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Thoughts

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by Bob Parks, May 27, 2019.

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  1. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2003
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    Robert Parks
    #1 Bob Parks, May 27, 2019
    I'm not sure that I should do this but I think about it every Memorial Day and sometimes in between. One hundred fifty eight years ago my Irish immigrant grand father fought through the entire Civil War and was seriously wounded near the end of Sherman's March To The Sea. He was a Union soldier in the 29th Ohio Infantry. My father was born in 1889 and when WW1 started he was not enlisted because he had too many children, When WW2 started his oldest son , my late brother, became a combat surgeon and saw action in the Pacific and ETO for three years. The beautiful lady that he married was an Army nurse. Both of my late brothers-in -law saw action in the Navy and the USAAF in the Pacific. I was in the USAAF. Then in the Viet Nam thing my oldest son saw action for three years in Army helicopters. My number two son then went to Germany at the same time in the infantry. My wife's son saw action in Afghanistan for two years. Two of our grandsons are in the Army and are preparing to go over seas. Okay! What else do you want us to do?
     
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  2. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    Nov 29, 2003
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    #2 Bob Parks, May 27, 2019
    Shame on me! My recent brother's son was a tank commander in Afghanistan and received several medals for his actions there.
     
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  3. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Feb 27, 2004
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    Jim Pernikoff
    #3 Gatorrari, May 28, 2019
    Bob, your family has certainly done its job in keeping us free. You should be proud of all of them, as I'm sure all those who read this are as well.
     
    Boomhauer and Bob Parks like this.
  4. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 19, 2008
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    Terry H Phillips
    #4 tazandjan, May 28, 2019
    Bob- Similar here. My great grandfather was in the CSA and survived, my father-in-law served in WW-I in the Navy, and his son served in the Navy in WW-II, another younger son in the USAF. My father flew P-47Ds with the 86th FBG in WW-II and retired as a full Colonel, I lost an uncle in France in 1944 and another uncle lost his leg in France. Three other uncles (younger) were in the USAF. None survive. My brother spent 20 years in the USAF flying mostly F-4s, I flew F-111s my whole career, including 20 sorties in Desert Storm. Between my father, brother and myself, we had 76 years in the USAF.
     
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  5. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 19, 2008
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    Terry H Phillips
    #5 tazandjan, May 29, 2019
    Come to think of it, Dad had 5 years in the AAF out of that total. USAF was born the same day I was.
     
    Bob Parks likes this.
  6. Ak Jim

    Ak Jim F1 Veteran
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    Dec 23, 2007
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    #6 Ak Jim, Jun 2, 2019
    My dad did 24 years USAF and IAANG. I did a little over 28 years USAF and AKANG. I don't think either of my kids will be in the military, not sure how I feel about that.
     
  7. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Jim Pernikoff
    #7 Gatorrari, Jun 2, 2019
    My dad was a sergeant in the Army Signal Corps during WWII, as a radar technician when that was new technology. He spent most of his time in the south Pacific, well behind the lines, servicing radar units which, despite him being Army, I suspect mostly came off of Navy warships. He spent time on well-known islands like Guadalcanal, but long after all the enemy forces had been eliminated. So he was never in harm's way.

    While I never served in the military, I feel I did my "service" by spending some 40 years in the defense industry, designing parts for (mostly) military aircraft. After all, the warfighter can do little without weapons!
     

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