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wishstar

(5,268 posts)

39. My uncle- son of Italian immigrants - died fighting for America in WW2 in the Pacific

Wed Aug 3, 2016, 05:48 AM

Aug 2016

Before he enlisted in the Army right after Pearl Harbor, he had traveled across country working with the Civilian Conservation Corps from NY to the Hoover Dam that he helped to build.

He was killed in action in Saipan in Sept 1944. He had been sending his military pay home to help my mother and her sister attend college so my mother could become a teacher and my aunt a nurse, the first ones in their family to go to college.

My dad was an Army Medic in WW2 for 3 years, coming back safely but his dad who was an Army Corporal in WW1 fought in the trenches in France where he was gassed, causing lifelong affects of shell shock. As a teen, I went with Grandpa to VA Hospital to get help for his severe depression.

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43 replies

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How many of us DU'ers belong to a gold star family..... [View all] mrmpa Aug 2016 OP

Not me. My dad came back from Nam. kestrel91316 Aug 2016 #1

correct Skittles Aug 2016 #3

I'm not, but a lot of us were in uniform and... TreasonousBastard Aug 2016 #2

Me... lapfog_1 Aug 2016 #4

Evening... DonRedwood Aug 2016 #11

Gratefully, all of my loved ones survived. KMOD Aug 2016 #5

I think only one person in my extended family ever went into war sakabatou Aug 2016 #6

Second cousin WWII Justice Aug 2016 #7

My cousin was killed in Iraq. skylucy Aug 2016 #8

Thank you for sharing DonRedwood Aug 2016 #12

One soldier but not reported as a military death trixie Aug 2016 #9

My mother lost her older brother in WW2 and my grandparents' wounds never healed. pnwmom Aug 2016 #10

hugs DonRedwood Aug 2016 #13

Lost my Uncle Bud in the Battle of Tarawa, WW II. Body was never recovered. colorado_ufo Aug 2016 #14

My dad trained Green Berets during Vietnam DonRedwood Aug 2016 #15

It sounds like you had a wonderful father who did his best for all those young men. pnwmom Aug 2016 #25

Also want to mention my Dad. colorado_ufo Aug 2016 #16

Just one more post - colorado_ufo Aug 2016 #17

This message was self-deleted by its author auntpurl Aug 2016 #18

Thankfully, none of my BlueMTexpat Aug 2016 #19

Just to add: BlueMTexpat Aug 2016 #20

I've stated before......... mrmpa Aug 2016 #32

In my experience, I discovered BlueMTexpat Aug 2016 #40

I am in the middle of 5 generations who served TexasProgresive Aug 2016 #21

Thank you to everyone who responded and to your families for your service. Justice Aug 2016 #22

Blessedly, no. Staph Aug 2016 #23

I do not (nt) bigwillq Aug 2016 #24

My Grandmother was a Gold Star Mother liberal N proud Aug 2016 #26

First Cousin.... Peacetrain Aug 2016 #27

My dad's oldest brother died at the battle of the Bulge. My wife has an uncle still on the Arizona. tonyt53 Aug 2016 #28

My uncle was killed in WWII meow2u3 Aug 2016 #29

Distant cousins lost a son early on in Afghanistan. GreenPartyVoter Aug 2016 #30

On my dad's side, Loki Aug 2016 #31

Not me. Dad was too old for the wars and brother too young. lostnfound Aug 2016 #33

We all do UTUSN Aug 2016 #34

2 cousins, one uncle and my aunt Kaky - raven mad Aug 2016 #35

My dad survived WWII and Korea mountain grammy Aug 2016 #36

I nearly died once in combat, and again at the evac hospital pinboy3niner Aug 2016 #37

My partner's uncle was killed on The Indianapolis. Hassin Bin Sober Aug 2016 #38

My uncle- son of Italian immigrants - died fighting for America in WW2 in the Pacific wishstar Aug 2016 #39

This is small consolation, I know... pinboy3niner Aug 2016 #42

My Uncle John was 21 when he was killed at Guadalcanal. redwitch Aug 2016 #41

My BIL' s stepfather Ex Lurker Aug 2016 #43