My father flew B-24s on the Ploesti raids, which had the highest casualty rate of any WWII operation. He came home, but a lot of them didn't. I knew one person who was killed in Vietnam, a Navy ROTC classmate who went Marines and was in a tank that got blown up. I didn't know anyone who was killed in any of the Mideast wars, but I have met several who lost one or more limbs.
We owe everyone who has ever served a deep debt of gratitude. Please remember them today and every day.
When I started my medical practice there was an older physician who I found out that he was also a pilot of a B-24 on the Ploesti raid. When I was chief of staff I made sure that his contribution was suitably recognized by the hospital.
I know that my comment will be quicky erased because ... the right to free speech is in US constitution not in US reality... Deep debt of gratitude for the crews of the seven planes lost in the Dresda attack. They died fighting for liberty. They liberate the people in the city.
If your's was the comment I deleted earlier, it was because it seemed like you were praising the German defenders. You didn't make it clear what you were saying. As you've now explained it, I wholeheartedly support your memorial thought.
Regarding free speech, this would be a good opportunity for you to research the right. It is NOT an all-encompassing right. It has limitations. Its main purpose is to protect political speech from government censorship.
One of the limitations is that you have no right to free speech on a private forum (this blog) that you do not own and whose participation and commenting is a privilege granted to you by the blog owner - that would be me.
More generally, our rights also come with responsibilities. We are responsible for exercising those rights with consideration for other people's rights. Our rights extend only until they bump up against someone else's rights. Your right to free speech, for example, does not trump my right to own and regulate a private blog.
So, you've offered a good Memorial Day thought and you've learned something about the US Constitution - a good day for you. Thank you for participating!
Little family anecdote about Ploesti raid. My dad was from Romania, as he liked to say, he had the "rare" privilege and honor of watching Wehrmacht go by going east to Russia, then when losing go back west THEN watched Red Army with all the communist sympathizers go by the house....fun times. Anyways, when he got to USA, he was with my mom and my baby sister in a small hotel in Los Angeles looking for work. Was tough, nobody was hiring him, so being a farm boy, he started cutting the grass, doing the flower bed, etc around the hotel, nobody asked, he just did it. One day, Mr Sobelman shows up, he asks my dad, what are u doing? Who told you to do this? Who hired u? My dad said nobody, im looking for work and when I come back from looking, I clean up, do stuff around the hotel, I got nothing to do. Mr Sobelman promptly fired the manager and hired my dad on the spot. Mr Sobelman was the owner, had a huge house in Beverly Hills, was a high ranking official for DuPont, I think? Anyways,later, he sold my dad the hotel with no deposit down! and they did business for years. One day, I think it was my mom, I don't think it was my dad, she asked why do you like Romanians, the food, everything.(Mr Sobelman always came to our BBQ dinners). He said, easy, my dad was a pilot in WW2 and was shoot down over Ploesti! Romanians were very good with him, being Jewish, they could have turned him in or killed him. Instead, they feed him so much he came back from the war gaining a few pounds! Mr Sobelman was a really nice man. Good bless him and his dad!
I apologize if this is supposed to be obvious, but I don't get the context of this photo. Is CNO's father in the photo? There's no descriptive text or the like I can see here that's supposed to give context to this photo. Can someone give me an explanation?
I knew this would cause uncertainty. The photo has significant meaning but I'll keep the meaning private. I hope you understand. You can view it as just a general Memorial Day dedication, if you wish.
Feel free to add a comment describing a personal memory or dedication for someone you've known.
I'd personally like to dedicate something different; to what might have been in two particular cases.
I was thinking of the people of North Korea and how they have been left to suffer for decades under a totalitarian state, a state of affairs that (in the context of this blog) might have been prevented with sufficient naval power supporting sufficient land power to liberate the Korean peninsula back in the 1950s. Instead the problem was left to fester and the world must now deal with a nuclear-armed North Korea holding both its entire population and the population of South Korea hostage to the whims of a pariah state. What did all those people die for? Half-a-state and a geopolitical monster still alive today?
I was also thinking about how, during the negotiations with North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese demanded the removal of the Battleship New Jersey which they could not destroy as opposed to American air power. That kind of naval power might have been a major contributing factor towards permanently destroying (as opposed to merely "containing") the North Vietnamese communist regime, and South Vietnam might still be around today running a unified Vietnam rather than lost forever.
Or, for the more poetically minded, something like this:
Lives given for freedom; Lady Liberty smiles.
Lives lost for tyranny; Lady Liberty weeps.
