What It Was Like to Be an American G.I. in WWII
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- Опубліковано 13 гру 2022
- France fell to Germany in June of 1940. The United States hadn’t yet entered World War 2, and while isolationism remained politically popular, the country was growing wary. The prospect of being drawn into the European conflict was starting to feel inevitable, and Americans sensed they would soon have to send their army to fight.
#wwii #militaryhistory #weirdhistory - Розваги
My father graduated from high school at the age of 17 in 1941 and voluntarily joined the Navy a month later. Everyone knew a war was coming and he wanted to choose which branch of the service the service he'd be in. After basic training, he was assigned to an aircraft carrier, which he served on for the duration of the war. After the war, he got his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration courtesy of the GI Bill and his employer.
Smart man. I knew some people who joined the Air Force Reserve to avoid the entire Vietnam conflict. Johnson refused to use the Guard and Reserve for some reason.
My great uncle joined the Coast Guard immediately after Pearl Harbor thinking he could avoid being drafted into the infantry and sent to Europe. His plan fell apart when the Navy needed landing craft pilots for the D-Day invasion and turned to the Coast Guard to provide them. He lost 3 fingers on his left hand and had his eardrums blown out by a direct artillery hit on his boat at Omaha Beach.
@@billschlafly4107 That sure doesn't work these days. I joined the regular Army in 1996 and by 2012 I was so tired of being deployed constantly I joined the National Guard thinking I could get my retirement years in without having to leave the country. INSTEAD I ended up doing two MORE deployments to Afghanistan. I finally called it a day and retired in 2017.
@@jasonwilliamson8416 my father joined early on, before Pearl Harbor, which is likely the reason he got to choose
My father got drafted in early 1943 after graduating high school in June of '42. He was selected for the Navy. He served in the Pacific aboard an LST. He was in the invasion of Okinawa. He got out in May of 1946, graduated college in 1949 on the GI Bill with a degree in accounting. He worried he'd be called back into the Navy for the Korean War but lucked out.
I feel bad for those who never got to meet the Tommies & GIs from WW2. Getting to meet them and hear their stories was truly an honor.
Got to meet one, not a very pleasant person to be around...
my best friend’s great-grandpa was a paratrooper in the european theatre, specifically the liberation of france and then the liberation of dachau (matter of fact, my friend actually still has his combat boots, and they’re a perfect fit for his feet).
that great man passed away a few years ago, but prior to that, i had the pleasure of being able to have several conversations with him about his experiences; of course, there were things he saw and did that he didn’t want to discuss, and i never asked about those things. it’s an understatement to say that hearing about his experiences was sobering and humbling, and unfortunately it’s something that not a lot of people these days are able to do, simply because of the amount of time passed since the war. i can’t even imagine having to endure the things that man did when he was just 19 years old; that generation isn’t named the “greatest generation” without very good reason
I imagine they also put up a surprising resistance to the mind probe.
I've been graced to be around many, you are not wrong. :)
@@theotherohlourdespadua1131 You or the combat vet?
My grandfather fought his way from the beaches of Normandy to the edges of czechoslovakia. I never really got to meet him but videos like these make me feel like I did.... one way or another
Your grandpa was a badass, I can't even begin to imagine the wild shit he seen.
From growing up in the depression to fighting a war they were and will always be the greatest generation
How do those 2 things equal the greatest generation? That suggests that the Millennial Generation is the greatest generation.
@@BOYVIRGO666 your response tells me that you play the victim card every day
@@Fuckthathoe Sounds like projection.
@@BOYVIRGO666you ain't got a man in your entire family big dog
@@Fuckthathoe Yeah lotta virgin births. Were all saints. Magic you might say. BUT WAIT THERES MHYRR!
My dad was a sniper in the army and served in the European theater from late 1944 to early 1945. He was shot in the leg and his right hand, was sent back to the States to recuperate and later told us kids, "Clean hospital sheets and being warm at last felt wonderful!"
My grandfather was a Navy corpsman amd served as a medic in the Pacific front. He never told me much of his time over seas, but when I asked if he ever lost any friends he got quiet for a bit before replying with "Yes, I lost a few". I can't imagine what it was like for those men.
My great uncle fought under Patton in France and survived an air strike only to be captured. He was born in Austria so when he was captured he was given better than average treatment. Regardless, he struggled with night terrors for the rest of his life.
Wow your uncle must’ve been very brave. I am legally blind and I actually wrote a song thanking everybody who has died or risked their lives in the military. It’s on my UA-cam channel called fighter. I think you may enjoy it as your memories and family members can directly connect to why I wrote the song. to share with those brave people themselves and with their family members that even many many years later their courage is still appreciate it immensely
My paternal grandfather was a WWII GI in the 101st airborne. He was captured by the Germans and ended up in a POW camp in what is now western Poland in 1944. It’s hard to find out information about the camp and life in it but I’d like to visit it some day - Stalag 3C.
Also you can find archived mentioning of his name if you go online. I was able to find my grandfathers entire ww2 flight log from his first bombing sortie to his last
What regiment was he in?
@@ItzJayden23 I’m not sure. The online records say “undefined” and “no branch assignment.” I put in a request for records to be sent to me but that’ll take some time. All I know (from what my dad told me) was that he was a sniper.
@@huntyfla I found some information on the AAD Archives site but some of it is either missing or redacted - it gives what camp he was at and how long he was there but other than that it doesn’t give me a whole lot of info.
Both of my grandfathers were in WW2, maternal in Europe, paternal in the Pacific. Neither of them would talk about it much.
My FIL was drafted at age 31 in 1943 and served in India and China as an airplane mechanic.
My father enlisted at age 20
in 1943 and was wounded on Omaha Beach.
My great uncle joined the Coast Guard in 1941 thinking he could avoid being drafted into the infantry and sent to Europe. Much to his dismay he ended up piloting a landing craft at Omaha Beach on D-Day. He lost 3 fingers on his left hand and his hearing when his boat took a direct hit from a German artillery round.
Wow. Your great uncle must’ve been very courageous and brave. I wrote a song thanking everybody who has died or wrist their lives in the military. It’s called fighter on my UA-cam channel. I think you may enjoy it as your memories can directly relate to the meaning of the song and why I as a legally blind musician wrote it. To share with those brave people themselves and with their family members that their hard work and courage is truly appreciated even now to this day
He was lucky 🤞 and at least he got to come home 🏡
Wow
My paternal grandfather fought in WWII. (My maternal grandfather was far too young to have been drafted at the time.) I can't imagine the tough conditions he actually experienced in this video. But that makes sense since I couldn't hope to have been there
My Dad was the third person drafted in his home county in 1941... and his year was about up when Pearl Harbor was attacked so he was in for the duration. After marrying my Mom in 1942 he was off to North Africa and Italy for the remainder of the war... going from Private to Master Sargent in rank. At the war's end he naturally wanted to come back to the US ASAP. To gain enough points, it was suggested he join the reserves for six years. He was told that (after WWII) no one would start another war anytime soon. So he did... and along came the Korean War in 1950 when he was called up for that. I don't think he ever trusted anything the government ever told him after that.
Thank you much for your Dad's service. My Dad was drafted and became a machine gunner in the Army South Pacific. His brother was a transport guy in the South Pacific as well. Another brother was a Medic in Europe and wounded in Anzio, Italy.
My grandfather was a scout for the Allies(🇨🇦). Scouting ahead in the dark in enemy territory. Horrific stories of what they saw, did and was done to them. And I'm sure I don't know the worst of it. Everyone in the war had a story, may they all be remembered forever. Cheers from 🇨🇦✌️
Wait Canada joined the fight in WWII"
That wasn't an insult or anything,just genuinely surprised
@@user-xs5bl9dy6d We joined the British almost at the very beginning by sending troops in early September 1939. Also major events like Dieppe, landed Normandy (Juno Beach), helped liberate several countries, fought in the European, African and Pacific Theatre land, air and sea. 🇨🇦💪
Was he black watch
In 1940, the comedy duo "Abbott & Costello" had entered into a contract with Universal Pictures and were set to make their first "starring" feature film (having previously co-starring in only one other film.) Initially they were going to make a film called "Hold That Ghost" but because of the draft being instituted in September of 1940, Abbott & Costello decided to instead make the army, peacetime, boot-camp comedy, "Buck Privates" in order to help ease the country into the process of the draft and overall prepping for a likely entry into the ongoing war. "Buck Privates" would be released in January 1941 and be the highest grossing A&C film of all time. A&C would then make two other military branch supporting films, those being "In The Navy," for the Navy of course, and "Keep 'Em Flying" for the Army Air Corps.
and the awesome Andrews Sisters doing Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B
@@duane356 yeup! yeup! 😄😄
11:19: The term "trainability" reminded me of a quote form a Marine friend of mine: "The Marine drill instructor is not a psychologist. His experience has taught him that anyone who is capable of feeling pain is trainable."
