tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post5307304738723436449..comments2024-03-18T19:45:58.932-07:00Comments on Chant du Départ: Bits of CoralOldAFSargehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-1694831883950858742016-08-08T16:57:35.816-07:002016-08-08T16:57:35.816-07:00And a USN Spit painting: http://www.navairart.com/...And a USN Spit painting: http://www.navairart.com/USN%20Spit.html SCOTTtheBADGERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12859188068159799373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-42614893805290638872016-08-08T16:56:51.445-07:002016-08-08T16:56:51.445-07:00http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/spitfires-of-the-u...http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/spitfires-of-the-us-navy.htmlSCOTTtheBADGERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12859188068159799373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-2457371213284584752016-08-08T06:17:10.286-07:002016-08-08T06:17:10.286-07:00Smart man, your uncle. We know what came after Kor...Smart man, your uncle. We know what came after Korea. Two landings in the Pacific AND Korea, that seems enough war for anyone.<br /><br />Thanks for the update.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-827295520421907702016-08-08T05:51:01.448-07:002016-08-08T05:51:01.448-07:00I don't know for certain. When I was a kid, I...I don't know for certain. When I was a kid, I asked him why he didn't stay for 30 (he got out at 23 years). He looked at me, kinda flinty-eyed, and said something along the lines of "Kid, after two invasions and Korea, I could smell another war coming and I wasn't going to push my luck.". It was pretty clear that he wasn't going to talk about it any more.<br /><br />He retired as a captain with a battlefield commission from Korea. My aunt told me that he had been offered one in WW2, but he, like a lot of other men, refused it. Seems that in WW1, they revoked all of the battlefield commissions after the war and there was a lot of hard feelings about that. After WW2, they let those receiving them keep them. (Probably the same nonsense with "temporary" and "permanent" ranks that wen on in the Army.)<br /><br />I really don't know what my uncle did during his wars. Family lore was that he was on North Atlantic convoy duty for a bit, then he asked for shore duty, which got him sent to the Pacific. But he never talked about it within my earshot.Comrade Misfithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15404477636451308763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-24426304369980642016-08-07T16:45:30.145-07:002016-08-07T16:45:30.145-07:00Did not know that, pretty interesting.
Time to pr...Did not know that, pretty interesting.<br /><br />Time to practice my Google-Fu!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-14799180737446113322016-08-07T15:48:11.691-07:002016-08-07T15:48:11.691-07:00I have a 1/700 scale USS CUMBERLAND SOUND, and nee...I have a 1/700 scale USS CUMBERLAND SOUND, and needed a PBY to put on it's deck, CUMBERLAND SOUND being a Seaplane Tender. Tamiya at one time had an accessory set that included a PBY, and two B-26 Marauders. The USN used the JRM Marauder as a bright chrome yellow target tug, and as a tricolor painted high speed photo recon plane. So, I painted mine tricolor, so my Marauders are unique! If you are willing to believe Martin Caidin, author of Fork Tailed Devil, the USN operated a single squadron of F-5 Lightnings in the Med. I would like to see a tricolor P-38, but suspect that while operated by the USN, they were just on loan from the USAAF, and were marked as USAAF, like the USN Spitfires that were borrowed from the RAF, for GFS spotting over Normandy, it being believed that Kingfishers had no business being over Normandy on D Day.SCOTTtheBADGERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12859188068159799373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-89934926440560254812016-08-07T13:20:21.601-07:002016-08-07T13:20:21.601-07:00Indeed!Indeed!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-55578467774010903962016-08-07T12:51:36.946-07:002016-08-07T12:51:36.946-07:00Yes, people forget that fully ONE-HALF of the Japa...Yes, people forget that fully ONE-HALF of the Japanese Army was still sitting in China. On V-J Day my Father, freshly returned from surviving combat in the ETO was sitting in a mile-long troop train consisting of the HQ elements of an entire Army (3 Corps=9 Divs) in Union Station in St Louis on its way to the West Coast and hence to the war in China. When the announcement was made over the loud-speakers, they were told to disembark and transport would take them to Fort Leonard Wood for outprocessing/re-assignment. LOTS of lives saved by those bombs.. virgil xenophonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14577165785872035948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-24481305335865078402016-08-07T12:17:10.471-07:002016-08-07T12:17:10.471-07:00I am quite sure that their lives were saved by tho...I am quite sure that their lives were saved by those bombs. Them and thousands more.