I wish the enemies we fight today were as clear cut as the bad guys were back then.

*sigh*

godspeed gentlemen, your country remembers you...even if we sometimes occasionally get distracted with twitter, facebook and sporting events.

Some of the best days I have at work are helping out the WWII-era and Korean War vets. I just love those guys. They really are a different breed of men. It is sad to see them pretty much near the end. But, goddamn it, they are going out fighting and with as much dignity as they can muster.


Here's some of what they were up against. (Feel free to FWD through to the middle.)

The beach landing was an accident they were looking for a farmers market and confused the break and the gas

Here's to you, 90+ year olds!

This is from from General Alexander, sir, reminding you that you are not to take Palermo.

Anzio was a real shiathole. These guys deserve every ounce of respect we can give them.

Weaver95: I wish the enemies we fight today were as clear cut as the bad guys were back then.

*sigh*

godspeed gentlemen, your country remembers you...even if we sometimes occasionally get distracted with twitter, facebook and sporting events.

We haven't had a REAL enemy since 1945. That's a big part of the problem. Too bad we can't square off with China.

I would like to thank these great men for their honorable service and sacriOH SOMETHING SHINY!!!

Marcus Aurelius: Weaver95: I wish the enemies we fight today were as clear cut as the bad guys were back then.

*sigh*

godspeed gentlemen, your country remembers you...even if we sometimes occasionally get distracted with twitter, facebook and sporting events.

We haven't had a REAL enemy since 1945. That's a big part of the problem. Too bad we can't square off with China.

If we're going to go at it with China, sooner would be better than later. We do NOT want them building a blue-water navy.

Took lead at Anzio.

/hero tag well-deserved

Deacon Blue: Marcus Aurelius: Weaver95: I wish the enemies we fight today were as clear cut as the bad guys were back then.

*sigh*

godspeed gentlemen, your country remembers you...even if we sometimes occasionally get distracted with twitter, facebook and sporting events.

We haven't had a REAL enemy since 1945. That's a big part of the problem. Too bad we can't square off with China.

If we're going to go at it with China, sooner would be better than later. We do NOT want them building a blue-water navy.

They'd fry our infrastructure first, starting with the Internet. They're churning out hackers by the tens of thousands over there.

valar_morghulis: They'd fry our infrastructure first, starting with the Internet. They're churning out hackers by the tens of thousands over there.

trust me - most of them aren't that good. Chinese hackers are like mob hit men...you can do anything to them and you never feel guilty about it afterwards.

The Anzio bridgehead was held for the price of a few hundred ordinary lives.

/written in the form of a scroll, all gold leaf and all

Deacon Blue: Marcus Aurelius: Weaver95: I wish the enemies we fight today were as clear cut as the bad guys were back then.

*sigh*

godspeed gentlemen, your country remembers you...even if we sometimes occasionally get distracted with twitter, facebook and sporting events.

We haven't had a REAL enemy since 1945. That's a big part of the problem. Too bad we can't square off with China.

If we're going to go at it with China, sooner would be better than later. We do NOT want them building a blue-water navy.

The rusting hulk of a carrier the Chinese bought from the Russians was designed for jump jets, and I'm not sure the Chinese even have any.

Besides, any time a US politician gets sabre-rattly toward China, you can bet they get a call from their multi-national corporate donors inside of 24 hours telling them to knock it the fark off. I'd bet US factory and inventory assets in China approach the $1 trillion in treasuries they're holding.

Only reason we don't have a "real" enemy is that the US is so good at "real" war that nobody will dare fight us directly.

Except Iraq in 1990. Really, your tanks against ours in the open desert? OK, you're ON!

(ground war gets measured in hours)

Bill_Wick's_Friend

The Anzio bridgehead was held for the price of a few hundred ordinary lives.

/written in the form of a scroll, all gold leaf and all

I was going to post a picture of a Tiger II, in the form of a troll.

/but didn't.

Deacon Blue: Marcus Aurelius: Weaver95: I wish the enemies we fight today were as clear cut as the bad guys were back then.

*sigh*

godspeed gentlemen, your country remembers you...even if we sometimes occasionally get distracted with twitter, facebook and sporting events.

We haven't had a REAL enemy since 1945. That's a big part of the problem. Too bad we can't square off with China.

If we're going to go at it with China, sooner would be better than later. We do NOT want them building a blue-water navy.

Nope, we don't. Unfortunately, a large portion of the Chinese coast is terrible for submarine operations, it's too shallow.

I was mistaken. US non-financial foreign direct investment is just a paltry $117.7 billion.