Your videos need to be a bit more detailed and 50% longer. (They're that good)
Ronald ermey was a real drill instructor and also a funny coach in saving Silverman
my grandfather fought in the South Pacific (Navy) second world war. my father in law fought in Korea and was wounded twice. his brother died on D-Day, second world war.
In the Army, most casualties were in the following: Infantry Platoons, tank Platoons, Armored Infantry Platoons, tank destroyer Platoons. Just being in the Artillery gave you a unbelievably greater chance of surviving. Most people with higher scores on entrance survived. Basically, it was the poor and least educated that got killed/hurt.
Everything in this world is by design
My grandfather was drafted into the war. My grandma was pregnant with their first baby when he had to go...he saw his firstborn child for the first time when she was 4 years old! A Kentucky boy from the middle of nowhere, I can't imagine how strange, exciting, and utterly terrifying it must've been for him travelling overseas, seeing many places and people so different and far from home and having to fight and see the horrific things. He stormed Normandy Beach and was shot by a German soldier at exactly the same time he was shooting the guy back. He only survived by God's grace and by pulling the dead body of that German soldier on top of himself seconds before losing consciousness to blood loss. Nearly had to have his arm amputated but put up enough of a fight that he got to keep it, although it never was of much use again...but you'd never know it at a glance. Never complained, never discussed any of it, and never wore a shirt without long sleeves again. He also didn't get sent home to recover, he got patched up, sucked it up, and was back in battle. Got a purple heart he never mentioned, too. He died the day after my 2nd birthday after a long, painful battle with cancer. He fought to live one more day because he couldn't bear the notion of ruining my birthday. They don't make men like him these days. Today's boys have no idea what fighting, serving, sacrificing, bravery, endurance, strength, or being tuff is. These girls of today are no better ...likely worse. All I know is if lots if things dont go back to how they once were: we are doomed.
That’s a hell of a story! Glad your Grandfather made it home.
I served 12 years in the Marines and my wife gave birth to our first child when Iraq invaded Kuwait.
My son was 3 weeks old when I left. I didn’t know how long I would be gone, what would happen.
He was 9 months old when I came home.
Thanks for your story.
@@anthonyfelker1712 thank you for your service. I never served in Combat but put I 11 years from '80-'91.
@@Pugs365 - I appreciate your comment. I went in originally in 1980-84. Got out, went back in ‘87-95. Semper Fi!
Gotta love that pussy pass
(I am sure this is in order) In WW2 my dad went to France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He turned 18 in Germany. He was a supply sargeant of ammunition. Timber Wolf.
A+ video!
Incredible video, LOVE IT!
I would appreciate hearing more of the war in the Aleutian Islands, and also but separately, the race to build the highway from the contiguous States to the then territory of Alaska.
My Grandpa was a corpsman during the war and served in the Pacific. Before that he worked as a firefighter at the airport, but when his draft number came up he joined. I heard that his job might have been exempted as necessary to the war effort, but I'm sure someone might tell me otherwise.
My Grandfather volunteered for the Army in 1943, before he graduated from High School. He landed on the beaches of Normandy, three days after the initial invasion (to "clean up", an experience that affected him greatly), and then he fought in the hedgerows of France, a particularly bloody battle (as the Germans were very well fortified), and then he participated in an operation to destroy a German munition depot near St. Lo with French partisans (which he was awarded the French Croix de Gurre), and then suffered a serious injury from shrapnel. He spent a few weeks in a hospital in Britain, and then was sent back into the battle. For the rest of the war, he was in the Signal Corps, where he was physically running back in forth from the front lines, presumably, because as he was a short and quick guy, he was good at dodging bullets. Anyway, he somehow managed to survive, earned a purple heart (he actually deserved 5 purple hearts, but did not get them, because the medic in his platoon was blown up along with all the records) and a bronze star. He earned other medals, but the one he valued the most was the Purple Heart.
He had nightmares for many years after the war, a situation which may have contributed to the dissolution of his marriage. But he did manage to marry a pretty girl after the war, and they had 4 children, all of whom wound up having families of their own. He was a good grandfather, a jolly old elf, always generous and quick to laugh, and you would never characterize him as a militaristic sort. He was a man of peace.
