My Military Family

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Njaco

The Pop-Tart Whisperer
22,459
2,441
Feb 19, 2007
Fla-eee-dah!
I've been kicking this idea around and when I got this scanner for Christmas I thought I would give it a go. I never served in the military but my family has. I wanted to honor my relatives with a thread and to open it up to other members. I know that Les and Erich and Emac have or had relatives who served in the armed forces - whether here in the US or in other countries - and I thought a thread to honor their service would be nice. I'm gonna post about my family but if anyone wants to add theirs to this, I think that would be nice.

This is meant to honor relatives who stood up and served no matter what country they were serving or for whatever reasons. Doesn't matter. They had more guts than I. For that I them.

First is my dad. What I do know is that he joined the Air Force in 1955 and went to OCS, wanting to eventually become a pilot. Unfortunately after 2 years he suffered from what the AF called sinus headaches but after talking with him I believe he suffered what I suffered - cluster headaches. Deciding not to take what the AF offered him, he was Honorably Discharged and joined the Pennsylvania National Guard where at some point he went to Mississippi to repair bridges and dams. Maybe there is one that Les takes to the local store! Anyway, after leaving the Guard, he got married, had kids and always said he should have been in Vietnam flying F4 Phantoms. He was still aces in my book, regardless.

The first pic is my dad's AF photo from 1955. The others are from an air show in 1990. My father died in 2004 on this exact date which is probably why I was thinking of doing this.
 
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Next is my Uncle Bud - real name Anthony Wermuth. He is my Dad's brother. This is from his obit:

He entered the US Military Academy at West Point in 1936. As a First classman he edited "The Pointer", the West Point magazine. From 1940 to 1945 he served with the US Army at Fort Ord, Calif. and the Aleutians, Alaska. In 1946 he returned to West Point as an Associate Professor in the Dept. of Englsih, USMC. In the 50s he served as Staff Officer in Europe and at the Pentagon. He then went to Korea as a Commander. He served as Cirriculum Planner at the US Army War College in Carlise, PA and retired in 1966 as Military Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Earle Wheeler. He was awarded the Distinquished Service Medal, the highest non-combat medal available to service members. He died in 1992 and is buried at West Point.

The first pic is his service pic and the others are photos he took while at Fort Ord, according to what is on the back.
 
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Now from my mom's side is her brother, Uncle Ritchie.

Uncle Ritchie served in the Navy as a Seabee during Vietnam. He doesn't talk much and even less about his time in the war. I remember him sending back photos of projects he was doing. He once was at an airport when they came under attack and my mother has some photos he sent of bombs going off near some C-130s or some type of cargo planes. Those pics are burned in my memory. I believe he was in for about 8 years and retired and now owns his own plumbing business. This pic is from when he was on leave from boot just before being shipped overseas.

 
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The last pic I have is another brother of my dad, Uncle Paul. His service was quick. He joined in 1942 and was mostly stateside, working on aircraft maintenance in New Mexico. He did his 4 years and then was discharged to become a Dean of the English Department of a very well known Boston College. Hes the author of several books - college textbooks which I sometimes find hard to read through. He's been my inspiration to write and I hope one day to be able to publish a book and keep this family thing going. He's in his 80s and lives in a mansion outside Boston and we talk infrequently.

One last person is my brother and I can't find a military pic of him, though I know I have one. He joined the USMC in 1982 and while not seeing any action, was stationed around the States. He drove 2 1/2 ton trucks and did maintenance. He was in for 4 and then was discharged to become a carpenter. His stories of Boot camp on Parris island are hilarious!

I'm really proud of the members of my family.

 
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Man, great shots Chris, wish I had some pics from my family tree so to speak....

If I may however point out that the pic of ur Uncle Ritchie cannot be after he got outta Boot Camp, as he is a Second Class Petty Officer (E-5), and new recruits usually graduate as an E-1 or E-2...

And he's wearing a wedding band.... Was he married when he went to Boot Camp??
 
Les, you may be right and that may be a wedding shot. My family never really talked much and so I have to dig stuff out sometimes. My mother always said that pic was from when he was on leave - maybe not boot camp but to get married?
 
Great stuff Chris. It's good you have such things showing your family's service. Unfortunately, when my Dad died just over a year ago, the house had been cleared of all personla effects; his wartime photos and memorabilia, family photos, some of my army service, the lot! If I could get my hands on the so called 'home help', I'd f*****g destroy the b***h!
 
The newspaper clip below is from the Hudson Dispatch, Union City, NJ, Saturday August 7, 1943.

"3 Brothers Aim to Batter Axis"

Pictured are my dad (center) and his two brothers, my uncles. The one on the left was a Liberator pilot in the 453 Bombardment Group (H), 735th Squadron. Crashed on takeoff on his second mission to Siracourt, France - 6 February, 1944. The target was a concrete construction installation, which were launching ramps for the V-2 rocket bombs being aimed at London.

One on the right served on a destroyer in the Pacific, a picket ship at Okinawa. Don't have much information on his service. I do remember him telling me once that the kamikaze attacks were intense.

And my dad, the original "Tough 'Ombre" was lucky enough to survive as a rifleman from June 6, 1944 to May 8, 1945.

TO
 

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Great stuff, guys. You have some rich history in your family, Chris. Let me see what I can dig out. Our family have all been farmers and warriors up until the 20th Century. Now we're just warriors and geeks. Firts, my basic training shot. Hard to believe I was ever that young, then my father at Keesler in September of 1959.

My great great grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Bones in his Civil War uniform is next. He served in the Illinois Infantry and lost 2 fingers in one of the battles.

William F Robertson follows in his civil war uniform. Another of my great great grandfathers.

I know I have more photos around here somewhere, I'm just not sure where.

To all of my fellow veterans and current standing military members, I salute you and offer my humble thanks.
 

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I keep quietly asking around, but nobody seems to know much about where, if any, of our family military photos are. My grandfather (Dad's Dad) was in the Air Corps, stationed in Italy during the war. He was ground-crew (engines and props) for B24's. Dad was MP with the Air Force during 'Nam, not really sure where he was stationed, but he transferred over to the medical (lab tech) field shortly thereafter and retired in '91. My brother is in the Army, has volunteered for every school they have to offer, and is on his third voluntary tour in Iraq right now....'course, we can't know what he does or where he goes or what outfit he's with, he just sorta disappears for awhile, then comes back with a nice tan and a new tattoo. Crazy bastard! One of these days, I'm gonna have to start diggin around our family history....

And to all those who served, or who are honoring family members who have served:
 
Here are my grandpa again
 

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