<br /><br />Which two landings did your uncle make? (Just curious and I do like the Corps.)OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-20149905185787310872016-08-07T11:38:22.883-07:002016-08-07T11:38:22.883-07:00My father was in Hawaii, training for the invasion...My father was in Hawaii, training for the invasion with his Army unit. His specialty was demining.<br /><br />I have little doubt that he owed his survival in the war to the atomic bombings.<br /><br />(An uncle was a two-invasion Marine, who would have made his third. Another uncle was 17 and was likely six months away from being drafted.) Comrade Misfithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15404477636451308763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-20164793680143434532016-08-07T10:21:09.570-07:002016-08-07T10:21:09.570-07:00A good post Snuffy.A good post Snuffy.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-89409336990297894892016-08-07T10:18:45.620-07:002016-08-07T10:18:45.620-07:00I respect the opinions of those who were there, th...I respect the opinions of those who were there, those who would have had to do the fighting and dying. There opinions are the ones, to me, which matter most.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-72109973138439157672016-08-07T10:17:30.955-07:002016-08-07T10:17:30.955-07:00I've been reading up on the Pacific, too much ...I've been reading up on the Pacific, too much of my time has been spent reading up on the ETO.<br /><br />While there is scant glory in any war, the fighting in the Pacific was even worse.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-51919504056792240332016-08-07T10:15:43.909-07:002016-08-07T10:15:43.909-07:00I hear ya Shaun. The phrase "one of my favori...I hear ya Shaun. The phrase "one of my favorites," encompasses a lot of aircraft!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-88662255955138751692016-08-07T09:11:44.933-07:002016-08-07T09:11:44.933-07:00Sarge,
Your thoughts echo mine on the subject.
Fro...Sarge,<br />Your thoughts echo mine on the subject.<br />From my blog page:<br />http://jmawelsh.blogspot.com/2011/12/07-dec-11.htmlsnuffynyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12843569994073955970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-13206818394034275402016-08-07T08:37:24.573-07:002016-08-07T08:37:24.573-07:00I recall conversations with my late father. When t...I recall conversations with my late father. When the bombs were dropped, he was in the stifling heat of the Assam area of India. He, and his fellow airmen and soldiers, were elated. My father was mainly a compassionate man, but he held a hatred of the Japanese that lasted to his death. He admired Truman who was the only Democrat presidential candidate he ever voted for.<br /><br />Everyone is entitled to opinions. What is not an entitlement is second guessing those who were there and faced the day to day realities. IMOWell Seasoned Foolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16670165728759453075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-2908481103480439372016-08-07T08:08:50.867-07:002016-08-07T08:08:50.867-07:00Thx Sarge, my knowledge of this and history in gen...Thx Sarge, my knowledge of this and history in general is woefully deficient. <br /> <br />It's hard to be patient and balance life count, especially lives of the enemy, I get it, makes sense, especially when the world and "We" probably did not fully understand just how horrific the bomb was (is.) joehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08520161706680568508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-11833965995480965292016-08-07T08:08:37.625-07:002016-08-07T08:08:37.625-07:00Then those B-29's were sisters (or at least co...Then those B-29's were sisters (or at least cousins) of my all-time favorite bomber, the Baltimore Whore!<br /><br />Yes, I have a lot of all-time faves...PrairieAdventurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466447251827774900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-17113981371086123042016-08-07T06:55:01.531-07:002016-08-07T06:55:01.531-07:00The war would have dragged on for years without an...The war would have dragged on for years without an invasion or the dropping of the bombs.