OT - Met an interesting old fellow yesterday

Was at the grocery store picking up a few items yesterday and the old guy in front of me was wearing a ball cap with USS Columbia CL 56 on the brim.
So I asked him about the ship and he told me he caught the ship in Norfolk in Late 42 and rode it till the end of the war.
I asked him where he went and he told me they went to the South Pacific.
I've always been interested in the Naval war in the Pacific so I asked him, Gudalcanal? "Yes we were there"
Palau? "Yes we were there"
Leyte Gulf?
"Not at the big Leyte battles but all through the Phillipines. We got hit by a couple of Kamikazes in the Phillipines."
I would have loved to talk to him longer but his wife wanted to go so he shook my hand and left. I told him thanks for what he had done but he just waved it off.
When I got home I Googled his ship and was amazed to read how it had been to hell and back. 10 battle stars. Several score of men killed and hundreds wounded. He made it through without a scratch.
Just a nice old gentle fellow now who had seen so much when he was just a kid.
I wish I had gotten his phone # or something so I could have visited him.
He said he had kept a diary which was illegal then but still has it.
It would be interesting to read.
He belongs to the Ships reunion assn and there are only about 40 of them left - out of 1400.
I don't know why I'm writing this here. I guess after googling it I was just touched by all that he had been through and wanted to remind folks to think about it a little. Veteran's day isn't too far off. Maybe make a visit or shake an old timer's hand that day.
Jerry

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Columbia_(CL-56)" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>


<a href="http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/056/04056.htm" target="_blank">Pictures</a>

I always like listening to these stories like this. My grandfather was in Korea and he always had some fantastic stories to tell. My Great Grandfather was in World War II and served as a Fireman on one of the ships. He didn't live long enough for me to really understand his stories for I was really young when he passed. I continue to carry on the family tradition as being part of the ROTC Leadership Training in South Dakota. Makes you wonder sometimes how our forefathers hung in there but they did and I believe everybody is proud of them. I strongly encourage our kids of today to take the time and ask their grandparents and great grandparents to share some of these stories. Our country has been through so much but with the faith and courage of everybody, we pulled through it. God Bless

Thanks for sharing his story and photos.

There are several interesting old fellows still around, but unfortunately their numbers are dwindling.

Several years ago I was at the State Fair of Texas and was standing next to another interesting old fellow.

He was a B17 pilot stationed in England with the 8th Air Force.

Told me about one mission that involved approximately 150-200 bullet holes from the front of the wing to the nose of the plane.

There were 10 crewmembers, some were injured, but no casualties.

Said the plane was loosing altitude over the English Channel and the White Cliffs of Dover were looming larger and larger on the horizon.

Majority of the crew wanted to bail out, but he would not give the order.

After belly landing the B17 he was asked by Squadron Commander why he refused to give order to bail out.

He told the Squadron Commander " I can't swim ".

Got to love these old heroes!

Any time Nancy and I see a soldier or sailor, we shake their hand and thank them for their service.

Any time we meet a veteran we also shake their hand and thank them for their service.

No politics, no photo ops, no personal agenda; just an honest heartfelt thanks to those that sacrifice and serve.

Thanks for remembering us on Veteran's Day.

Jerry,

My dad (still living) also served on the USS Columbia during the war. He has not been terribly interested in the association. Only recently have I gotten him to talk about the war at all.

The Columbia was best know for takin' a lickin and keeping on ticken. They lost a third of their crew one day to Kamakazis. One managed to pentrate the ship and blow up in a berthing area.

You did not happen to get this man's name did you?

Cliff (VA)

my neighbor down the road enlisted when he was 16.served on a carrier travel 76000 miles on that ship.i cant remember the name of the ship right now

Earlier this year I got to go to the Patton museum down at Ft. Knox. I was in march, and they had a Black History month display up. I learned that there was a black tank battalion (the 761st)that fought with Patton's 3rd Army. They were the first black tank unit to fight in combat. The were a very good unit, requested by Patton himself. The performed on a level similar to the Tuskegee Airmen. I'd never heard of them though. The next day back at work, I was on an EMS run where I met an older Black gentleman, who as conicidence had it, had served in the 761st. He was kind of hard to understand, due to age and medical condition, but he mentioned that he was in a half-track during the war. A really neat experience. (He wasn't seriously ill, luckily)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/761st_Tank_Battalion_(United_States)

I didn't get his name.
But I was thinking about looking him up through the ship's Reunion assn.
Buy him and the wife breakfast some weekend if he'll let me pester him for some stories.
I'm sure they don't drive far to buy their groceries.
Small world that your dad was there too.
I could mention his name and rating...
Email is open.

A few years ago they landed a b-17 at our local airport on its way to an air show somewhere. Word got around that it was there so I stopped after work to see it. There was an old man there who had been a crew chief on one in england during the war, he had his grand children with him and was telling story after story from the war about the punishment those old girls would take and still bring thier crews home. Like you I wish I would haved thought at the time to get a name or simply to have gone up and talked to him instead I stayed back and listened afraid I would interupt the flow. It was probably the most educational 1/2 hour I've ever spent.

lucky you ,, My Dad Never wanted to talk about it , He was all over the S Sacific in Amphibious tank , I have learned bits and pces , I recall when I was about 12 , him and a fellow Old Soldier drinking Beer one nite and quitly tailgate talking , I was supposedly in bed asleep . I learned a lot about survival , sacrifice , courage , stupid orders ,,fear ,,,whatever it takes ..cruelty .. waste .. Honor....

My dad was in the USN in the South Pacific during WWII also. He would never talk about it also. But then he was very private, would never talk about himself. He could and would talk about everything else under the sun.

Good to see that some of those gentlemen are still active.

Me and some friends were sitting in a KFC on west Broad st. in Columbus, Ohio yesterday eating lunch when I noticed a fellow and his wife sitting across from me and he was wearing a Viet Nam veteran's cap. At about the same time I noticed another two fellows sitting at another table wearing helicopter pilot tee shirts. One got up and walked over to the man with the veteran's cap and they began exchanging info on where they had been during the war. When they had had their conversation, one reached out and shook the other ones hand and said the most touching thing....he said "welcome home." Bought a tear to my eyes.....cause if I remember right, now too many were welcomed back....some were even spit on. Well, I hope it's come back top haunt those who would do such a thing. ohfred

I spent 3+ years on LSD-22 USS Fort Marion it was built in 1946 with war left overs. It was a great time even that Typhoon (200 MPH winds and 80 ft. waves) for 5 days. Gives one a great deal of respect for those old ships.
Spent the last 4 months on the USS Pickaway APA 222 A real rust bucket. they wanted me to ship over on it as they needed a trained Machenery Repairman (machinist) even the XO and the Captain came down to ask me that doesn't happen very often. I wanted to go home so I did but later joined the Reserves you just can't get the Sea out of the Navy man.
Walt