The Battle of Hue is the primary fighting in here. I interviewed a Marine Colonel, who as a Captain in Vietnam war lost over 230 of his 255 men in that bloody battle.
He did not mention the 272 boats sunk in 1941 a year before the declaration of war by Germany on US, and that the reason the merchant ships were so close to shore going South was because of the Gulf Stream strongly going North. Also, the first UBoat was sunk off Cape Lookout, Southern Outer Banks by lucky hit by drum rolled off stern of Coast Guard Boat. The Nazi Crew was rescued (despite the fact that survivors of the merchant ships were mowed down in their lifeboats or in their life vests) and brought ashore in Morehead City. Where they came back for reunions yearly for decades.
The Library of Congress >> American Folklife Center Veterans History Project (Library of Congress)
Barksdale, Jr., Thomas Walter -- Sergeant, Army Air Forces/Corps Veteran World War II, 1939-1945 - Miami, Florida; South Dakota; San Antonio, Texas; England; Austria. Sgt. Tom was a POW in Stalag 17, Hogan's Heroes, a true story. He was awarded a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars.
Sgt. Tom was the tall quiet leader in the Barracks.
Baughman, Sr., Paul L. -- Technical Sergeant, Army Veteran World War II, 1939-1945 - France; Belgium; Germany; European Theater. Sgt. Paul, a member of 101st Airborne was a parachuter into Normandy, wounded at St. Lo, Recovered in England and then joined the 29th Infantry guarding Patton's Tanks, wounded in Heurtgen Forest, He was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
Sgt. Paul is the one with blackened face on right. One of the first parachuters into Normandy on Dday.
Bolds, Francis James -- Chief Petty Officer, Navy, Navy Veteran World War II, 1939-1945, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - New Caledonia; Guam (Mariana Islands); Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands); Tinian (Northern Mariana Islands); France; Italy; Da Nang, Vietnam; Chu Lai, Vietnam. Chief Bolds was in WW2 as well as in the Brown Water Navy in Vietnam.
Chief Bolds both in WW2 and Vietnam receives his DVD
Cox, Stanley D. -- Fireman, Navy Veteran World War II, 1939-1945 - Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Guam (Mariana Islands)
Okinawa, more sailors killed on ships sunk there than in any other battle in U. S. history
Donnelly, Jr., Raymond -- First Lieutenant, Army Veteran Cold War - Hawaii
Lt. Donnelly enjoyed his Army Service in Hawaii
Finney, Edwin Mall -- Private First Class, Army Veteran World War II, 1939-1945 - Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Pacific Theater. PFC Finney was a medic on Okinawa and received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. At present, he resides in Patriots Harbor at VA in Charleston, S. C. still suffering from hip wound from battle.
Harrington, Jr., Myron Charles -- Colonel, Marine Corps Veteran Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Vietnam; Beirut, Lebanon; Okinawa, Japan. At the Battle of Hue, Capt. (then) lost most of his Company.
The Battle of Huế (also called the Siege of Huế), was one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Vietnam War. In February
Haynes, James E. -- Private First Class, Army Veteran World War II, 1939-1945 - Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Germany; Philippines; Nancy, France; Paris, France.
PFC Haynes was a guard of POWs in France near end of war
Lee, Lewis Marshall -- Chief Petty Officer, Navy Veteran World War II, 1939-1945 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Norfolk, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina. Chief Lee is one of the last survivors of Pearl Harbor.
He helped rescue sailors in the water from a smaller "Ship boat".
Liponi, Anthony -- Master Sergeant, Air Force Veteran Cold War - Guam (Mariana Islands); Japan; Vietnam. Sgt. LIponi served on a Weather Plane that would fly into typhoons to record them.
Collector of Weather Data
McGinnis, Sr., David Gene -- Petty Officer Third Class, Navy Veteran World War II, 1939-1945 - Norfolk, Virginia; San Francisco, California; North Africa; European Theater; Northern Mariana Islands; Bougainville Island (Solomon Islands); Borneo; Lingayen (Philippines); Leyte (Philippines); Pacific Theater. Petty Officer McGinnis was a Coxswain of a Landing Vessel from aboard the Combat Supply ship Titania, which was involved in 4 Dday (invasions) first in North Africa, then at three locations in the Pacific theater and from there in a Dday in Korean War.