My paternal grandfather fought at Anzio. He still had some memorabilia when I was little, but other than saying how much he loved the Navy for its fire support, he wouldn't talk about his experience in combat at all. I was in my 20s before I really started appreciating why. Sadly, he passed before I was old enough to let him know I could understand, even a little. He was a very good man, and frankly I don't think I was as good a grandson as I should have been.

RIP Grandpa Walter. If there's something after life, I look forward to seeing you there.

Weaver95: valar_morghulis: They'd fry our infrastructure first, starting with the Internet. They're churning out hackers by the tens of thousands over there.

trust me - most of them aren't that good. Chinese hackers are like mob hit men...you can do anything to them and you never feel guilty about it afterwards.



New head of the FBI's Cybercime division.

Well done, subby. Hats off to you guys and long may you run.

And they sent USS Mahan? If only we had a more appropriately-named ship...


Oh. Right.

My grandad will be 91 next month. He was a tank commander and fought Nazis in North Africa and up the Italian boot. As I understand it his most notable combat was at the Battle of Monte Cassino. What a mess that was.

He is the last WWII vet alive in my family. When he passes my final living link to that era will be gone. A while back my Dad and uncle set up a camera and tried to kind of do an oral history of his experiences of the war with him. Originally Granddad thought he would be up for it but he only got into it for about5 minutes before he had to stop. The only stories I know from his war time are things he told my Dad and uncle when he was younger.

Fortunately his mind is good and though he's frail he still lives at home. I'm going to go up and see him in NC in July. I don't know how many more of those trips I'll get to make as he certainly isn't getting any younger.

At any rate every time I see one of these stories on Fark I think of him.

/war must have been hell, thank you for your service sarge.
//CSB

I loved Anzio.. The sniper battles over the bridge there were the best!

Allot of these guys went in underage, and fought on the beaches, and died. They gave so much, and asked so little when they came back. One cannot imagine the horror of such a scene, as we have not been in such a situation personally. For these brave men to face such a terrible situation, over and over again, and then come back and get a regular job in the old USA, well...that speaks to their honor and hearts. Thank you old gentlemen, for all you did, for all you went through, for giving all you had, and more. I know that today's kids have no clue how it was, and biatch because they didn't get their favorite video game, or cell phone and take the freedom they enjoy every day for granted. But some of us out here..not all, but some..truly appreciate your dedication and service, and your personal sacrifices. You will not be forgotten, and your names will live in the annals of history as true heroes, fighting for their country.


Salutes at attention.

Thank you.

studebaker hoch: Only reason we don't have a "real" enemy is that the US is so good at "real" war that nobody will dare fight us directly.

Except Iraq in 1990. Really, your tanks against ours in the open desert? OK, you're ON!

(ground war gets measured in hours)

Sort of like when a backward civ declares war on you when it's two eras behind because the AI realizes all other routes to victory are closed.

The Chinese are stronger than they are letting on.

They're second only to Russia in size, have roughly a fifth of the worlds population, and a culture dating back to the Bronze Age.

They could crush the dollar in a day if they ever decided it was worth writing off our debt.

/how about we leave those guys alone?

Bill_Wick's_Friend: The Anzio bridgehead was held for the price of a few hundred ordinary lives.

/written in the form of a scroll, all gold leaf and all

It was dark all around. There was frost in the ground When the tigers broke free. And no one survived From the Royal Fusiliers Company Z. They were all left behind, Most of them dead, The rest of them dying. And that's how the High Command Took my daddy from me.

/I never understood why they left that off the soundtrack

Igor Jakovsky

Tell your granddad thanks.

Igor Jakovsky

/I never understood why they left that off the soundtrack

It's included on The Final Cut now.

/should have always been there, it fits perfect.

Carousel Beast: My paternal grandfather fought at Anzio. He still had some memorabilia when I was little, but other than saying how much he loved the Navy for its fire support, he wouldn't talk about his experience in combat at all. I was in my 20s before I really started appreciating why. Sadly, he passed before I was old enough to let him know I could understand, even a little. He was a very good man, and frankly I don't think I was as good a grandson as I should have been.

RIP Grandpa Walter. If there's something after life, I look forward to seeing you there.

My father served there. He wouldn't speak of his service either. He did share some with his son in law in his last few years when he was ill. Looking back I can see that this was partly due to some things he just couldn't talk about emotionally - and partly as he felt there was something unmanly about people who talked themselves up. We found out after he passed that he had been awarded a silver star along with a number of others.

Aww cool. I have an old version of that CD.

For some reason, the final cut may be my favorite Floyd work.

Igor Jakovsky: It was dark all around. There was frost in the ground When the tigers broke free. And no one survived From the Royal Fusiliers Company Z. They were all left behind, Most of them dead, The rest of them dying. And that's how the High Command Took my daddy from me.

/I never understood why they left that off the soundtrack

Company C, actually. And the others thought it was 'too personal'.

