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Copyright (c) Paul Swartz. All rights reserved.
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See Contributor Info, below. Unclassified
Paul writes:
I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel and this is all that's left. I was going to look more but it's Memorial Day in the USA, a day of sadness and reflection. I'm sure every country on the planet has some similar "holiday", to remember those who died in war or were grievously injured, physically or psychologically. I've had more adult beverages than usual and my ability to dig for photographs is at the limit.
My dad was in the psychologically damaged category, although not to a high degree as far as I could tell. He was a PT boat captain in the South Pacific during WW II. His first boat was 117, just 8 away from being President of the USA. He was dumb enough to be dumb enough to not get cut in half by a destroyer, so no political dynasty for him. He never spoke of his experiences even though my brother and I pushed him. I have a picture of him on 117 with Admiral Halsey. I am humbled every time I look at it.
General Sherman said "war is Hell" and he meant that it ought to be so horrible that no one would ever want any part of it. He was absolutely correct on the Hell part and hopeful on the "ever want" part but experience proves that all it takes is one generation to forget.
I took this picture last summer, thinking this was probably the largest armored chondrule ever seen. For the life of me, I can't remember what the white rectangle is but it's at least 3 inches long. I have no idea what the meteorite is, or even if it is a meteorite, but it does look pretty cool!
Click to view larger photos #1
Visit my web site - TucsonMeteorites.com
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Anne Black
5/29/2018 1:05:43 PM |
My Father, being French, was made prisoner of war at the beginning of WWII, along with what was left of the French army. He then learn German and escaped at his fourth attempt. He would have agreed entirely with Sherman, he thought that Peace should be celebrated, not wars better forgotten as quickly as possible. And I never saw a gun in my Father's hands, not even when we lived in Africa. Also he had never known his own father killed in WWI. On my mother's side, her father was a Colonel in the French Army who went through WWI and the Battle of Gallipoli (Google it!), and there were no guns in that house either. |
John Divelbiss
5/29/2018 8:44:37 AM |
It has always been hard to relate to this subject...my Father was in WWII through most of Italy where he ended up in the hospital. And then through France to Germany for a total of 3 plus years in the same outfit. My Dad's last thoughts and words in discussion(with me) when he died were about the war experience. At that moment facing real death at almost 91 in his mind he was now 23 again, and back in the hospital in Italy where he almost died in the spring of 1944. That mindset is where it ended for him...he was so worried about his beloved 36th Division...were they going to be alright? I reassured him that yes, they would be alright. |
Keith Hicks
5/29/2018 6:00:02 AM |
Thanks Paul for the image and the interesting account. In Australia we commemorate "Anzac Day" on April 25th. |
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