For Memorial Day: My dad's tombstone.

[panader0]

[furtheradu]

1. Thank You & Yours

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Thank you.

[GitRDun]

3. Your dad is a hero

God bless!

[panader0]

4. 50 bombing missions, 25 from England, 25 in North Africa.

First daylight bombing raid, Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf
Clusters and a couple of Air Medals and more. As an anti-war Vietnam
protestor we had many run-ins, but I always respected his service.

[GitRDun]

5. My father in law flew bombers (I believe B17's) out of England

He once told a story where his long time neighbor and he realized they had a relationship; the neighbor was a member of the French resistance. My father in law had dropped supplies to them during the war...heroes all...

[Honeycombe8]

6. Nice tombstone.

Tell him thank you.

[George II]

7. My father is in Calverton National Cemetery on Long Island, later joined by my mother.

He was a PFC in the early 1940s.

He never saw combat, but he also never spoke about his experiences in the Army, either.

[busterbrown]

19. Where on Long Island? n/t Thanks.

[George II]

23. Near Brookhaven on the north shore.

[Ptah]

8. Thanks for posting this, panader0

[panader0]

11. He's nearby in the cemetary on Ft Huachuca. (Az)

There are graves of Apache scouts and infants who died from malaria nearby.
It's a beautiful spot. His triangle wooden flag case is on my shelf with his flag and the shells from the 21 gun salute.

[Ptah]

12. I have my father's triangle wooden flag case.

His ashes were scattered on his parents' homestead.

He was a CB in and around New Guinea and the Solomon Islands during WWII.

[panader0]

14. That was a very tough gig in New Guinea and the Solomons.

It was strange to me that my dad fought the Germans and later bought a
Volkswagen and a Mercedes. Nothing made in Japan was allowed in the house.
He was friends with Louie Zamperini in college and never forgave the
Japanese for what they did to him. In high school in Hawaii, I had many
Japanese friends, much to my dad's chagrin. We lived about 100 yards
from the entry of Pearl Harbor and my dad's PACAF Headquarters building
still had the bullet holes

[luvMIdog]

9. Thank you for sharing this with us

[flibbitygiblets]

10. Thank you for posting

...and just, thank you.

[Ilsa]

13. Thank you for posting...

I wonder if they know, if they realize that even now, after 25 years after his passing which is less than 50 years after his great service to our nation and the world, that we still understand the difference they made in the world. People like your father kept Hell from advancing on the planet, and sent many devils to the burning pits where they deserve to be for eternity.

I know my father understood that the world was still grateful when he passed. That they all made a difference.

[calimary]

15. My father stunned me one random day

With a random remark. Stunning in a good way.

He didn't go deep, like that, very often. He said what he was most proud about, regarding his service during WW2, was that "I never raised a gun against my fellow man." He was in the Air Force and flew photo-recon.

I thought about that for a long time. And then it occurred to me that the same went for my father-in-law. He was an Army doctor working in a MASH unit in Australia. He, too, never raised a gun against his fellow man. But he sure patched up a lot of those who'd faced gunfire.

I found that to be rather remarkable. Proud of them both today.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

16. And you should be proud, my dear calimary...

They were great men, heroes too.

[calimary]

22. Thank you, my dear Peggy!

It felt mighty good to this gun-resister. I've often marveled at the irony - that BOTH of 'em served during WW2, active service and NOT safe desk jobs back on the home front, and yet neither one did any killing. How 'bout that.

[Alt-Orange]

17. RIP

[volstork]

18. Thank you

and thanks to your father.

"They gave all of their tomorrows so that we could have today."

[democrank]

20. Lasting peace to you, Lt. Col. Baker.

Thanks for posting this, panader0.

[secondwind]

21. My dad is buried in the Veteran's Cemetery in Bushnell, FL. Merchant Marine, WWII

[shenmue]

24. ....

[applegrove]

25. Wow. A pilot. "Never have so many, owed so much, to so few"

[LeftInTX]

26. My dad was also Air Force Lt. Col

He was born in 1929 and died Nov 6, 2016
He flew B-29s in Korea
And C-7s (small transport) in Vietnam

We also had squabbles with my dad over Vietnam

He is buried with my mom at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.

They are having trouble getting grass to grow near the base of my dad's headstone.
We joke that it is because my dad was bald.


I love the quaint setting for your father's plot.

Thanks for sharing your picture