Love you Grampa. 🙂
Thanks for this! 🎖 #WeirdHistory #MilitaryHistory #WWII
Thank you guys and God bless you!!! An Army Veteran 74/77
My grandpa and his two brother fought in WW2, they all came home thank goodness. My great uncle the oldest of the brothers also fought in WW1 he was a tankard and besides being the gentlest of souls was also the most vicious on the battle field, for him adjustment seemed easy, he just turned it on or off. For his brothers not as much. It was only my great uncle Joe that saw action against the Nazi's.
Meanwhile my Grandmother by marriage's brother is still MIA/POW as a result of the Bhutan Death March. If you haven't read "the long walk" do so, it was inspired in part, you could say underwritten by the march.
As it turns out my step brothers Grandfather was on the Enola Gay, we all know how that turned out.
I have my grandpas war diary and his photo album, he took a lot of very interesting photos while he was on the mainland in Japan and while in the Philippines. It is an unaltered real look at the tragedy of war that had to have been surreal to have witnessed in person, let alone be involved with. Judging from the graphic nature of some of the pictures I wonder what it was he might have left out. My apologies to the families of the people they slaughtered on our behalf as I know from speaking to modern Japanese folks many of them feel the same way. Children of the cold war, Let there be peace.
His voice is only one of the many reasons I watch Weird History
Id love to hear about vietnam, or the korean war. Maybe even more modern like desert storm?
Vietnam was the worst as far as Guerilla warfare . And not knowing who your enemy was .
@@wil7228 yes, not to mention how horrible nam vets were treated there as pows, or the traps the vietcong used throughout the jungle. The shit must of been terrifying.
@@xxtapout12xx43 and also how they were treated when they got home. Being called baby killers was one of the nicer things they were called
You never know where you’re going till you get there.🎶
Vietnam veterans were not treated like heroes.
Sticking with WW II, I'd love to see a video about being a crewmember on a B 17. I remember watching "Memphis Belle" and think it would be fascinating to know more about what it was really like.
Incredibly deadly. Your odds of survival were significantly better as an infantryman.
But the living conditions were a heck of a lot better. The Merchant Marine service (sailors crewing the cargo ships keeping England alive) were up there too.
Edit: you had a less than even chance of surviving as Bomber crew, 1 in 4 died as a British merchant Sailors, lost 1 in a dozen killed as US Infantry, and still 1 in 28 were killed in support occupations.
I read it was like a drug bc there were so many adrenaline rushes and bc you were killing and risking being killed. I read the Combat soldiers went into a different mode some went crazy were never the same
My dad had 31 missions over Germany.
Took a ride in a B 17 a few years ago. Being a gunner would have been a tough job as the other positions also.
Can we get a video on the history of black soldiers
I was born before D Day. My father fought on Tinian, Truck and Okinawa, his brother went to Aleutians as an official photographer. My father nearly died from tropical amoebas and my uncle nearly froze to death due to inadequate uniforms. Neither liked to talk much about their experiences. However my uncle got to drive (and keep) his Jeep which he drove home along the muddy mess that was the early Alcan highway. His color pictures from that trip are amazing.
I had a friend years who was a regular army soldier in the 1930s. His enlistment was up in November 1941. He had some leave left, so he decided to see the world of SE Asia before he got out. He was 'on leave' but still in the army on 7 December 1941. He was discharged in 1945!
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My grandfather fought in ww2, just not for america. Not axis either lol he was a partisan resistance fighter in yugoslavia. You should do a partisan resistance fighter video(s)!
I second this suggestion. ✊🏻 And I’d also like to add a video on Tito would also be appreciated.
I like civil war topics but that's just me. Thank you guys for all that you do
My 23 year old unmarried Dad was among the first men drafted. He was at Ft. Knox heading for the gate on a 3 day pass when word came of Pearl Harbor and all passes were cancelled. (That annoyed him to the last.) He managed to avoid going overseas by transferring to become an officer and bomber pilot until his whole class got washed out, the army saying they had other needs. So he got sent to Europe under Patton and was in the Battle of the Bulge. I have his photo at Hitler's bombed out Bavarian house. Then he was on a troop ship in the Pacific enroute for the invasion of Japan when word came of the bombs and surrender. Little me asked him, "THEN WHAT HAPPENED?". He shrugged and said they turned the boat around. My Dad only told me the funny stories and I never got a chance to talk to him as a man. He was in his mid-forties when I came around and died at 61, my age now. I miss my Dad.
I'm sorry for your loss. My dad also was a World War Two veteran. He was caught up in one of the first drafts of 1941. and served in North Africa during Operation Torch, then went to Europe shortly after D Day. I'm not sure of which unit he was finally assigned to, but I know he was also in Czechoslovakia at the end of the war in Europe. I still miss my dad as I was pretty young when he died, but am grateful for the positive qualities I inherited from him such as a strong work ethic, sense of humor and. a love of reading. I know grief and a sense of loss never fully disappear. Just try to be thankful that you had a World War Two veteran for a father.
@@susandalton7889 Good for him and you. You know, it's frustrating to not know any real details. I saw a document that said my Dad had been in Africa and I asked him about it. His answer, "You never knew where you were." Then I saw his medals and asked what they were for. His answer, "Staying out of trouble". Now I can only wonder what he censored for me.
My grandmother and great-aunt remember VE Day in NYC. They were wondering why church bells were ringing and why people were cheering in the streets. My grandmom was only 16 years old. Dropped out to support her family in Fayette County, Pennsylvania because they were dirt poor. A serviceman kissed her and gave her some beer. She said he had suffered brain damage as he had a mark on his forehead like he had suffered from a gunshot
A video on how the troops got home would be great
Love the video! That’s a German soldier in the thumbnail though!
Interesting to hear from the GIs's side... my maternal great-grandfather signed up for the Navy cause the Navy looked like a better source of steady pay to support his family (he married really young, had grandma when he was 16) at the time when the US was coming out of the Great Depression. Ended up as a CM2 (carpenter's mate 2nd class) on the USS Enterprise and went through the early battles with that carrier, got rotated out after Midway and sent home when his enlistment ended, sat the rest of the war out.
Paternal grandpa was a Marine, got wounded on Saipan, he showed his scar to me when he was still alive, ugly thing. Rifle round or shrapnel.. he never knew what hit him, hit him from behind in his right leg above the knee and barely missed the bone and went clean through. Messy flesh wound left a ugly scar, both entry and exit.
One of my uncles enlisted in December 1941 about a week after Pearl Harobor. He was a Tanker and was in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany. He should have been one of the first sent home but of course SNAFU with the Govt. and he ended up as a occupation troop until October of 45 in Germany.
He came home on the Queen Mary.
My dad enlisted in the army before WWII, and was scheduled to be discharged in January of 1942. Didn't quite work out that way.
R. Lee Ermey was hired to TEACH an actor how to be a Marine drill instructor and ended up playing the part himself.
If you're interested in what WWII was like there are a few films that are as close to accurate as possible.
The D-Day landing in "Saving Private Ryan" is said by those that survived to be among the best/worse.
"A Band of Brothers" mini-series is said to be an accurate accounting of the infantry in Europe and the battle of the bulge.
"Letters from Iwo Jima" and "Flags of Our Fathers" are also good at an honest accounting.
Many G.I.s experienced a wide range of emotions and challenges during their time in the military.
One example of what it was like to be an American G.I. in WWII is the story of Private First Class (PFC) Joseph R. Beyrle. PFC Beyrle was a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division who was dropped behind enemy lines on D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy. After his plane was shot down, PFC Beyrle was captured by the Germans and spent the next two years as a prisoner of war (POW).
During his time as a POW, PFC Beyrle faced many challenges, including malnutrition, illness, and hard labor. Despite these challenges, he never gave up hope of returning home and continued to fight for his freedom. In July 1944, PFC Beyrle escaped from a POW camp and made his way to the front lines of the Allied advance. He was eventually able to make contact with American forces and was returned to the United States as a hero.
PFC Beyrle's story is just one example of the many experiences of American G.I.s during WWII. Many other G.I.s faced similar challenges and persevered through them, serving their country with honor and bravery.
A 1947 novel by Marcia Davenport 'East Side, West Side' made into a film in 1949 is wonderful as the book goes into detail of WW2 experience from a returning US Army Officer's perspective. Thanks for posting.
Great video but while the WWII GI Bill ended there was a GI Bill that went all the way to 2008 when it was replaced by the Post 9-11. It was the Montgomery GI Bill. My dad went to college on his GI Bill in 1979.
My father was a Staff Sargeant for the 84th Railsplitters division. He passed in 2008 a month after his 83rd birthday. I was the youngest of his 5 kids, born in 1970 when he was 45. He had pictures of him in Europe where it was all bombed out. His wool jacket with the chevrons and rocker patch hung in the basement and coins from all over.
My father in law served in the U.S.Army Airborne Infantry as a communication lineman, heavy weapons and also assigned to guarding prisoners of war after sustaining an injury from his one and only combat jump into southern France 🇫🇷. Airborne troops received additional jump pay and were some of the best trained and equipped soldiers on the battlefield.
Please make a video on the history of fire fighting
Did anyone else immediately think of the Catch-22 (by Joseph Heller) when WeirdHistory explained the "point system"?
The army in the South Pacific endured horrors. Study Peleliu and Angaur. Casualties for the Marines and Army’s 81st Infantry. Heartbreaking
Yay! New upload 😍
Deus benedicat tibi🙏🏻
The soldier staring out at us like we own him something in your thumbnail is not an American GI but a German one. Looks to be post war west German by the helmet shape and the splinter camo on his jacket.
Having served overseas during military conflicts has always been crap shoot at best. Not all services get what they are due, when they they need it or deserve it. I am thankful for those that hear our country’s call and stand up to be counted. I am honored to be part of those that served.
My grandfather was one of the brazilians expeditionary force (FEB) and gone fight in Italy besides the Americans. These men were promised good salary while on service and a good job when return, but they haven't got any of this and to do so and let them forgotten, the government started a campaign saying Brazilian expeditionary was "enjoying life" in Italy. They were actually helping to rebuild the country. Many cities in Italy have cemeteries to br veterans and still praise their job there, but in their home country they were saw as lazy vagabonds. My grandad back in February 46 and started to work here with something he learned there, while helping Italy to raise up: topography. That became the profession of my father and 4 uncles. My dad was born in November of 46 so he was concept right after my grandad returned from war. Actually, his name is the same of an officer that taught him topography in Italy and I got the same name. The old man never told anyone about the war and we got realized that he have been there after he died, in 1986. He was ashamed by that i guess. Things only changed to the veterans in Brazil after 1964, when a military coup took power and FEB veterans got some deserved respect. The notion that they have done nothing still persist today, but it cracks when facts come along. My grandad was very poor, extremely poor, before and after the war, but found jobs in his country, in part because of the war - indirectly. The contribution of other countries in the world wars should be better told. I remember my grandfather had a scar in his belly and when we asked what was that, he always said that was "a bullet mark" but we never knew if it was real. My dad usually agreed but my mom, that became very close to him in his last year's, told it was something else, appendicitis "maybe", but we don't know. I looked for files about him but there was like 50 soldiers with exact same name of him, with different badge numbers - it indeed was a very common name at the time. I wanted to know more, but I think that many of that stories may be lost forever.
I love how there’s a German soldier in the thumbnail lmao
My Grand Uncle Frank served in Europe during World War 2. He landed at Normandy. He helped liberate the camps that certain "revisionists" claim didn't exist.. with "the showers with no water". Because of him i have a healthy and justified reason to distrust anyone trying to "revise" history.
My Dad was in the Army Air Corps, and was involved in the liberation as well. He heard a holocaust denier on TV, and told me not to believe that-- he told me that he had been there in the camps, saw "what the Germans did to those people" and saw the mass graves. It was the only time he ever talked about his service. He would've been around 20/21 years old, and I imagine it was horrifying for him. I asked him once why he didn't tell a lot of stories about the war. He said, "Guys that saw action didn't want to talk about it!" I found out many years later that he had a Bronze Star medal-- one of many things he never spoke about.
My grandpa was drafted at 21yo. 314th infantry service company. Utah Beach, made it all the way through the war and made it back home. I wish I could find out more about what he did over there, I know a lil about his service.
My father was in the Signal Corp in WWII, although he remained stateside. One thing: A good many of the images shown in this presentation are either from the wrong era (from WWI, Vietnam, etc.,) or the wrong country (soldiers from France, Germany, U.K., etc.), otherwise excellent video.
Fun fact. Those military men that were in active duty when the 9/11 bill was disbursed, was allowed to transfer it to dependents. However, a few yrs down the road when many were graduating high school, the government took away the ability to transfer it, leaving those veterans to scramble to fund their kid's tuition.
