On This Memorial Day

John R. Hall

I sometimes pinch myself and realize that my father is a WWII vet who engaged the enemy and defeated them. My dad served in the Coast Guard and ran recon and rescue missions. However, his ship -- the U.S.S. Annapolis -- had the "good fortune" to have a chance encounter with a Japanese sub. His crewmates sunk it with depth charges.

I gave dad the usual big hug yesterday and thanked him. He was taken back a bit as are many of our modest heroes. He isn't just my dad, he is also my hero.

Larry (from OSHA)

My father's diary

My dad was in the Pacific in WWII on a hospital ship, the USS Mercy, running the pharmacy. He kept a diary and I wanted to share a few pages from history. As others here have said, we owe a great deal of appreciation to those who served and were injured or killed defending our country. (The apd liddle is somewhat graphic and I appologize if I have offended anyone.)

Larry (from OSHA)

S Ebels

What a treasure Larry

Just to have something like that to remember your dad with is awesome, let alone his war memories.

George_10

The vivid account your Father wrote was

like being there. I have read accounts of the Civil War that are just as graphic. The point is that in all of our wars, our young men have paid with their lives as they fought to protect us from our enemies. I am sure there are others on this Wall that could write their own stories from Viet Nam and other large and small wars we have been involved with.

I do not worry about our country as we always seem to rise to any danger presented to us. It is a "Fate is the Hunter" thing as to who will pay the huge price with their life. It is truely regretable, but sometimes necessary that young men and women are killed in time of war. I served and was lucky. Others I served with were not. It is to those that did not return that we owe so much.

Like the "Greatess Generation" has stated almost to a person. We were just doing our job, the heros are buried in the fields with white crosses. We got to see the future they did not. It is to those that we remember on each Memorial Day.

Larry (from OSHA)

he never

really talked about the war very much. The diary is filled with so many stories of the misery of war and the brave young men that gave their all for our country I think he just wanted to leave it behind. The shear numbers of casualties that just his ship transported is difficult to comprehend. But mixed in with all that were other notes about shore leave and enjoying a few beers and bartering with the natives for some shells and things like that.

We owe our eternal gratitude to all of them - then and now.

Larry (from OSHA)