Titania loading up Landing Vessels (Higgins Boats)
Milligan, Jr., Herbert M. -- Sergeant, Army Veteran World War II, 1939-1945 - Iwo Jima; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Camp Carson, Colorado; Pacific Theater Sgt. Milligan was in "mop up" operations after the bloody battle of Iwo Jima. His duty was to guard the seabees repairing the vital air field there. Japanese soldiers were still hidden in the vast number of underground complexes and coming out and fighting the U. S. Soldiers.
Sgt. Milligan's best buddy was killed trying to talk the Japanese soldiers out of a cave.
Moulton, Carlos R. -- Sergeant, Army Veteran World War II, 1939-1945 - Belgium. Sgt. Moulton was fighting in Belgium near end of WW2 sickened that he had to kill young boys all who the Nazis had left at that time.
Nazi youth nicknamed the "Werewolves" were the most fanatical Nazi soldiers being indoctrinated from a very early age to fight to the death for Hitler.
Porter, William W. -- Commander, Air Force, Air Force, Air Force Veteran World War II, 1939-1945, Korean War, 1950-1953, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Washington, D.C.; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Philippines; Korea; Vietnam. Capt. Porter astoundingly was in three wars: WW2, Korea and in Vietnam.He was a fighter pilot in WW2 and in Korea. He won two Distinguished Air Medals in both places and was an intelligence officer in Vietnam. All of his service was aboard Aircraft Carriers.
Commander Porter made over 440 landings without a mishap
Quinton, Garland G. -- Navy Veteran World War II, 1939-1945 - Aleutian Islands (Alaska). Quintan was a corpsman on a ship off an Aleutian Islands where he reported having to treat many wounded soldiers.
Ship off of Aleutian Island, Alaska WW2
Rockefeller, John Jay -- Marine Corps Veteran Korean War, 1950-1953 - Parris Island, South Carolina; California; Korea ]. He was awarded a Purple Heart wounded several times which he blames on "friendly fire".
Saunders, Percy L. -- Colonel, Marine Corps, Army, Army Veteran World War II, 1939-1945, Korean War, 1950-1953, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Parris Island, South Carolina; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Philippines; Korea; Vietnam. Another veteran who astoundingly served in three wars: WW2 (a Marine), Korea (a fighter pilot) and in Vietnam as a Special Services Officers (running canteens all over the country, having dangerous helicopter trips between bases where he volunteered to be a gunner and won a Bronze Star).
Fighter plane ss piloted by Saunders in Korea
Syfrett, Harold Walter -- Chief Electrician's Mate, Navy Veteran World War I, 1939-1945 - Norfolk, Virginia; Washington, DC; Pacific Ocean. Syfrett served on the Yorktown (CV 10) in WW2 which replaced the Yorktown (CV 5) which was sunk at Midway. Rev. Syfrett, becoming a minister after the war, was very instrumental at bringing the Yorktown (CV10) to Charleston saving it from the scrap pilel He is presently the honorary Chaplain aboard this battle ship.
Yorktown Museum in Charleston, S. C.
Tindal, Sullivan -- Corporal, Army Veteran World War II, 1939-1945 - Normandy, France; Berlin, Germany. Corporal Tindall landed on the bloodiest beach on Dday "numbed" as 200 of his 250 member company was killed on the beach. He managed to fight on to the river just outside Berlin, where the Americans gave way to the Russians on the other side of the River.
Dday carnage on Omaha Beach
Wright, Dan -- Technician Four, Army Veteran World War II, 1939-1945 - New Guinea; Luzon (Philippines); Pacific Theater. Rev. Wright fought in New Guinea and in the Phillipines as a jeep driver and body guard of his capt. in New Guinea and as a POW guard in the Phillippines. After the war, he was proud of becoming ordained as an AME minister at the famous Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, S. C. From there he helped built his own church in Jacksonboro, S. C. He was buried there in 2016, and this writer was honored to be at his "Celebration Memorial" at the beautiful overfilled church. He was also very happy to be on the last Honor Flight for WW2 Veterans to Washington, D.C. in 2015.
Rev. Dan on the last Honor Flight to Washington, D. C
