Jump to content

Picture of my Dad shortly after WW2 with buddies


Mitch
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi All,

I grew up in a very small town in Wisconsin.My Dad was a corpsman in the Navy near the end of WW2. The picture attached was taken just after the war. At the time the town was maybe 1000 people. The guys in the pictures were small business men from the town. My Dad is front right . My uncle is top center . He was in the 101st airborne . The guy right behind my dad was in the Army air corps. The guy serving drinks was in the Marine Corps. The rest you can kinda see. This group of guys represent 3/4's of the business's in town. There are several others that served but were not there. the area was a farming community and there were a heck of alot of others that served. As I grew up most of everyone I knew had a father in the service.It just shows you how many people were affected by WW2. My small town pretty much had to be ran by wives and other family during the war. Also there were enough that didn't come back.Thanks for looking.

Mitch

post-592-0-21646000-1359168445_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll bet there was some serious drinking that night!

 

We don't always think about what it took to get the economy going again after the war, as well as just the everyday life of these small towns.

 

And yet, in a lot of ways, things were going to be different no matter what. Some folks did not make it back, lost in the war. Others, having seen the world, chose to build their lives elsewhere. College, new skiils, new friends and connections... the post war era was the source of so much change.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Gil,

You are absolutely right. In WW2 the whole country had to pull together to support the war effort. 2 friends of mines Mothers welded submarines here during the war and another one welded ships near here. As a post war baby(1952) I watched some of the effects of war on my friends fathers. Some didn't make it long with drinking and one with suicide. It sure would have been nice if the whole country did that during the Vietnam war. Maybe they would have gotten a better welcome home. I have lost 3 of my close friends, after the war, that were in Vietnam. All from effects of the war. Since,it took a national tregedy to pull most of the country together. Now we are seeing the effects on our young sons and daughters of our modern wars. The major support to the military has gone up and down over the years. In modern times it's not all that different than earlier time, while I see alot of support for our modern warriors, Veterans and family are at the top of the supporters. I just wish there were more. This is all just my opinion, not a debate.

Regards, Mitch

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats a cool picture.Im sure that scene was repeated many times all over the US.Have one some place of my grandad with others by a bus shipping off in front of the local hotel in 1943.He was 38 years old when he went in.He was only in for 11-13 months being assigned to the 87th Div.After the war he ended up owning/managing bars and taverns(hard to imagine for an Irishman :D ) One was called the BLUE BOMBER.I have been told it had a bomber done in neon on the front of the bar.Been looking for a picture for years but no luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Doyle! My dad and your dad served in the 87th Infantry Division! It's a small world! The area on the wets side of Cleveland we grew up in was Irish, Italian, German, and Hungarian.

The corner Bar on West 48th and Detroit Avenue was "O'Malleys Bar". Trust me when I tell you that this same scene above was repeated in O'Malley, over and over again. My aunt and I went to scholl at St. Stephens with the O'Malleys. Pat O'Malley was one of my 8th Grade Classmates. Man how I miss those great old days! :blush: Danny

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Doyle! My dad and your dad served in the 87th Infantry Division! It's a small world! The area on the wets side of Cleveland we grew up in was Irish, Italian, German, and Hungarian.

The corner Bar on West 48th and Detroit Avenue was "O'Malleys Bar". Trust me when I tell you that this same scene above was repeated in O'Malley, over and over again. My aunt and I went to scholl at St. Stephens with the O'Malleys. Pat O'Malley was one of my 8th Grade Classmates. Man how I miss those great old days! :blush: Danny

 

Good days indeed.I meant to say 85th,he was in the Custer Division.He was my grandfather.Never knew him very well.From what my dad said I assume he was discharged because of his age.The other granfather is a different story

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...

Hey Doyle! My dad and your dad served in the 87th Infantry Division! It's a small world! The area on the wets side of Cleveland we grew up in was Irish, Italian, German, and Hungarian.

The corner Bar on West 48th and Detroit Avenue was "O'Malleys Bar". Trust me when I tell you that this same scene above was repeated in O'Malley, over and over again. My aunt and I went to scholl at St. Stephens with the O'Malleys. Pat O'Malley was one of my 8th Grade Classmates. Man how I miss those great old days! :blush: Danny

 

Good to hear there is another son of the 87th Infantry Division on here. My father was a Sgt of 345th Inf Rgt, "I" Company :D Danno

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...