Stories of Our Fathers

[KillerAceUSAF 1,052]

Well, this thread will be place where you can post war stories. 

 

My first story two stories are about my late grandfather. My grandfather was a pilot in the USAF, where he flew turbo-prop cargo planes. My first story is about a sortie he flew from California to Vietnam. And the second one is about a routine sortie he flew across the US. 

 

I don not know the year, nor the date this story happened. All I know is that my grandfather was sworn to secrecy because of this incident. He told me one day, after his pledge had expired. I don not recall the exact plane model he flew, other than that he flew cargo planes. This story starts in the midst of a war called the Vietnam War. He was tasked with flying his cargo laden plan from California across the Pacific ocean to Vietnam. I don not recall what time of day it was, nor where over the Pacific this occurred. But I do know this. He was one this routine mission, when all of a sudden, off to his 1 o'clock, there was a massive white blast of light that shot up from the ocean into the sky. He said that the beam of light was massive, several miles across, and as bright s the sun. He also said that it lasted for a couple of minutes before disappearing. At this time, there was no other aircraft near by with in several hundred miles, and that there where no ships around. To the day he died, he had no idea what it was, and why it was there. All he knew was that officially, this incident never occurred, and that the officially, the military and government never told him to keep quite about it.

 

The other story of his occurred in the late 70s, early 80s time frame. He was on a mission going through his flight zone, when all of a sudden, a civilian Cessna; which was flying in restricted air space restricted for military use, crashed into is plane. The Cessna flew into his right wing, destroying both right engines, and tearing a large chunk of wing off, including his aileron. All three people on the Cessna died instantly, but there was no harm to the cargo plane's crew. My grandfather was able to fight for control from this critically damaged plane, and while using all of his strength he had, was able to gain back control of the plane. The entire flight he flew at a steep list towards the right side, and in a slow turn to the right. He was able to get the plane to a lower altitude, and was able to perform a near perfect emergency landing at the nearest landing site. 

 

 

I hope everyone enjoyed these stories, and share their own.  o7

[Armoredbeercan 2,808]

Nuke test ?

 i do know they detonated a lot of nukes in the ocean during the 50s-60s

[Spitfire_ 7,306]

My now dead grandfather on my mothers side was a paratrooper in WW2, he served from Africa to the Far East. I think hes most notable action was where his squad captured a Japanese machine gun, he said it was big and had multiple barrels so I think he was talking about one of these.

[Spoiler] [/Spoiler]

 

Later they used it to mow down a Japanese banzai attack.

 

 

 

My other Grandfather joined the army during the troubles in Ireland, it was either that or prison because he wasnt on the good side of the law, he joined the Irish Guards and had to put fillings in his shoes because he was too small, later he got sent to Hong Kong and preformed patrols against insurgents. And acted as a security force during riots, he told me that the rioters used nail bombs which took your legs off if you wernt careful and he had no body armour at all.

 

He later got sent back to Hong Kong because quote "I liked the adrenaline feeling of being in combat".

[KillerAceUSAF 1,052]

Nuke test ?

 i do know they detonated a lot of nukes in the ocean during the 50s-60s

 

This incident was at least 8 years after the last nuclear test in the Pacific. Also, if it was a nuclear test, he would have been blinded permanently by the flash of light. But the light he saw lasted for at least a minute, and went straight up into the sky.

[Rautaa 5,801]

The other story of his occurred in the late 70s, early 80s time frame. He was on a mission going through his flight zone, when all of a sudden, a civilian Cessna; which was flying in restricted air space restricted for military use, crashed into is plane. The Cessna flew into his right wing, destroying both right engines, and tearing a large chunk of wing off, including his aileron. All three people on the Cessna died instantly, but there was no harm to the cargo plane's crew. My grandfather was able to fight for control from this critically damaged plane, and while using all of his strength he had, was able to gain back control of the plane. The entire flight he flew at a steep list towards the right side, and in a slow turn to the right. He was able to get the plane to a lower altitude, and was able to perform a near perfect emergency landing at the nearest landing site.

