Comments on: KVIE Looking for Local World War II Memories http://thevoicesinmyhead.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/kvie-looking-for-local-world-war-ii-memories/ I don't want to shut them up anymore... Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:44:48 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Chris Chaloupka http://thevoicesinmyhead.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/kvie-looking-for-local-world-war-ii-memories/#comment-248 Chris Chaloupka Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:35:48 +0000 http://thevoicesinmyhead.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/kvie-looking-for-local-world-war-ii-memories/#comment-248 Ken Burns missed a significant group that made a major contribution to the war effort, the US Merchant Marine (USMM). The USMM was the sixth (armed) service activated for WW II. Its ranks contained sailors from every walk, including those who either too young or too old to volunteer or be drafted for the other services. The age range went from 16 to 70. The USMM had the highest per capita casualties of any of the services. My late father was too old for the other services, so he went back into the USMM (he was a career pre-war merchant sailor) and sreved as a ship's officer. His USMM Combat Bar has three silver stars, one for each of the ships that were attacked that he was on. One, the Samual Gompers was sunk. My father was eligible for several different medals for his war time service but he never received all of them because unlike the other services there were no award ceremonies to hand them out. USMM sailors had to write and ask for them, if they knew which ones they were eligible for. The USMM WW II sailors were finally recognized as veterans in 1980's, some forty years after their service. It's ironic that in researching Sacramento, Ken Burns did not discover the USMM Memorial on the waterfront, just SE of the Capital Bridge. Ken Burns missed a significant group that made a major contribution to the war effort, the US Merchant Marine (USMM). The USMM was the sixth (armed) service activated for WW II. Its ranks contained sailors from every walk, including those who either too young or too old to volunteer or be drafted for the other services. The age range went from 16 to 70. The USMM had the highest per capita casualties of any of the services. My late father was too old for the other services, so he went back into the USMM (he was a career pre-war merchant sailor) and sreved as a ship’s officer. His USMM Combat Bar has three silver stars, one for each of the ships that were attacked that he was on. One, the Samual Gompers was sunk. My father was eligible for several different medals for his war time service but he never received all of them because unlike the other services there were no award ceremonies to hand them out. USMM sailors had to write and ask for them, if they knew which ones they were eligible for. The USMM WW II sailors were finally recognized as veterans in 1980’s, some forty years after their service.

It’s ironic that in researching Sacramento, Ken Burns did not discover the USMM Memorial on the waterfront, just SE of the Capital Bridge.

]]> By: jan ehlers http://thevoicesinmyhead.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/kvie-looking-for-local-world-war-ii-memories/#comment-245 jan ehlers Mon, 24 Sep 2007 06:23:36 +0000 http://thevoicesinmyhead.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/kvie-looking-for-local-world-war-ii-memories/#comment-245 I watched the first segment of THE WAR and want to thank Ken Burns for an outstanding production on WWII. I'm 61 years old and have read many accounts during my life time. The personal reflections of those who served or knew someone who did certainly enhanced what would have otherwise been another history lesson of dates and places. I can hardly wait to see the next segment. Thanks to KVIE and PBS! Sincerely, Jan Ehlers I watched the first segment of THE WAR and want to thank Ken Burns for an outstanding production on WWII. I’m 61 years old and have read many accounts during my life time. The personal reflections of those who served or knew someone who did certainly enhanced what would have otherwise been another history lesson of dates and places. I can hardly wait to see the next segment. Thanks to KVIE and PBS!
Sincerely,
Jan Ehlers

]]> By: SB http://thevoicesinmyhead.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/kvie-looking-for-local-world-war-ii-memories/#comment-235 SB Mon, 27 Aug 2007 22:06:57 +0000 http://thevoicesinmyhead.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/kvie-looking-for-local-world-war-ii-memories/#comment-235 EB had a cousin who was raised and worked on Oahu. Because he was a manager on a sugar cane plantation, and sugar was an important and rationed item, Jack was waived from military service. She also had an uncle who operated a welding shop not more than a mile from Aloha Tower and adjacent to the disaster in the harbor. He like the soldiers, never said much about that day or the years that followed. I am certain he was busy and saw much more than he desired. The war impacted everyone. EB had a cousin who was raised and worked on Oahu. Because he was a manager on a sugar cane plantation, and sugar was an important and rationed item, Jack was waived from military service. She also had an uncle who operated a welding shop not more than a mile from Aloha Tower and adjacent to the disaster in the harbor. He like the soldiers, never said much about that day or the years that followed. I am certain he was busy and saw much more than he desired. The war impacted everyone.

]]> By: SB http://thevoicesinmyhead.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/kvie-looking-for-local-world-war-ii-memories/#comment-234 SB Mon, 27 Aug 2007 21:58:41 +0000 http://thevoicesinmyhead.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/kvie-looking-for-local-world-war-ii-memories/#comment-234 Pearl Harbor Sons & Daughters support the remaining members of Pearl Harbor Survivors. They continue the memories of their families and others. Their motto: Keep America Alert, and Lest We Forget Pearl Harbor Sons & Daughters support the remaining members of Pearl Harbor Survivors. They continue the memories of their families and others. Their motto: Keep America Alert, and Lest We Forget

]]> By: SB http://thevoicesinmyhead.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/kvie-looking-for-local-world-war-ii-memories/#comment-233 SB Mon, 27 Aug 2007 21:55:03 +0000 http://thevoicesinmyhead.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/kvie-looking-for-local-world-war-ii-memories/#comment-233 WWII, time has run out for many of those who were at Pearl Harbor. My Dad was Army/Air Corps and lived the book, One Damned Island After Another. My mother was a college student on Oahu when she met him in 1939. Female students could be dropped from a program if they were married. She and Dad eloped to Maui in May 1940. She continued in school until June. After Dec.7, families were sent home to the mainland. Mom signed up with the Women's Air Radar Defense to remain in Hawaii. There were programs on 4 islands. Many of the plotters were no more than teenagers and some of them were local high school girls. They wore uniforms, trained with gas masks, and were transported under guard and blackout conditions to underground worksites at Hickam and other islands. Their shifts were 6 hours on, 6 hours off, around the clock. The program was not declassified until the 1970s. There is a thin book called Shuffleboard Pilots that tells some of what it was like to work at headquarters central during the first 18 mos. of the year. Over 400 young women served at these sites over the first 2 years of the war. It was wonderful to be able to guide a lone pilot home, and tragic when the plane or the pilot did not make it. Some of these women did marry surviving soldiers. Some stayed in the islands. Mom died in 1996. Dad in 1994. WWII, time has run out for many of those who were at Pearl Harbor. My Dad was Army/Air Corps and lived the book, One Damned Island After Another. My mother was a college student on Oahu when she met him in 1939. Female students could be dropped from a program if they were married. She and Dad eloped to Maui in May 1940. She continued in school until June.
After Dec.7, families were sent home to the mainland. Mom signed up with the Women’s Air Radar Defense to remain in Hawaii. There were programs on 4 islands. Many of the plotters were no more than teenagers and some of them were local high school girls. They wore uniforms, trained with gas masks, and were transported under guard and blackout conditions to underground worksites at Hickam and other islands. Their shifts were 6 hours on, 6 hours off, around the clock. The program was not declassified until the 1970s. There is a thin book called Shuffleboard Pilots that tells some of what it was like to work at headquarters central during the first 18 mos. of the year. Over 400 young women served at these sites over the first 2 years of the war. It was wonderful to be able to guide a lone pilot home, and tragic when the plane or the pilot did not make it. Some of these women did marry surviving soldiers. Some stayed in the islands. Mom died in 1996. Dad in 1994.

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