A part of me still believes North Korea and South Vietnam deserve better than what they got. And the loss of what might have been is tragic to me, but still worth memorializing.
Speaking of the Korean War, are you going to do a historical analysis of the use of US Naval power back in that conflict? I wonder if you'll conclude whether there was enough of it there back then or not. Something tells me you might think it wasn't enough, given that the presence of all four Iowa-class battleships during the war couldn't drive the North Koreans and Chinese from the field completely.
"Korean War, are you going to do a historical analysis of the use of US Naval power back in that conflict?"
Most people don't realize it but the challenge in posting is not deciding what to write but, rather, what NOT to include. I've got several paragraphs to work with in a typical post and I have to ruthlessly prioritize and eliminate material. Half the posts I write I could, honestly, just about turn into small books! I fear this would be such a topic.
It's an excellent suggestion but I'd either have to simplify it to the point of useless or focus in on just one particular aspect. Is there a particular aspect of the overall naval presence that you think merits more attention? For example, I did a post on Korean war minesweeping efforts and the impact they had on an amphibious assault that had to be delayed. Let me know if some specific aspect interests you.
The other, looming, aspect of the Korean war was that it was the first war we fought that we didn't intend to win. In so doing, it set the reprehensible precedent for all subsequent wars. What that meant, however, is that our naval needs were not for 'winning' but for 'stalemate' which we achieved. From that perspective, I guess we had all the naval power we needed. To suggest that we needed more would be to suggest that we should have tried to win the war which leads us into a geopolitical discussion. Such are the problems when you enter a war half-heartedly and with no intention of winning. Korea was the turning point in our military history - the point at which we switched from victory to stalemate and status quo as the goal for all conflicts. Sadly, I can't blame Korea on 'today's' thinkers. Korea was masterminded by WWII veterans and they let us down, badly.
My grandfather spent ww2 hopping around the south pacific with the artillery. Man rarely talked of the war and when he did it was with a laugh about the things he saw as funny.
Seemed weirdly happy about the food LOL. It was.....a cup ice cream on the bottom main on that sides till the top.
My father flew B-24s on the Ploesti raids, which had the highest casualty rate of any WWII operation. He came home, but a lot of them didn't. I knew one person who was killed in Vietnam, a Navy ROTC classmate who went Marines and was in a tank that got blown up. I didn't know anyone who was killed in any of the Mideast wars, but I have met several who lost one or more limbs.
ReplyDeleteWe owe everyone who has ever served a deep debt of gratitude. Please remember them today and every day.
When I started my medical practice there was an older physician who I found out that he was also a pilot of a B-24 on the Ploesti raid. When I was chief of staff I made sure that his contribution was suitably recognized by the hospital.
DeleteI know that my comment will be quicky erased because ... the right to free speech is in US constitution not in US reality...
ReplyDeleteDeep debt of gratitude for the crews of the seven planes lost in the Dresda attack. They died fighting for liberty.
They liberate the people in the city.
I don't know Dresda. Do you mean Dresden?
DeleteNothing wrong with that sentiment!
If your's was the comment I deleted earlier, it was because it seemed like you were praising the German defenders. You didn't make it clear what you were saying. As you've now explained it, I wholeheartedly support your memorial thought.
Regarding free speech, this would be a good opportunity for you to research the right. It is NOT an all-encompassing right. It has limitations. Its main purpose is to protect political speech from government censorship.
One of the limitations is that you have no right to free speech on a private forum (this blog) that you do not own and whose participation and commenting is a privilege granted to you by the blog owner - that would be me.
More generally, our rights also come with responsibilities. We are responsible for exercising those rights with consideration for other people's rights. Our rights extend only until they bump up against someone else's rights. Your right to free speech, for example, does not trump my right to own and regulate a private blog.
So, you've offered a good Memorial Day thought and you've learned something about the US Constitution - a good day for you. Thank you for participating!