 

Did you ever figure out which aircraft he was piloting?

[AtlasWH 4,834]

 

"when all of a sudden, off to his 1 o'clock, there was a massive white blast of light that shot up from the ocean into the sky. He said that the beam of light was massive, several miles across, and as bright s the sun. He also said that it lasted for a couple of minutes before disappearing."

 

 

Edited February 1, 2014 by AtlasWH

[KillerAceUSAF 1,052]

Did you ever figure out which aircraft he was piloting?

 

No, not yet. I am going to request his service record this summer.

 

 

Okay, that made me laugh!

[Professor_Lohere 9,006]

My great-grandfather was a pioneer.His job was to design/build small bridges,or to just demolish them when the army retreated.

 

there was this time when he demolished one with Soviets on it,his buddy said they booby trapped it

Edited March 29, 2014 by _Shoji

[Rautaa 5,801]

My great-grandfather was a pioneer.His job was to design/build small bridges,or to just demolish them when the army retreated.

 

mfg there was this time when he demolished one with Soviets on it

 

My grandfather was also a combat engineer. In our language, we call them pioneeri. =)

 

He was only a teenager when the war started in 1939, but they started training him into an officer at 17, and he went on to serve as a 2nd lieutenant (later promoted to 1st lieutenant) during the Continuation War and Lapland War.

[TheMadnessWitch 705]

My grandfather was in the german AA department somewhere.

I heard he fought in russia in the Heeresgruppe Nord(WW2).

 

Sadly he passed away before I was old enough to develop an interest in the war and what he did.

 

thx for sharing your stories though guys :)

Edited January 30, 2014 by AUT_Znarf

[TAPATOP_TPAKTOP 418]

It`s not a war story but I felt like sharing it... So a couple more people know the truth.

 

My grandfather was a Border Guard at some time on the Macedonian- Bulgarian border during the time of the Communism. He told me how a big fence separated the two countries and his duty was to shoot at anyone who crosses it without permission or he would go to jail himself(or get executed, not sure). Many times the so called "Macedonians", which are Bulgarian flesh and blood and are just some Communist experiment, asked him to let them pass the border, because they knew they were 100% Bulgarian and that Bulgaria is their real home.

 

He had to deny their wishes with tears in his eyes because he didn`t feel like going to jail/getting executed. 

 

Nowadays the Macedonian government has successfully brainwashed the "Macedonians" and they no longer know their roots and where their genes or language come from. Instead they steal our history and put a "Macedonian" tag on it and no one in our government does anything about that.

 

And the even bigger problem is that they`re slowly starting to hate us for telling them the truth. I wonder what will happen with them in the following 50 years... :dntknw:

Edited January 30, 2014 by Hristosko_BUL

[Juliet_Six 13,981]

My grandfather was in stalingrad but got shot by a russian ground attack aircraft, probably an illushin, and then was evacuated with one of the last cargo planes before the Luftwaffes air superiority was gone and the German troops surrendered and all came to Gulags. Because we all know how much people died in those camps or simply went missing it probably saved his life.

When the war ended he was in the british sector, so pretty lucky. Edited January 30, 2014 by Juliett_Six

[WhoopAss_McGue 2,030]

Mentioned this briefly before, but here:
 
My granddad was an RAF mechanic during the war - Served in both Coastal Command and Bomber Command. And from what my dad says, he seems like the clumsiest mechanic the allies had. Dropped a HS2 radar set straight through the bottom of a Lancaster, where it promptly smashed to pieces on the runway. Apparently, there were no officers looking, so the mess was quickly swept up before he had a chance to get in trouble for it. He also managed to get an electric shock from a radar set that was so strong it blew him halfway across the hangar. He also witnessed the bomb crews drop a 4000 pound bomb while attempting to put in a Lancaster, bending it into a 'Banana shape'.
 
