for our country in the Pacific Theater during World War II:
“Back in World War II,” he told Brinkley, “we viewed the Japanese as ‘yellow, slant-eyed dogs’ that believed in different gods. They were out to kill us because our way of living was different. We, in turn, wanted to annihilate them because they were different. Does that sound familiar, by any chance, to what’s going on today?” In a separate interview, Hanks referred to the war in the Pacific as one of “racism and terror.”
If you agree that Hanks, a 2006 inductee, should be ousted from the Ranger Hall of Fame, let members of the hall’s selection board know how you feel by writing to them at the following address:
Attn: Ranger Hall of Fame Selection Board Members
U.S. Army Ranger Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 52126
Fort Benning, GA 31995-2126
In addition, you can e-mail the elected officers of the USARA who oversee the Hall of Fame. Their e-mail addresses can be found here.