Its good there are still people alive that remember these stories

[NNN0LHI]

http://triblocal.com/elmhurst/2010/12/20/wwii-veteran-recalls-christmas-mission-that-delivered-holiday-cheer/

WWII veteran recalls Christmas mission that delivered holiday cheer

By Annemarie Mannion TribLocal reporter Today at 7:04 a.m.

Guided by only sun and stars, a mission to deliver much-needed medical supplies and Christmas trees and presents, to marines and sailors serving on the battle-scarred island of Peleliu in the South Pacific during World War II has lessons for today, says a former Navy pilot.

Elmhurst native Raymond Vertovec, 89, was a lieutenant junior grade in the U.S. Navy, based in Honolulu, when he flew the Dec. 15, 1944 mission that also brought wounded marines and sailors to Guam for treatment

On the way to the island in a R-5D transport aircraft, “we had silver boxes with raw blood in them and a dozen Christmas trees on top of the boxes,” he said. “And we had mail and gifts in the hold for the marines and navy personnel.”

He does not remember the details, but said the idea to include the holiday gifts and trees was an afterthought initiated by someone involved with the mission.

[monmouth]

1. Many here will remember when we were in kindergarten and first

grade we would bring in shoe boxes and fill them with everything from toothpaste, candy, writing paper, pens, etc. to mail to service members. We loved being a part of this enormous big picture...

[liberal N proud]

2. It wasn't until the last year that my father never mentioned the war

He has told me more about his time in the Army in the last years than he ever told me in all the years prior.

A year ago, he was lucky enough to be honored with one of the Honor Flights taking WWII Vets to visiting the WWII memorial in DC. I was more than lucky enough to meet him in DC and accompany him for the day. He has opened up with so many stories since.

They all have some awful tales to tell about war and some really great stories too.

[NNN0LHI]

3. The only two things my late father ever related from WW II was seeing the ...

... the bodies of our marines laid out on the black sand beaches of Iwo Jima for as far as he could see.

The other was watching a kamikaze pilot crashing into the ship directly in front of his.

I figured those two things must have been burned into his brain because that is all he ever told me about. I wish he had told me more now.

Don