Incorrect. Service Members may still elect to give their GI Bill to a dependent, however there is an obligation to serve additional few years or so.
@katmckay8191 Thank you. I am aware. This "thank you," "benefit," "or "support," however the gov wants to title it, isn't available to those who were medically discharged, like my husband. So basically, if you injured yourself to the degree of being medically discharged while serving your country, your children do not benefit from the 9/11 bill, which previously was the case. It is simply a recruitment tool.
My grandfather and his brother both enlisted, Gramps to the army and Uncle Andy to the Army Air Corps. Gramps was in the Battle of the Bulge, injured, and received the 💜. Uncle Andy was in D Day; I've been told that he was the person who told the paratroopers when to jump from the plane.
The Clint Eastwood film 'Paris 15:17' addresses the comprehensive assessment of the ability of recruits to military service. I do wonder the actual cause of 'Spence's' lack of depth perception which disqualified him from being selected as a paratrooper. Thanks for posting this clip about US recruits during WW2. Watching in 2023.
My father says that everybody who was of age during Vietnam remembers their draft number.
I have two uncles with Vietnam unit tattoos on their arms. Both have their draft numbers included in the tattoos.
@@TheHigherVoltageWOW!
@@seffishestopal5950 I don’t know my draft number. I was a Vietnam veteran. I don’t want to know it. I do know my social security number by heart because they used it as my service number.
Every man who serves his country should be respected and helped in every way possible
My grandfather's were...Pappy flew in the Air Force and Pop Pop was in the ARMY 🙏🙏
I have old post cards and letters sent home to my great uncle from Hawaii. Guy didn't do well with authority, said he had a lot of brass to polish. Was bored, he wasn't into what few forms of entertainment available though he would go anyway, I swear just to have something to complain about. Paper was scarce, once it was used up he wrote in a circle around the outside of the page. Could see a character arc in the man. Pearl Harbor came and he was only allowed to send out that he was alive, no other info allowed. The later post cards he was further up the ranks and drinking beer in Germanys beer gardens. A neat thing to stumble on before they were throwed out forever after my great aunt died. Saved what I could
Not a bad video but a few glaring mistakes. Two spotted in the first three minutes: Basic training was not "several months", but rather several weeks and drill sergeants were not officers. They were enlisted grade. Granted, they were called "non-commissioned officers" once they hit E5 but that's where the similarity ends. Officers were command rank and NCO's were enlisted rank. Big difference.
My Great Uncle also served. He landed on Normandy Beach and grabbed onto one of those Czech barricades and lost a finger by doing that. He spent the rest of the war as his Company Commanders Jeep driver.
1:05 HOLY SHIT that's just a couple towns over from me
🙂 Just an FYI, you're wearing a helmet liner with a camo net in the thumbnail
As an active duty infantryman, i have utmost respect for those men! They had it 100x times worst than us current soldiers
Thank You for your service.
PLEASE do a video of the 1859-1872 Pig War in Washington State.
Of course I could have made it - if I wasn’t killed - or physically damaged, of mentally damaged and if I had the psychological abilities to survive.
But, this is true for every member of our armed forces in everything our country has been involved in since our founding.
Bless our Troops!
There were some minor errors and generalization, but overall a great video. I forgot about the lister bags. I remember them in Ft Leonardwood, MO during my Basic and AIT. The water was potable. So, they were also used for drinking water as well. Since then, the military use the “water buffalo” trailer. Except for the segregation, we need to get back to the old ways.
My father and 4 of his brothers were in WW2. Two were in the army, two were in the Navy, and one in the air force. They all made it home alive. My father was in Africa and Sicily under Patton. He was shot in the leg and face. He stayed three years. He married my mother in 1941 and their first son was born in 1942. My father saw him when he was 3. My dad said it was very hard but they pushed thru. He got foot rot and I remember putting purple medicine on his feet. he said I was his personal nurse. I was about 3, and I loved my dad very much. He received a purple heart and two freedom metals. My dad went back to school on a G.I. bill.
My dad fought in WW2 and Korea. I enlisted followed by a brother and we were both went to RVN. Our time in country overlapping for some time. Yes, I think I could have hacked WW2. I even made good use of the GI Bill.
Is one about the Marines in the Pacific theater next?
I would like to see a video on how history has been faked, such as photographs & oil paintings. Some kids are having their yearbook pictures retouched to make them look better. Also, the narrator of these videos are as important as the content. The voice and jokes are great!