Little family anecdote about Ploesti raid. My dad was from Romania, as he liked to say, he had the "rare" privilege and honor of watching Wehrmacht go by going east to Russia, then when losing go back west THEN watched Red Army with all the communist sympathizers go by the house....fun times. Anyways, when he got to USA, he was with my mom and my baby sister in a small hotel in Los Angeles looking for work. Was tough, nobody was hiring him, so being a farm boy, he started cutting the grass, doing the flower bed, etc around the hotel, nobody asked, he just did it. One day, Mr Sobelman shows up, he asks my dad, what are u doing? Who told you to do this? Who hired u? My dad said nobody, im looking for work and when I come back from looking, I clean up, do stuff around the hotel, I got nothing to do. Mr Sobelman promptly fired the manager and hired my dad on the spot. Mr Sobelman was the owner, had a huge house in Beverly Hills, was a high ranking official for DuPont, I think? Anyways,later, he sold my dad the hotel with no deposit down! and they did business for years. One day, I think it was my mom, I don't think it was my dad, she asked why do you like Romanians, the food, everything.(Mr Sobelman always came to our BBQ dinners). He said, easy, my dad was a pilot in WW2 and was shoot down over Ploesti! Romanians were very good with him, being Jewish, they could have turned him in or killed him. Instead, they feed him so much he came back from the war gaining a few pounds! Mr Sobelman was a really nice man. Good bless him and his dad!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story! thanks for sharing.
DeleteThanks for sharing!
DeleteWonderful story! Thanks for sharing!
DeleteI apologize if this is supposed to be obvious, but I don't get the context of this photo. Is CNO's father in the photo? There's no descriptive text or the like I can see here that's supposed to give context to this photo. Can someone give me an explanation?
ReplyDeleteIn any case, I'll still pay my respects.
I knew this would cause uncertainty. The photo has significant meaning but I'll keep the meaning private. I hope you understand. You can view it as just a general Memorial Day dedication, if you wish.
DeleteFeel free to add a comment describing a personal memory or dedication for someone you've known.
I'd personally like to dedicate something different; to what might have been in two particular cases.
DeleteI was thinking of the people of North Korea and how they have been left to suffer for decades under a totalitarian state, a state of affairs that (in the context of this blog) might have been prevented with sufficient naval power supporting sufficient land power to liberate the Korean peninsula back in the 1950s. Instead the problem was left to fester and the world must now deal with a nuclear-armed North Korea holding both its entire population and the population of South Korea hostage to the whims of a pariah state. What did all those people die for? Half-a-state and a geopolitical monster still alive today?
I was also thinking about how, during the negotiations with North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese demanded the removal of the Battleship New Jersey which they could not destroy as opposed to American air power. That kind of naval power might have been a major contributing factor towards permanently destroying (as opposed to merely "containing") the North Vietnamese communist regime, and South Vietnam might still be around today running a unified Vietnam rather than lost forever.
Or, for the more poetically minded, something like this:
Lives given for freedom;
Lady Liberty smiles.
Lives lost for tyranny;
Lady Liberty weeps.
A part of me still believes North Korea and South Vietnam deserve better than what they got. And the loss of what might have been is tragic to me, but still worth memorializing.
Well said. Thanks.
DeleteYou're welcome.
DeleteSpeaking of the Korean War, are you going to do a historical analysis of the use of US Naval power back in that conflict? I wonder if you'll conclude whether there was enough of it there back then or not. Something tells me you might think it wasn't enough, given that the presence of all four Iowa-class battleships during the war couldn't drive the North Koreans and Chinese from the field completely.
"Korean War, are you going to do a historical analysis of the use of US Naval power back in that conflict?"
DeleteMost people don't realize it but the challenge in posting is not deciding what to write but, rather, what NOT to include. I've got several paragraphs to work with in a typical post and I have to ruthlessly prioritize and eliminate material. Half the posts I write I could, honestly, just about turn into small books! I fear this would be such a topic.
It's an excellent suggestion but I'd either have to simplify it to the point of useless or focus in on just one particular aspect. Is there a particular aspect of the overall naval presence that you think merits more attention? For example, I did a post on Korean war minesweeping efforts and the impact they had on an amphibious assault that had to be delayed. Let me know if some specific aspect interests you.
The other, looming, aspect of the Korean war was that it was the first war we fought that we didn't intend to win. In so doing, it set the reprehensible precedent for all subsequent wars. What that meant, however, is that our naval needs were not for 'winning' but for 'stalemate' which we achieved. From that perspective, I guess we had all the naval power we needed. To suggest that we needed more would be to suggest that we should have tried to win the war which leads us into a geopolitical discussion. Such are the problems when you enter a war half-heartedly and with no intention of winning. Korea was the turning point in our military history - the point at which we switched from victory to stalemate and status quo as the goal for all conflicts. Sadly, I can't blame Korea on 'today's' thinkers. Korea was masterminded by WWII veterans and they let us down, badly.
My grandfather spent ww2 hopping around the south pacific with the artillery. Man rarely talked of the war and when he did it was with a laugh about the things he saw as funny.
ReplyDeleteSeemed weirdly happy about the food LOL. It was.....a cup ice cream on the bottom main on that sides till the top.