Just Plain Joes: RIP Service Men & Women

Quote from The Tennesseean

That was a great story, and I LOVED the TV show!

Many thanks and, Frederich is quite a character too. He also was in the Marines. He likes his nickname (Frederich Santa White Beard. He plays Santa at one of the local Malls so he has the long white beard year round. All I know so far is--he is the recipient of Eight-- Purple Hearts!!!!

Many thanks and it is. Fred stopped by to chat with me here at DQ and is why I couldnt chat with Keith (sorry) and he told me a few tidbits such as losing one of his best friends who died in his arms. Ill get more info from him when possible.

Amen to the above. Also, while searching for photos to add to one of the Last Westerns I watched thread--I came across info that Actor: John Russell, was a Marine in WWII rank of Lieutenant--and was wounded on Iwo Jima.

Here he is as Bloody Bill Anderson in the classic: The Outlaw Josey Wales--somehting I never connected with him before a few days ago. Now watching that movie will be THAT much more special to me.

Here he is as Dan Troop in: Lawman:

Id hate to have been the Jap Soldier unlucky to face him ;-))

Here he is in Pale Rider. Ill probably start liking that Western more knowing he was part of it:

Rest in Peace John Lawrence Russell-and thank you for your service:

Since I just came across it and thinking of John Russell, I wanted to add this one to this thread and is from: Fort Massacre:

http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceout.gif

Cant get the image to post so if someone knows how to do ti? Its a great image:

Bet you all thought I only dealt with WWII German Vets--nope--check these out. I met "Dutch" van Kirk at a gun show in San Antonio about 8 years ago where he signed this photo for me. He was the Navigator on the bomber: Enola Gay--which was piloted by Paul Tibbets.

Here is another Gent who I met had lived in San Antonio till his death a number of years ago. You will recognize him as the character that Duke portrayed in: The Flying Tigers. He is: Brigadier General David Lee "Tex" Hill--who was also directly portrayed in another period movie featuring the Flying Tigers.

Anyone here who knows about the sinking of the German battleship the: Bismarck--should have known about this true Gent/friend of mine: He was: Baron Burkhard Freiherr von Mullenheim-Rechburg. He was the 4th Gunnery Officer on the Bismarck and was the only one with a hand full of enlisted crew--to survive the sinking. I met him a few years before he passed away and he really was a true Gentleman. He NEVER--not once--ever--even after it was ordered so--never--did the nazi salute. That was the way with the vast majority of the men who served in the Kriegsmarine.

Quote from The Ringo Kid

Many thanks and, Frederich is quite a character too. He also was in the Marines. He likes his nickname (Frederich Santa White Beard. He plays Santa at one of the local Malls so he has the long white beard year round. All I know so far is--he is the recipient of Eight-- Purple Hearts!!!!

Not to take anything away from any hero. I don't mean that at all but this just brought back a funny old story.

I knew a guy, Army Ranger, Master Sergeant Mock. He had 7 or 8 Purple Hearts from Vietnam. His friends called him "PopUp" as in pop up targets on a range. One of his friends was an NCO who worked for me and called his own Purple Heart his "slow badge".

Quote from BatjacAuburn

Not to take anything away from any hero. I don't mean that at all but this just brought back a funny old story.

I knew a guy, Army Ranger, Master Sergeant Mock. He had 7 or 8 Purple Hearts from Vietnam. His friends called him "PopUp" as in pop up targets on a range. One of his friends was an NCO who worked for me and called his own Purple Heart his "slow badge".

Heh heh, great story and doesnt ruin anything ;-)) Fred just admits he was lucky--or unlucky--depending how you look at it?

A Memorial to those who served in the Durham Light Infantry who earned the Victoria Cross:

This is a photo of the gun that Adam Wakenshaw used fighting off some fo Rommels tanks in North Africa. See the shrapnel damage on the glacias plate...

U Boat Ace and who is still alive at the age of 99--Reinhard Hardegan. I got to know him about 12 years ago.

U Boat Ace: Gerd Kelbing--another RKT U boat ace I knew.

Another U Boat Ace I knew: Helmut Witte:

Another U Boar Ace & RKT I knew: Paul Brasack:

Yet another I met:
Heinrich Springer:

And another: Hans Hauser:

Paratrooper RKT: Viktor Vitali: