I served in the US Army occupation forces in S. Korea between the Korean conflict and Vietnam. I maintained Communication circuits throughout S. Korea's US Army bases as an 8th Army Comm. Center Technician. Harold Pollner, SP/4, US 53662718, 57th Sig. Co, 304th Sig. Bn, 8th US Army.
My brother did 20 years in the Navy. Don't attack me for this one but I'm going to write it out anyway: My dead beat bio dad was a prisoner of war WWII. I thought I had heard this but wasn't sure if was a wrongly remembered memory. I was born with an unusual name which was changed to the much more common last name of my step father. I thought I remembered my bio dad's first name, same as my older brother. I did a Google search a couple of years ago and I was right. He came up on all the prisoner of war web sites I found. One stated he had a very long incarceration. He would be considered a war hero but to me he was someone who really just didn't care about me. My oldest brother told me that our parents were a "volatile pairing"
Don't know if it applies in your case or not, but I have read many accounts of guys who came back from WWII much different people than when they went overseas. He may not have ben the same guy your mom married.
My father and four uncles were WWII Vets. One of those uncles was killed in the Philippines. One cousin served in Korea; ex husband Vietnam Vet. All heroes.
My mother married him after the war. My mother was German and he was a GI. How they actually met, I don't know. But I agree with what you say. War can change people. I think it did my mother also.
When man's inhumanity to man is afar off, it is only the imagination that is affected but when it becomes up close and personal, change is not an option but it is immanent. Whether a person has drawn a weapon and used it or not, they still peruse their own innocence and realize that a portion of it is no longer there but instead, a certain darkness has taken it's place. At some point, some of us ask ourselves if it is going to be that portion of darkness that sustains us or are we going to seek the better? The overlaying problem is, some never ask and adopt it as a partner of life rather than something we had to temporarily adapt to...................
uh, Lara hasn't been around for quite some time but, if you include the(@) @Lara Moss in front of her username she might get it in an alert in her email. (as I just did) Sorry. She is pretty neat though.................
I retired from the USAF after 21 years. Still miss it. My Dad, who served as a Marine in WW2 and continued serving his Country for a total of 34 years, is my Hero. He was a very quiet, patient and giving person.
Yes, Lara, I served the US Army from 1960 to 1962. It was a short enlistment because I volunteered for the draft. I was a Communication Center technician in Seoul, S.Korea, and was part of the occupation forces of the 8th Army, who were there to guard against any resurgence from N. Korea since the cease-fire in June, 1953. I maintained the radio circuits connecting all our bases in S. Korea. Lara, I remember you from the other Senior Forum that I resigned from, and I wanted to ask if all the ladies from the Tarheel State are as pretty as you! Cheers, Hal Email colt45hal@aol.com
Hi @Hal Pollner, it's great to see you well and happy here in SO. Thank you for your comment and thank you for your service over there in S.Korea. What an experience that must have been.
Both of our fathers were Navy Corpsmen during WWII. His was attached to the Marines and "celebrated" his 20th birthday at Iwo Jima. Mine was on a LST and told me how he performed an appendectomy during a typhoon by having instructions shouted to him by radio from a doctor on another ship. My late husband was a VietNam-era Army Russian translator, in for four years. The Spousal Equivalent was in the Navy for 11 years as a Fire Control Specialist on ships and then as an instructor at Great Lakes. His brother is retired Air Force.
I'm an Army Veteran, but not a hero. I spent my 1960-1962 tour in the 8th Army Communications Center in Seoul S. Korea, where I was a Communications Technician. Easy but important duty. The 1950-53 war ended long before I arrived. Hal