They also discovered that if you held a fluorescent lightbulb near a radar set that was switched on, it would cause the bulb to glow. (Like a lightsabre 30 years before they were invented!) So naturally, they used this to confuse people who didn't understand how radar works - Which was most people, the radar sets were seen as black magic, and those who worked on them as some sort of electrical wizards.
 
I actually don't know much about his days in Coastal Command. I'll have to pry my dad for more details.
 

[Scarper 45,517]

Good thread, pinned

[Irhab 990]

My grandfather was in stalingrad but got shot by a russian ground attack aircraft, probably an illushin, and then was evacuated with one of the last cargo planes before the Luftwaffes air superiority was gone and the German troops surrendered and all came to Gulags. Because we all know how much people died in those camps or simply went missing it probably saved his life.

When the war ended he was in the british sector, so pretty lucky.

Good thing that bullet from the Ilyushin wasn't a 23mm. :P

[ReachForTheSky 3,825]

My Grandfather, Stan Millson was in the trenches in the Great War. This is a picture of him carrying a wounded comrade. I was amazed when my Dad told me about this, it's from a short piece of film that's appeared in a number of WW1 documentaries.

 

[Buy4matt 1,210]

Sadly I don't have any stories from my grandfather as he died before I was born. I'll have to ask my mother later if she has any.

Although I do have a few pictures of him from 1942-43

 

[spoiler][/spoiler]

 

[spoiler][/spoiler]

[Ozypedial 209]

My grandfather studied at medical university during the week, and as an AA gunner on the weekends...

[Andrewman26 233]

I'm quite surprised at ReachForTheSky's one, the fact that your granddad is the most documented soldier in WW1, and in most history books, scares me.

 

Meanwhile, my granddad served in Malaya during the troubles over there. Two years service with the TA of the Royal West Kents.

I only managed to get one story of that before he passed away a year ago; that he forced his entire platoon to be rebased, due to his relationship with a Malaysian woman.

I also have his medal for his service, I get tears when I look at that.

 

My Uncle has some photos of them up on Flickr, I might be able to link them.

[Rexeh 2,328]

I should ask my grandma/grandpa, they both served in the Soviet Army around Afghanistan Invasion as Telegraph Operator and Radio Technician respectively. 

[KillerAceUSAF 1,052]

Just as a note, the stories don't have to be just about your fathers and grandfathers. They can be about any friend or relative that was involved in a war, or just the military one way or another.. Whether they where are volunteer or forced. It can even even be about a personal experience.

[Private_Public 1,042]

I don't really know any details but one of my great grandfathers was a tanker/mechanic and my other was a supply truck driver, both in North Africa and later Sicily, Italy etc. The former had a bunch of photos that I have in the house somewhere that I'll try to find at some point, including some of Monte Cassino during the Allied assault on it IIRC. The latter's father, my great great grandfather fought in the Second Boer War and I have his old bayonet from waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back that he kept and used as a regular knife following the war to the point that it barely resembles a bayonet any more. I've also got various other relatives that fought in everything from Korea all the way back to the early wars between the British and the Maori

[ReachForTheSky 3,825]

I'm quite surprised at ReachForTheSky's one, the fact that your granddad is the most documented soldier in WW1, and in most history books, scares me.

It is peculiar. He was in the medical corps which may explain him carrying wounded.

[KingTyrone 293]

My grandfather was a lieutenant in the partisans he led 80 troops when he was only 16 years old I have heard a lot of stories but the most gruesome ones where from  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_Black  at battle of Sutjeska where he had to fight continuously...I can't even count all the lugers he has from the war he eventually continued his service and became a general.

[Lt_Daldry 479]

My grandfather served in the British army during the Malayan emergency. He was the radio operator for his platoon and he said he hated fighting in the jungles. He was eventually put out of action and sent home after being shot in the leg, and my father still has some of his photos of the dead rebels.