65 years ago today...

[MR2-Sooner86]

Japan surrendered and World War 2 ended. To celebrate that I have one of my most prized possessions given to me by a family member and a letter they wrote for me.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs240.snc4/39337_513088595105_92400414_30460163_3868993_n.jpg

Dear Kyle,
I'm leaving you this V pin in memory of the heros of World War 2. Both of your grandpa's were two of those hero's. I wore this on VE day June 6 for Victory in Europe and on September 2 VJ Day, victory over Japan. Your grandma Bernice did her part in helping to make machine gun belts as well as other duties. I give this pin to you. For you are the only one in the family that had both of your grandfathers involved in World War 2. Keep it and always remember we were all heros of that Greatest Generation.
Given with much Love.
Your Great Aunt Edna Sanders

[Okla-homey]

That is awesome. Literally. I'm proud of you for recognizing its significance and value. And if I ever see you on "Pawn Stars" trying to sell it, I will kick yer arse.:D

[MR2-Sooner86]

That is awesome. Literally. I'm proud of you for recognizing its significance and value. And if I ever see you on "Pawn Stars" trying to sell it, I will kick yer arse.:D

I won't lie when I first got it I thought about how much money I could get out of it. Of course when I got it I was probably 13 at the time but I still feel bad because I had that line of thought. Now that I'm older I wouldn't give it up for anything. I have this and later on when I can store it somewhere safely my mom will give me my grandpa's Purple Heart he got on Omaha Beach.

[Okla-homey]

Two words. "Shadow box." With your aunt's letter. Trust me.

[SouthFortySooner]

I think you should carry it around and show it to these kids with the jap tattoos.

[SunnySooner]

Two words. "Shadow box." With your aunt's letter. Trust me.

Ooooh, yeah, and his purple heart and any other medals he won, that would be allsome. Mr. SS made a few of those over the years (he's a woodworker as a hobby) for folks as retirement gifts, usually with a flag folded in a triangle in a corner of the box, and the member's medals and a shoulder board showing each rank he achieved over the years, they always looked beautiful.

When we were in Hawaii, he somehow got to know the chick in charge of the flags that fly over the USS Arizona, so we have one in a shadow box in our living room that was flown on December 7th, 1996, with a certificate authenticating it etc. He made the box from koa wood, which is a tree native to Hawaii and is now really rare and protected and all that, but it is so beautiful, has kind of a swirl in it's grain, and is kind of a cherry color--google 'Koa wood', beautiful stuff.

I think that program is still available if you contact the park service there, they will send you the flag flown on whenever if it doesn't matter, or we were able to get one from his Dad's birthday, stuff like that. It's not too expensive, I think just the cost of shipping and the flag, maybe around $50 or so. Anyway, the certificate has the date it was flown, so if it's a special day to you that's cool.

Thanks for sharing that M, my pops were both too old for WW2, they just stayed back here and held down the fort. It was the greatest generation, they literally saved the world, kinda makes my little Gen X look pretty sad in comparison.

[SicEmBaylor]

Japan surrendered and World War 2 ended. To celebrate that I have one of my most prized possessions given to me by a family member and a letter they wrote for me.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs240.snc4/39337_513088595105_92400414_30460163_3868993_n.jpg

Dear Kyle,
I'm leaving you this V pin in memory of the heros of World War 2. Both of your grandpa's were two of those hero's. I wore this on VE day June 6 for Victory in Europe and on September 2 VJ Day, victory over Japan. Your grandma Bernice did her part in helping to make machine gun belts as well as other duties. I give this pin to you. For you are the only one in the family that had both of your grandfathers involved in World War 2. Keep it and always remember we were all heros of that Greatest Generation.
Given with much Love.
Your Great Aunt Edna Sanders

Very cool. My grandfather was in a recon platoon with the 1st Cav from the beginning of the war to the end. I guess he wasn't much of one to grab souvenirs, but in the Philippines he did pick up a Jap officer's samurai sword. He kept the thing until the boat ride back to the states at the end of the war, but he ended up selling it to a Navy guy because he needed the money. I really wish he hadn't.

