Everyday Hero's Skins Competition Discussion thread.

[Echorion 3,652]

My grandfather served in WW2 but not in a vehicle...

So only certain people can really compete at all...That will cause artistic limitations, but good luck to all who enter.

[FryingTigerWT 926]

Ok I will not be entering this Contest. Because being the one who proposed it it certainly would not be fair if I won.

 

However I will share with you some things about my Family.

My Family has sent Men to war from what I know in every conflict dating back to WWI that I can verify (Myself included)

 

My Great Grandfather fought with the Marine Expeditionary forces  in the Battle of Belleau Wood along the Marne river with the 5th Marines at hill 142. Ordered to hold the line where they stood they repelled major attacks with rifle volley, bayonet (in hand dug slit trenches) and only a few machine guns. Forcing a massive retreat of the germans into the woods. After withstanding this brutal assault by the germans. The 5th Marines and my grandfather mounted an assault into the german held Woods made into a stronghold (the entire area of Belleau Wood is tiny) by the  5 divisions now garrisoned there. Alongside 2 US Army divisions small elements of the French and British. The Marines charged that night with only 1 Brigade. Coining the phrase made legend decades later in films "C'mon you sons a bitches you want to live forever" as their battle call. The Germans held fortified positions with Machine gun and artillery nests and well dug in positions in covered areas. The Marines without appropriate times to reload by large had to resort to hand to hand combat by bayonet, shovel, helmet, rock. or hand.

After the battle was won the Germans gave them a name that has stuck with them to this day "Teufel Hunden" or Devil Dog.

 

My Grandfather Clayton Ginnard was a crewman aboard a B-24J-15 called the Ford's Folley. Serving with the 15th AF, 459th Bomb Group, 757th Squadron out of Giulia field,Cerrignola, Italy.

 

This is the Ford's Folley as taken from one of Her sister B-24s in flight over Austria in 1944

 

 

http://www.459bg.org/documents/Military%20Service%20Record.pdf

 

Here is a link to the online service record of one of my Grandfather's crewmates detailing ther wartime service on the Bomb Groups web Page.

 

For anyone Interested in learning about the Campaign of the 15th AF and of the 459th specifically my grandfather's best friend Lyle McCarty Wrote a very detailed book about the unit with accident, bombing and first hand reports entitles "Coffee Tower" that is available (Family Members all got signed copies ;))

My Grandfather was probably the the greatest man I had ever known. never spoke about the war. Built model planes until he died, and had the cleanest garage you could imagine. Proposed to my Grandfather before he left for the war. Then returned and Married her. My grandmother lost her sight due to a hereditary disease, but that never bothered him. He became an architect, and together they raised 11 children. 

 

David A. Leedy.

I was blessed to have been raised by my hero, my step father. After my real father left us before I could walk. I have always referred to Frank as Dad and he always has been. Anyways. He was born in 1948. His cousin David Leedy was 22 years old and already in the Navy the day Pearl harbor was attacked. David was stationed aboard the USS Arizona. While I do not know all the details of his life or his final moments. I once had the pleasure of meeting a veteran that knew david (a fellow Fire controllman) and to share a beer with him before he died in 1998.

 

http://www.usmemorialday.org/pearllst.txt

 

To wrap up this era and Ill leave it here.

 

Ernest M. Phillips.

 

I grew up next door to this man. The kindest gentlest man and his wife. I played in his yard. he taught me to make a bow and arrow from sticks and string. He took me fishing, to the VFW, all around. Again he never spoke to me of the war. I was always curious of pictures and things in his home. I would ask about this since my grandpa, Dad, and many other family members were military. But he would smile and say "that's not for you son". 

 

Little FryingTiger in Ernies Backyard Age 6

 

Yep thats a sea rescue toy helo in my hand. I was always amazed with flying :) but I digress.

 

Ernie was a US Marine in the Pacific. He was a 5 inch gunner aboard the U.S.S. Northampton. A pre-war Volunteer assigned to the pacific fleet. His wife also a US  Marine (that ironically outranked him lol) met him in california.

 

Ernie's story is one of amazement and wonder that he never spoke of until the day I came home from war. Not boot camp, not training, not the many times he saw me on leave and we shared a beer. Maybe he saw a shared look in my eyes I will never know. However at that time he was 92 years old (so was his wife btw) and he got us both a beer and asked me how I was. Then we talked about the world for the first time and his life. 

 

Ernie and his ship's story in WWII saw some of the most important events in the war's history. They were the first ship to re-enter Pearl Harbor after the attack. So he got to see the carnage first hand and feel the desperation of not being able to come to the aide of his countrymen who were floating all over the harbor and the burning smoke and fires reaching towards the sky. Remember that the carrier fleet he was attached to was not in port and this is the only thing that saved his and all thier lives that day.

 

After Pearl they patrolled and was was part of the bombardment of the first Japanese held Island called Wotje Island where they also sank 2 enemy ships.

