To Willis F. Keiser, thanks Dad!!

[keiser31]

To Willis Franklin Keiser...thanks Dad!! For being a veteran of World War 2, we admire you. You have nurtured my car interest from my Pinewood Derby racer to the trips we took to Indy and of course...my 1931 Dodge. My memories of you are ever present.

[Guest DagoRed]

That is a very nice rememberance of one of the 'Greatest Generation' - I salute you.

That Indy lineup brings me back to my youth in Indiana when all the great racers converged in Speedway, Indiana for the 'Greatest Spectacle In Racing' when it truly was. Back in the day when the racers <span style="font-weight: bold">RACED</span> there way into the champ car circuit and the Indy 500. Unlike today when they bring money to the team and are placed in the cockpit that (scary) way. Also, you can pronounce each and every divers name without a problem. And lastly, there was variety & innovation allowed. Chassis names like Watson, Eagle, Coyote, Lotus. Innovation such as 4-wheel drive, turbines, turbos, diesels, pushrod engines tweaked to the edge. The era that included front-engine and rear engine cars on the same track. Engines like Ford, Offy and Novi. Today there is one chassis, the long-in-tooth Dallera and one engine - Honda. Yet they still call it 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing'..... (yawn)

[Shop Rat]

What a nice tribute to your father. We have him and others like him to thank for the freedoms we enjoy every day.

[Reatta Man]

Agreed. Lots of men like him around. Unfortunately you have to go to the local veteran's or VA cemetery to visit some of them.

To those still here with us from the WWII generation, Thanks. To the women who have started joining our ranks of veterans, thank you to you as well.

Joe

[Shop Rat]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Reatta Man</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> To the women who have started joining our ranks of veterans, thank you to you as well. Joe </div></div>

And we should not forget the women that, while they did not serve with a gun in their hand like women do now, they gave their country and fellow Americans their support by filling in for the men that went to war. And by being nurses that cared for the sick and wounded. By being both father and mother to their children while their husband was away. And sadly some of them had to take on that role very tragically when those officers came to the door with somber looks on their faces or they received that dreaded telegram.

[MCHinson]

Keiser and Shoprat and others, well said.

Neither of my parents were technically veterans, but it seems appropriate to put in my two cents worth here as well.

My dad moved 50 miles from his home during WWII to work at the NC Shipbuilding Company. He was a welder who worked building Liberty Ships. Somehow, that was never explained to us kids, he had to go to some training in Rock Island Illinois. My mother worked as an illustrator at the Rock Island Arsenal. Somehow they met and it lead to a lifetime together and eventually there were eight of us kids.

I got my love for old things and my love of mechanical things from them both. My dad died before I got involved in the old car hobby. In her later days, my mother loved going for rides in my Model A Fords.

I hope everybody has a Happy Memorial Day

[Marty Roth]

Hi Matt,

My dad worked at Todd Shipyards in Bayonne, New Jersey before signing up for the Seabees.

The war could not have been won without the folks on the homefront.

[Reatta Man]

Susan,

I was always blown away by the WACS (Women's Air Corp) and female ferry pilots of WWII. They were great pilots, and freed up men to serve in the traditional combat zones, but they were serving just as courageously as the men.

If you don't know how risky it is to fly across an ocean loaded with several thousand pounds of highly explosive gasoline in your tanks, I don't recommend it.

And, if you ever get a chance to visit the Vietnam Wall, here's a link to the locations of the names of the women who died in Vietname.

http://www.illyria.com/women/vnwlist.html

Joe

[Guest Hugh32]

My Dad enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943. He was a drill instructor in San Diego until he shipped out with 6th Marine Division. He fought at Guadalcanal and Okinawa. He was a member of the Tokyo Bay Occupation Force and participated in the initial landing and occupation of the Tokyo Bay Area and the capture of HIJMS Nagato, 30 August 1945. Wounded in action 21 May 1945 at Okinawa,Ryuku Island. Harry Truman was his favorite president. (-:

His brother, my uncle Howard was a Captain in the US Army's Rainbow Division in the European Theater.

My maternal Grandmother worked at munitions plant during WWII.

It's amazing what the people this country can accomplish when they all pull together.

I was a crewchief/door gunner on a Huey gun ship with the 1st Avaition Brigade, 170th Avaition Company "Buccaneers", 1st Flight, stationed at Camp Holloway, Pleiku for seven months. Then I was assigned to the 2nd & 9th Artillary Aviation Battilion, 25th Infantry. I was in country from 11 November 1965 to 11 November 1966

All the men in my immediate family survived war. For this I am obviously thankful. I hope our men and women will soon come home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Guest Leonard Shepherd]

My Father was much older than my Mother. He fought in W.W.I.

He died when I was seven years old. I hardly knew him.

[ex98thdrill]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was a crewchief/door gunner on a Huey gun ship with the 1st Avaition Brigade, 170th Avaition Company "Buccaneers", 1st Flight, stationed at Camp Holloway, Pleiku for seven months</div></div>Being a retiree with 21 years of service, I'll be the first to say that I miss the Hueys. They were a heck of a piece of aircraft. The newer choppers are more advanced, but the Huey always had class.

......I think more than anything I miss the sound of a Huey coming.

[Reatta Man]

One commander (pilot) told me that often, the tips of a Huey's blades were actually moving faster than the speed of sound and what you were hearing with a Huey (and made the neighbors complain) were little sonic booms.....

Military trivia and war stories.....can't beat 'em!

Joe

[Guest abh3usn]

A good friend of mine at work was a Huey mechanic/door gunner, dividion cheif, of 20 years. We now work with the CH-47s training a new generation of soldigers.

Don't beleive the crap you see on TV. Most of the folks comming into the Army are great, dedicated and hard working individuals. There are a few women yes, but the MOS is mainly male. The women tend to pick up information much quicker though. Many have served several tours in Iraq/Afganastan. Many infantry and older (E-4/E-5s) are returing to service or changing service branches to work in aviation.

I hope this group of veterans can turn the country around as did those of WWII.