He was in the "old" Army and cavalry before the war back when the 1st Cav. still had horses. I have his army spurs and a few other things. He always told me that when he died that I was to get all of his medals; because, I'm the only male on that side of the family. He had a silver and bronze star, purple heart, various campaign ribbons, and of course the V-J medal. Unfortunately, my VERY liberal anti-military cousin got them. I don't know what the f'k she gets out of having them, but she will not return t hem to me. It makes me sick because she routinely participates in anti-military protests of various sorts. She even had the nerve to tell me she keeps the medals hidden away because one of her best-friends at Okie State is Japanese and she doesn't want to offend her.

It absolutely pisses me the f'k off like you would not believe.

[StoopTroup]

That is awesome. Literally. I'm proud of you for recognizing its significance and value. And if I ever see you on "Pawn Stars" trying to sell it, I will kick yer arse.:D

No doubt Homester.

Things like that are why our Country will never fall to an enemy and if it should even look bleak at times....things like that are what inspire folks to continue to fight on.

God Bless America...

...even the Obama Socialist Marxism Regime of 2012. :D ;)

[SicEmBaylor]

That is awesome. Literally. I'm proud of you for recognizing its significance and value. And if I ever see you on "Pawn Stars" trying to sell it, I will kick yer arse.

I was in an antique store when I was around 12-13 with my parents. Well, in the back they had a booth full of WWII memorabilia. A couple of uniforms, a couple of m1942 German helmets, German flags, a Hitler Youth knife, and a box full of photographs. I've been a WWII-buff/nut my entire life, so I bought a bunch of the stuff including all the photographs. When I was paying for it, I asked where all of it came from and she said some young girl came in and wanted to sell all the "junk" she was left from her grandfather. I thought that it was really sad that he had brought all that back from Europe and left it to his family only to have his granddaughter get rid of it like that...

The pictures were really neat though. He was an officer in the 3rd Armored (if I remember correctly), and he meticulously labeled the back of every photograph so you could trace the Division's progress all the way from Etretat to Germany.

[StoopTroup]

Got a friend who has tons of SS and Hitler Stuff. When you look at it....you can almost see and feel the evil that inspired some of that. It's creepy.

I visited the National Archive back in the 1980's and they had a display of WWII posters and photos of Hitler stuff and the stuff that was produced to inspire the folks at Home to support the War Movement.

It was an emotional day as I viewed all of that. My Family and many folks I have met told me stories of how WWII affected their lives and their Families Lives.

In 1985 a neighbor I knew was on a trip to Ireland with me and my Father. Jim was one heck of a Ragtime Piano Player and had lost a leg in the war. Even with the injury...he was able to return to America and raise a Family and when he died....he left his Wife comfortable.

RIP Jim and thanks for the education and the good times singing around the piano.

A great man he was.

[MR2-Sooner86]

Unfortunately, my VERY liberal anti-military cousin got them.

How did that happen if you were promised them?

Anyway, one of my grandfathers got a whole lot of German stuff. We're talking SS helmets, brand new lugers, officer's uniforms and medals, and lots of other things. On the way back from Europe several guys were saying stuff like, "If you have a bunch of stuff you took while oversees they're going to take it away from you and your *** is going to be in a sling!" My grandfather was scared so he threw everything overboard. When he got home, nothing happened and he just walked right off the boat with nobody checking him. Feel bad all that stuff is somewhere at the bottom of the Atlantic.

The good news though is that all the coins he collected from North Africa, Italy, and Europe we still have.

[SunnySooner]

The Arizona memorial in Hawaii is worth the trip just by itself, it's very well done, they take you out on a ferry to the bridge that is built over where the ship is resting at the bottom of the harbor. Before you go, you can view a big room of exhibits of things people have donated--everything from their sailor's uniforms to the Christmas card one of the sailors mailed the day before he was killed in the attack. It really puts a human face on what happened that day, the horror of it, the ugliness of the flaming ships against the crisp beauty of that early morning blue sky, just awe inspiring. You watch a little film before the ferry as well with a lot of footage of the attack I had never seen before. And then there's the bridge, with the names of all those lost inscribed in a wall in one end--a few sets of brothers, some fathers/sons as well. As you look down at the ship, you can still see a little bit of oil rise to the surface, even after all these years. The ship is only in about 30 feet of water, and the water is very clear, so you can see quite a bit of it. I've heard that a program is available now for WW2 vets who wish it, can have their ashes placed on the ship when they pass away as their final resting place, but I'm not sure. I can't remember the exact number, but it seems like there were several hundred of those killed whose remains were never recovered from the ship.