 

Ernies Ship was with the carrier that delivered the now famous 12 Hellcats to Wake Island (8 of which were destroyed on the ground) before the first assault. and part of her liberation firing shots into the island sinking a ship in the harbor on 24 February.

 

Ernie and the Northampton joined the Enterprise and was the lead ship on the Doolittle raid. As he told me he believed "those blasted things I though were going to land right on on or heads, but they kept going, when they took off we could have shook their hands as they passed over top of us" 

 

Directly after that it was onto midway and fighting for their lives to protect the Enterprise as a screening fire ship (she was always the lead ship as the heavy cruiser in the formation)

 

Ernie took part in various Island campaigns working down through the Guadalcanal operations. Including San Cristobal, being assigned to the Wasp temporarily since the Enterprise was damaged at midway. The Wasp was struck by torpedo in a massive fight. 

Later in the Battles for Guadalcanal the Wasp, North Carolina, and eventually the Mortal wounding of the Hornet. It would be the Northampton that would come to their aide.

 

During the two battles for the "ironbottom sound" so called because of the amount of ships now lying on the bottom. the Battles of Salvo Island, the USS Northampton during the Second battle. Ernie Was standing at his post manning his weapon watching the battle take place. as Japanese ships poured into the bay and fire erupted all around him. Suddenly two torpedos struck the ship directly opposite him on the Starboard side. Launching him up and over the side and into the water. Finding a few ship mates some very hurt, they swam to nearby island forming a human liferaft, praying the Japanese would not see them.As well as that they were swimming to friendly land held area. Local indigenous people found them and took care of them until the morning when the US Navy picked them up.

 

There is so much more to Ernie's story to tell. If you would like to hear it from his mouth years ago I presented him to be interviewed via the ken Burns project for Veterans and it is available here.

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.04404/

 

Have a Happy Memorial day Everyone

 

Semper Fidelis

 

 

[Kapral_Samo 0]

Not really stories that are vote worthy, but worth mentioning for this occasion.

 

 

My great uncle (grandfather's brother) was the navigator for a B-17 E (I'm still researching to find the name of the plane and crew members) and did a significant amount of night bombing raids in Germany.

 

My grandfather also served in the military, but you could say that he "didn't get any action." He served just after WWII ended for America and Japan until just before the Korean War.

Edited May 26, 2014 by xDrDub

[_waldbiene_ 14,632]

Great stories FryingTiger, thx a lot for sharing them!

 

:salute:

 

But in Germany we don't say "Teufel Hunden".

 

We say "Teufelshund" (devil's dog) or "Teufelshunde" (devil dogs), either way, it's one word in german.  ;)

 

[spoiler]

[/spoiler]

Edited May 26, 2014 by Trommelfeuer

[FryingTigerWT 926]

Great stories FryingTiger, thx a lot for sharing them!

 

 

But in Germany we don't say "Teufel Hunden".

 

We say "Teufelshund" (devil's dog) or "Teufelshunde" (devil dogs), either way, it's one word in german.  ;)

 

[spoiler]

[/spoiler]

 Interesting article thanks for sharing that.

[Kawolski_VII 4,003]

There truly are some amazing stories out there.  From my small community of less than 2000 people, I know of one man who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and whose parents were wrongly informed that he was killed in the attack, another who played a critical part in solving the problems with the early P-38 models, and one who served and was wounded in World War II, served again in Korea, and once more in Vietnam.

[Flounder2760 208]

Fryingtiger  just enter the damned contest will you.  there is only one guy in there so far and he doesnt even have a skin and its a story from operation desert storm.(story is about t72s and t55s)

 

also i wouldnt mind seeing ford's folley as a b24 paint scheme even if its the wrong variant of the b24 for the skin that skin should still fit.

[Falcon_One 66]

My grandfather served aboard a B-24 from the 453rd bombardment group (8th AF), out of Old Buckenham Airfield - at the moment, I don't have a B-24 unlocked, but would like to participate in this commemorative event. Is there any advice the team could give me to work around this issue? I've tried every way I can think of to add my skin to the game, but to no avail. 

[FryingTigerWT 926]

My grandfather served aboard a B-24 from the 453rd bombardment group (8th AF), out of Old Buckenham Airfield - at the moment, I don't have a B-24 unlocked, but would like to participate in this commemorative event. Is there any advice the team could give me to work around this issue? I've tried every way I can think of to add my skin to the game, but to no avail. 

I can generate a skin folder for you and send it to you. So you can work on it, although you will not be able to directly use the game to work on it in real time unless you have a Squad mate that does own one, or you can pair up with someone, or send me back the file and I will give you a screenshot.

 

On a Sidenote  :salute:  Mighty 8th

 

Send me a PM with your email and I will send you the files.

[Fisher_ 313]

hello guys,

All of my grand-parents are dead... and they have never talk about the WW2.

But, i made this some weeks, its a fictional story about WW2 : but the message is universal, i think.

In memory of all soldiers who fought for their lifes,  their country and their families.

Hope u like it.
 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bubJbssWyw8

 

(sorry for bad english)

[Rohnlex 2,367]

Awesome event !! loving the stories :)