<br /><br />Japan was already cut off from the outside world but still held large areas of China, a siege/blockade of Japan would not have freed those areas. A lot of smart folks were working on that problem in 1945. Not to mention, folks in the USA were tired of the war, they wanted it over and soon.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-39622280680303124112016-08-07T06:52:13.433-07:002016-08-07T06:52:13.433-07:00Great post from an interesting perspective. Clear...Great post from an interesting perspective. Clearly lives were saved dropping the bombs as opposed to an invasion. Question, as (if) Japan's air force and navy was decimated did we have to invade or bomb? Could we have just held a siege or blockade? <br /><br />joehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08520161706680568508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-41830666845356724622016-08-07T06:51:24.756-07:002016-08-07T06:51:24.756-07:00The building where those bombers were made (or par...The building where those bombers were made (or parts of it) are still in use at Offutt AFB, my office was right across the runway from it. I seem to recall it was labeled Building D. Again, that was a while ago.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-7792038215836279772016-08-07T06:48:25.363-07:002016-08-07T06:48:25.363-07:00That last bit is pretty profound. Something I beli...That last bit is pretty profound. Something I believe as well.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-31341068983005499202016-08-07T06:38:42.712-07:002016-08-07T06:38:42.712-07:00By 1945, we had been taking islands away from the ...By 1945, we had been taking islands away from the Japan for 3 years. The Japanese are a very intelligent people, and had worked out what beaches on Kyushu we were going to hit, and were only a week off on the invasion date. The Imperial High Command went to the Emperor, and said, " You Majesty, they are coming, and we aren't stopping them. We think we can make it expensive, and we may inflict as many as a million dead and wounded on the Americans. We believe that this will cost at least 20 million Japanese lives. The Japanese race may come to an end, but the world will remember that we stood up to the Americans." So, by killing circa 500,000 max in the Nuclear Bombings, we spared as many as 21 Million lives. The Bombings were extremely moral, as they ended the bloodbath.<br /><br />I do have a slight problem with Nagasaki. During the Shogunate, the Shoguns knew that they had to have some contact with the outside world, so they allowed the Dutch open a trading station in Nagasaki. As a result, Nagasaki is the heart of Christianity in Japan. Nagasaki Cathedral received a new copper roof in 1941. When Bock's Car could not bomb Kokura, due to overcast, they headed for Nagasaki, the alternate target. Nagasaki was also overcast, which presented a problem, as Bock's Car had lost a fuel pump on the flight in, and had 6000 pounds of fuel that could not be used, and an armed plutonium bomb, and not enough useable fuel to get them back as far as Okinawa. So Commander Frederick Ashworth, USN, the Mission Commander, decided to drop the bomb with aiming by radar, even though optical aiming was a requirement, as CDR Ashworth decided that he and would prefer to get home alive. Alas, the best return was from Nagasaki Cathedral. <br /><br />There was no US Army Air Corps, after March 1941, when they became the US Army Air Forces. <br /><br />I find it interesting that the SILVERPLATE B-29s, the ones set up for dropping atomic bombs, were made as a production block at Martin's Omaha, Nebraska Plant. The most famous B-29's were not Boeings! SCOTTtheBADGERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12859188068159799373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-55648990565351105572016-08-07T05:55:43.305-07:002016-08-07T05:55:43.305-07:00Thought provoking post Sarge.
We're a violent...Thought provoking post Sarge.<br /><br />We're a violent species, yes, but we're not a violent species period. Each and every one of us have the capacity for absolute altruism as well as the capacity for absolute depravity. You don't have to look hard to find accounts of "good guys" machine-gunning life rafts and "bad guys" risking all to save and shelter POWs. The veneer of civilization is thin, but the spark of civilized behavior runs deep.<br /><br />We can and rightly do weep for those who died in Japan on August 6 and August 9. And for those who died on April 18, 1942, also, and for all the rest. We should (must, imo) also remember that children play in Hiroshima and Nagasaki today, born in a nation vary different than our nation, yet nevertheless free and civilized. Perhaps this also is what Mukden led to.PrairieAdventurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466447251827774900noreply@blogger.com