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onethatcares

(17,018 posts)

12. my father was a radio operator on a PBY

Reply to jpak (Original post)

Sun Jul 29, 2018, 07:47 AM

Jul 2018

one day after a few beers my sons got him to say a few words about his part in the war. He spoke of seeing sailors in the water and not being able to pick them up due to there being so many of them. He said the crew he was with could only circle and say, "those poor batards".

I'm not at all sure he was talking about the Indianapolis but he was stationed in the way south Pacific ocean.

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Highlight:

USS Indianapolis: Survivor Accounts From the Worst Naval Disaster in U.S. History [View all] jpak Jul 2018 OP

So Sad mitch96 Jul 2018 #1

And the Captain GP6971 Jul 2018 #2

a relative of mine was on that ship hfojvt Jul 2018 #3

My partner's uncle was killed on The Indianapolis. Hassin Bin Sober Jul 2018 #11

Very sad story of Japanese brutality. roamer65 Jul 2018 #4

Mt dad was in the first US landing of the war - Guadalcanal. Wounded, recovered, then Iwo Jima. tonyt53 Jul 2018 #5

Umm-a Japanese submarine on battle patrol flotsam Jul 2018 #6

True, but those who go through such events tend to be unforgiving in their tblue37 Jul 2018 #7

Yep flotsam Jul 2018 #8

"never overcame his prejudice against the Japanese" mitch96 Jul 2018 #13

I never let Dad know I had Japanese-American friends in college and even briefly dated a tblue37 Jul 2018 #15

It wasn't brutality. It was a military action, between armed opponents. NutmegYankee Jul 2018 #10

Not even remotely the worst naval disaster in US history. NutmegYankee Jul 2018 #9

my father was a radio operator on a PBY onethatcares Jul 2018 #12

"He said the crew he was with could only circle" mitch96 Jul 2018 #14

Very interesting. Thank you for posting this. K & R nt Persondem Jul 2018 #16