We lived there 4 years, as you can imagine, we had LOTS of folks come visit us, and they all wanted to do the Memorial, so after I had gone once, I would just drop them off and pick them up when it was over. I just couldn't do it again, I had bawled thru the whole thing , and that was before I had kids, I'd probably be a basket case if I ever went back. But it's good to see and feel the results of war, it helps us remember why we should try to avoid it.

What's neat now is that they also now have the USS Missouri, where the treaty with Japan was signed, so you have the beginning and the end right next to each other. They brought her in right before we moved, we went over to a buddy's house who lived on the harbor, so we got to watch her be towed in from a front-row view, so glad we got to see that, it was very moving.

[SicEmBaylor]

She was living with my grandparents when he died. I figured as long as my grandmother was still alive that I wouldn't press the issue, and when I did I was told she had taken them. My grandmother hasn't really done much to get them back from her and the only explanation I've been as to why is that they were just sooooo close that she has to have something to "remember" him by. She wasn't anymore devastated than the rest of us were.

She's highly manipulative.

[MR2-Sooner86]

Next time I'm in Stoolwater let me know where to go, I'll get that stuff back. Don't ask how but I'll get it back. That stuff deserves to be someplace better.

[Harry Beanbag]

The Arizona memorial in Hawaii is worth the trip just by itself, it's very well done, they take you out on a ferry to the bridge that is built over where the ship is resting at the bottom of the harbor. Before you go, you can view a big room of exhibits of things people have donated--everything from their sailor's uniforms to the Christmas card one of the sailors mailed the day before he was killed in the attack. It really puts a human face on what happened that day, the horror of it, the ugliness of the flaming ships against the crisp beauty of that early morning blue sky, just awe inspiring. You watch a little film before the ferry as well with a lot of footage of the attack I had never seen before. And then there's the bridge, with the names of all those lost inscribed in a wall in one end--a few sets of brothers, some fathers/sons as well. As you look down at the ship, you can still see a little bit of oil rise to the surface, even after all these years. The ship is only in about 30 feet of water, and the water is very clear, so you can see quite a bit of it. I've heard that a program is available now for WW2 vets who wish it, can have their ashes placed on the ship when they pass away as their final resting place, but I'm not sure. I can't remember the exact number, but it seems like there were several hundred of those killed whose remains were never recovered from the ship.

We lived there 4 years, as you can imagine, we had LOTS of folks come visit us, and they all wanted to do the Memorial, so after I had gone once, I would just drop them off and pick them up when it was over. I just couldn't do it again, I had bawled thru the whole thing , and that was before I had kids, I'd probably be a basket case if I ever went back. But it's good to see and feel the results of war, it helps us remember why we should try to avoid it.

What's neat now is that they also now have the USS Missouri, where the treaty with Japan was signed, so you have the beginning and the end right next to each other. They brought her in right before we moved, we went over to a buddy's house who lived on the harbor, so we got to watch her be towed in from a front-row view, so glad we got to see that, it was very moving.


Pearl Harbor is an eerie place, especially if you are a sailor. We went there a few times, one time being the 50th anniversary of V-J Day. It is the one port where you man the rails in dress uniform every time you come in and render honors to the Arizona as you pass. Very sobering experience. This is the my ship, the Arkansas, off Diamond Head about to enter the harbor:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2021/2184990725_30bed5e4c3.jpg

I was stationed in Bremerton, Washington and the Missouri was anchored there at the time. She's where she should be now though.

[ouwasp]

Probably about 10 yrs ago an older man at my church gave me something all wrapped up. It was his Combat Infantry Badge from WWII. Fighting the Japs in the Philippines; a brutal, mostly overlooked campaign imo.

I was speechless for a moment. When I could speak, I asked him why he wouldn't give that to his son?

"It wouldn't mean anything to him." :(