Don’t take a shower for 3 months go without sleep and imagine Artillery rounds falling around you and you would have an idea what it was like to be a WW2 soldier.
Please make a video about Emma Goldman!
Yes! 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻
And another on the Haymarket Massacre, and another on the labor movement. ✊🏻
One guy told me that he could not go into the service during WW2, that he just could not take it. So what he did was move, every three months to get a new address, so the authorities could not keep up with him. Another told me that they tried over and over to put him in, but every time he went for the physical, they would listen to his heart and hear a murmur and was always rated as 4F. One Vet who fought in an infantry unit across France told that in 1940 he had a draft deferment. He had almost no hearing in one of his ears and his arm was a problem. Than in 1942 he was called back to the draft board. They told him he's going in the army. He asked them what about his arm and they told he get by with it in the factory so it would be ok. And he asked about his ear, and they said, "We'll put you in the artillery, with that bad ear, what difference will it make?" He told me, "Back then, in those days if you were breathing you were going."
As a nurse, I'm sure the armed services would love to have me ( in my youth, anyway). Having worked as a covid icu nurse for 2.5 years, I have a hint of what it might be like. Def would've done better as a younger nurse. I've read many nurses' stories from different wars and that level is amazing. I can't imagine. God bless them all.
How about the history of Communication officers in the military?
Lmao i like how you changed the guy in the photo cause the other was from Vietnam
I noticed a couple of Thompsons with drum magazines. Didn't they use the stick magazines by then?
Those were reenactors
Early war had the drum
LOL. What you were saying about being in the field I went through as a Cavalry Scout. I was in from 1985-1998 and even though we were never in the field longer than 30 days with the little sleep we got in the field I would come home to a plastic trash bag waiting for me by the front door for me to put my uniform in which I had left the house in several weeks earlier by my then wife so it would not stink up the apartment.
Is that billy corgan in the thumbnail??
3:35 What gun is that? At first at thought it was PPSH which also wouldn't make sense but I don't think it is.
Suomi KP/-31, Finnish father of the PPSH basically.
And the woman didn't want to give up their jobs for some of these guys.
Well yeah cause they enjoyed the work instead of just staying home doing house work that's why they did a whole video on that
That German soldier at 3:36 is a nice touch...if you want to show viewers you don't know the difference between them and the US. Google Lens worked for me, but apparently not you.
could i be the guy who helps with the making of badges?
My great grandfather was a marine in ww2. He was in both the Guadalcanal campaign and the Bougainville campaign. He got sick with malaria in 1944 and was sent to a new york naval hospital. They were able to treat the malaria but since he was replaced in his squad he ended but staying at the naval hospital as a guard for the rest of the war.
You must be pretty young then considering = my father was a Marine in the Pacific in WWII.
@@varyolla435 Do you know what unit he was in?
@@barneybaka1193 22nd Marine Regiment.
Well my great grandfather was in the 5th Marines. He was apart of the 1st marine division.
@@barneybaka1193 The 22nd was a "independent unit". It was a theater asset assigned to wherever they were needed. Eventually towards the end of the war in 45 they were assigned to the newly formed 6th Marine division pending the invasion of Japan. Of course when the bomb was dropped it never happened.
By that time my father was in the States having rotated back to be working as a drill corporal training new troops awaiting said invasion. He passed about 20 years ago.
They were truly the "Greatest Generation". Sometimes as young as 17 these men were thrown into situations we simply could not fathom, endured hardships many of us could not withstand, and ultimately emerged victorious in a war that drastically shifted our world's direction.
Liked the khaki shirt with the "Wounded Duck" badge sewn on it.
At least we know that guy made it out alive.
its called a ruptured duck and my dad had one and now i have it.
My great granddad fought in the South Pacific 158 regimental bushmaster. Not a large group a small group of men who had special training to go in and do gorilla warfare taking out Japanese patrols liberating small villages and what not he never talked about the war up until about a year before his death he mentioned something about killing 10 to 12 Japanese a day. He threw himself into work he was a very smart man even won many bowling champions he did anything and everything that kept his mind off of the war.
Would love to see a video from you in regards to the truth behind “Stranger Things” the Montauk Project 👍🏻 there’s quite a bit of info out there… thanks for considering
So basically it’s exactly like fighting in a modern war.
Do a video on the Korean war