\raises a beer to Roger's daddy and everyone else at Anzio

Igor Jakovsky: Aww cool. I have an old version of that CD.

For some reason, the final cut may be my favorite Floyd work.

This was supposed to be a reply to studebaker

Dammit! Who said that?

Jim_Tressel's_O-Face: Igor Jakovsky: It was dark all around. There was frost in the ground When the tigers broke free. And no one survived From the Royal Fusiliers Company Z. They were all left behind, Most of them dead, The rest of them dying. And that's how the High Command Took my daddy from me.

/I never understood why they left that off the soundtrack

Company C, actually. And the others thought it was 'too personal'.

\raises a beer to Roger's daddy and everyone else at Anzio

nope, it's Z.

What an Anzio veteran might look like:

Marcus Aurelius: Weaver95: I wish the enemies we fight today were as clear cut as the bad guys were back then.

*sigh*

godspeed gentlemen, your country remembers you...even if we sometimes occasionally get distracted with twitter, facebook and sporting events.

We haven't had a REAL enemy since 1945. That's a big part of the problem. Too bad we can't square off with China.

North Korea and China were a pretty real enemy for a few years in the early '50s.

NIXON YOU DOLT!!!!!: This is from from General Alexander, sir, reminding you that you are not to take Palermo.


"Send him a message, Cod. Ask him if he wants me to give it back."

My grandfather entered WWII via Anzio. He continued on through Nuremburg and Austria finally landing at Golden Egg before parts East for POW return detail. Just a few years ago, he flew over to Europe again to visit me, and I had the absolute unparalleled opportunity to visit places he went during the war with him. He told as many stories as he could, and I am grateful for every one of them. It was a lot of fun looking for the bullet holes in the ceiling of the hotel his group "commandeered" among other fun things. The darker side of the stories involved shrapnel and 2 purple hearts...
/CSB
//Collect the history from these old guys before it disappears

Weaver95: I wish the enemies we fight today were as clear cut as the bad guys were back then.

*sigh*


Yeah. Just the other day I was lamenting the huge set piece battles with tens of thousands of casualties.

83,000 if you count ze germans, 43,000 if you don't

Grandpop was involved in the invasion of North Africa and Italy. He loved talking about it.

Bill Mauldin summed up Anzio perfectly with his cartoon of Willie and Joe.

The Battle of Anzio is is over, and they are in the hills above the port, with an excellent view of the sea. In the foreground is a knocked-out German tank, its gun still aimed toward the beach. Wille is pointing toward the sea, and exclaims,
"My God! There we wuz and here they wuz!".

By the way, a large collection of Mauldin's work has been collected and published under the title, "Willie and Joe: The WWII years" and a companion volume, "Willie and Joe: Back Home".

/couldn't find an on-line copy.
//my photo of the page mentioned above stank.
///shameless plug for one of my favorite cartoonists

I hope I look half as good as any of these guys when I'm 90 something years old.

CSB time:

My grandfather served in the Naval Armed Guard, as a gunners mate on a supply ship. They were sunk at Nettuno, in very shallow water. They ended up as part of a working party, lugging artillery shells to a nearby 3rd Infantry Army unit. While walking back down the beach, my grandfather ran into his brother, serving in the army...They had not seen each other since late 1941.

Somewhere at my aunt's house, there is a clipping from Stars and Stripes with a picture of them, with the headline: Navy Joins Army to Whip Fritzes in Italy.

R.I.P Claude Alton and William Theodore Smithwick.

Another milestone is coming up on June 6 (1942) The battle of Midway Island.

There is a man in my hometown who was in the Army and at Midway, and also was in Holland and The Bulge.

I don't think there were many at Midway and The Belgium.

That will be the 70th Anniversary, but this will be his second as he was at Pearl Harbor as well.

He's just a kid though, 92 6 days after June 6. He missed Normandy as he broke his leg in May in the 101st Abn Div.

Bit'O'Gristle: Nothing I write could say it any better. So i will just say "Thank you for your service and sacrifice gentlemen. You have my utmost respect"

Bill_Wick's_Friend: The Anzio bridgehead was held for the price of a few hundred ordinary lives.

/written in the form of a scroll, all gold leaf and all

I came to question whether the Generals gave them thanks for holding off the enemy tanks for a while, but this will do.

Bill_Wick's_Friend: The Anzio bridgehead was held for the price of a few hundred ordinary lives.

/written in the form of a scroll, all gold leaf and all

Came for this (I have the single). I still think that it is an incredible antiwar AND thank-you-soldiers/miss-you-dad song...

But, FARK taught me that veterans are a drain on society and not deserving of more respect than occupations such as teaching, fire fighting or bus driving.



/veteran
//internet fist bump for the Anzio vets