WELCOME. On July 16, 2001, I
decided as an extension to research work I had been doing on the
military careers of my family members during the Civil War, that I
might want to take my search a step further and look into the events
that took place with my family and their service during World War
II.
I had
managed to listen to a few tales of things that had happened to my
father-in-law who served at Schofield Barracks and was there to see
the events unfold that led this country into World War II.
Additionally, I had heard a few brief accounts
(mostly comical) with regards to my Dad and his experiences during
the war years and eventual service during the last year of the
war.
Still, most of what I had heard or read about the war
came as a result of my love of reading and some of the events
depicted during the early years of black and white television.
Seldom had I actually heard an account of what it was
really like to be in combat, whether on the ground, on the sea or in
the air. Virtually no one I had met had ever mentioned anything about
those experiences.
As a
young boy growing up in 1950's small town America, war was just
something that we played as children with our toy soldiers, or with
our friends as we pretended to do battle with an imagined
enemy.
Many
years passed and life went on. The Vietnam war came and went with its
many facets. My first experiences away from home came during the time
that this war was in its early stages. I spent four years serving my
country during that era, but did not serve in Vietnam. My country
deemed it necessary that I serve elsewhere, including a year on the
island of Iwo Jima.
Over
the coming years, the war that changed the world began to emerge in
my mind as a possible endeavor in the form of a collection of
stories. With the advent of the world-wide-web, this became a
distinct possibility.
So,
many years later, I have begun a journey. A journey to help tell a
small part of the story that eventually encompassed the entire
world.
World
War II.
This
web site makes no attempt to glamorize war.
I am
gathering war stories from the men and women who experienced World
War II. Those stories are portrayed here for all to read -- and
remember.
No
one went off to war to become a hero.
The
vast majority of World War II veterans that this webmaster has
encountered vehemently deny that they were a "hero" and only did a
job that had to be done. But, to the seeds of that "greatest
generation" -- they were indeed OUR heroes.
In my
own small way, this webmaster is attempting to honor these wonderful
men and women by telling their story...
...In
Their Own Words.
Honoring A Request...
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February 19,
1966, Iwo Jima: Images of the 21st Anniversary of the Battle
for Iwo Jima.
A detachment of U.S. Marines from the U.S.S. Hornet (and her
escort) arrived for the salute.
Images
courtesy of the web-master.
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Dear Sir,
We are the children
of WWII Marine Corps Vet, Harold E. Patterson.
Our father proudly served his country from 1945-47. He
was in Battery A, 1st Battalion, 13th Regiment, 5th
Division. He often recounts the raising of the first
and second flags on Iwo Jima. We would like to honor him on
his 85th birthday, August 29th, 2009 by asking other
Marine Corps members to send him a birthday wish via e-mail
at this address:
(Click on the above logo for the e-mail
address) ,card or letter sent to
Harold Patterson
(Address to be supplied by the family of Mr.
Patterson upon request using the above e-mail
address.)
We are requesting
that these messages be sent any time during the month of
August.
Any assistance you
can give us in helping us to honor our dad on this special
occasion would be appreciated.
Semper Fi!
Jerilyn Hall
Peggy Thompson
Kirk Patterson
Sue Patterson
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Iwo
Jima Memoirs
October 22, 2007.
My
latest endeavor. A new site that I am currently developing that will
draw together stories/photographs from veterans who served on Iwo
Jima between February 19, 1945 to the hand-over of Iwo Jima back to
Japan in 1968.
A
number of stories are already in place on this new site.
I am currently looking for additional
stories.
If
you served on Iwo Jima please drop me a line and I would be honored
to include your story. You can click on the link on the bottom of
this page and e-mail me.
Thank you...
the
webmaster
"The
Search for Julius S. Hass,
Co.
F., 407th Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division"
A
Search by a Margraten Caretaker
Did
you know that there are some wonderful folks
who are still caring for the individual grave sites
of our World War II soldiers who fell in combat?
Hard to believe -- but true!
To this day, the care of a grave site
at many of the U. S. Cemeteries in Europe
have been passed down from one generation
to another and these wonderful folks
take on the task of care taking
as a means of saying
"Thank You"
for the ultimate sacrifice
given by American soldiers in World War II
A NEW Service for You!
You
can now search the World War II Stories -- In Their Own Words web
site. We have added a search engine that can enable you to search
this web site for names, units, dates, etc.
The
search engine is also capable of extending your search to the web.
Check out the search engine below...