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WWII
marinerah
Member Posts: 99 ✭✭
Anyone else here a wwII history buff? Do you have a collection? Any specific areas of interest? Know of any good websites?
Comments
I read a lot and watch the history channel whenever anything about the war is on. I dont surf the web much for data, only once in a while to follow up on something I hear or read elsewhere.
I dont consider myself an expert on any one area of the conflict, I have a little knowledge about a lot of it.
JuJu (proud of all our Veterans)
Most of my interest was fueled by my father's narratives of history followed up by hundreds of books my father had collected,and hundreds more check out from the library.
Do I collect?I have Enfields,a P38,post war 1911s but most of my militiara is models of aircraft,ships,and tanks of the perspective wars.
There are many good sites but most of my research has been from books.CW
1.KILL EM' ALL AND LET ALLAH SORT EM' OUT!
2.NEVER WASTE MONEY ON SPRINGFIELD ARMORY!!
Nord
JuJu, I told Mr. Wilson about you and when he comes back to Melborne this winter I will give him your number. He looks forward to talking to you. I believe you will really enjoy what he has to say. It was the 4th division he was with.
Beach, I know exactly who you are talking about. I am reading that book right now. My gramps was in Carlsons raiders for about two months before roosevelts wife took them out of the picture(she thought they were to violent. Thats what marines are best at!) He has some stories. He fought at Guam.
Mitchell, I bet he has some stories. Learn all that you can from him. Like juju said, there are fewer and fewer still here. Is there any way I could speak with Mr. Wilson?
Thanks again.
Regular used book stores are a more affordable source.
A guy a used to work with was in the Pacific and talked about the guns. He was supposed to carry a Carbine but the first opportunity he "lost" it and picked up a Garand or Thompson. Said the Carbine was not very good at killing Japs.
mag
Since He has passed now I am trying to piece together His history through all of the papers and books that I have been givin from His war days.
I tried to get official record off His service record, but they were some of the ones burned up in the St. Louis fire.
The links below are all related to the Alaskan Aluetion Islands during the war. These 5 are about all I can find. Maybe they'll help.
http://www.hlswilliwaw.com/aleutians/index.html
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/brochures/aleut/aleut.htm
http://209.165.152.119/updates.html
http://www.mehs.educ.state.ak.us/sitka/main.html
http://mchunter1.tripod.com/sitkaww2.html
"Your talents are being wasted here. We're going to transfer you over to our rocket science department."
BASILONE, JOHN
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 4 November 1916, Buffalo, N.Y. Accredited to: New Jersey. Other Navy award: Navy Cross. Citation: For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action against enemy Japanese forces, above and beyond the call of duty, while serving with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Lunga Area. Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 24 and 25 October 1942. While the enemy was hammering at the Marines' defensive positions, Sgt. Basilone, in charge of 2 sections of heavy machineguns, fought valiantly to check the savage and determined assault. In a fierce frontal attack with the Japanese blasting his guns with grenades and mortar fire, one of Sgt. Basilone's sections, with its guncrews, was put out of action, leaving only 2 men able to carry on. Moving an extra gun into position, he placed it in action, then, under continual fire, repaired another and personally manned it, gallantly holding his line until replacements arrived. A little later, with ammunition critically low and the supply lines cut off, Sgt. Basilone, at great risk of his life and in the face of continued enemy attack, battled his way through hostile lines with urgently needed shells for his gunners, thereby contributing in large measure to the virtual annihilation of a Japanese regiment. His great personal valor and courageous initiative were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
EDSON, MERRITT AUSTIN
Rank and organization: Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 25 April 1897, Rutland, Vt. Appointed from: Vermont. Other Navy awards: Navy Cross with Gold Star, Silver Star Medal, Legion of Merit with Gold Star. Citation: For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion, with Parachute Battalion attached, during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands on the night of 1314 September 1942. After the airfield on Guadalcanal had been seized from the enemy on 8 August, Col. Edson, with a force of 800 men, was assigned to the occupation and defense of a ridge dominating the jungle on either side of the airport. Facing a formidable Japanese attack which, augmented by infiltration, had crashed through our front lines, he, by skillful handling of his troops, successfully withdrew his forward units to a reserve line with minimum casualties. When the enemy, in a subsequent series of violent assaults, engaged our force in desperate hand-to-hand combat with bayonets, rifles, pistols, grenades, and knives, Col. Edson, although continuously exposed to hostile fire throughout the night, personally directed defense of the reserve position against a fanatical foe of greatly superior numbers. By his astute leadership and gallant devotion to duty, he enabled his men, despite severe losses, to cling tenaciously to their position on the vital ridge, thereby retaining command not only of the Guadalcanal airfield, but also of the 1st Division's entire offensive installations in the surrounding area.