Wartime Memories

My December 7th, 1941 Motorcycle Ride

Milton Long on his 1940 Indian Chief

By Milton Long

Wooster, Ohio was no different than any other small city in 1941. People were getting over the depression and were able to buy cars and motorcycles.

Coming from a motorcycle family, it wasn’t unusual that I purchased my first motorcycle in 1937 at the age of 14. It was a 1935 sidecar job that I paid $125.00 for. It was a big improvement over the motor scooter I had owned before.

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Thanking A D-Day Vet

By Howard A. Ellis

Really, this isn’t a story so much as a brief meeting I experienced today between myself and an Army veteran of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944.

I was in the armed forces from 1942 until retiring in 1965, and was a 19-year-old USAAF staff sergeant assigned to the 877th Signal Service Co., 16th Air Depot Group when D-Day erupted.

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Replacement Medals

Dr. Zoe Simmons

I haven’t ever been the type to stop at a yard sale, but this particular sale caught my attention as I drove by. There on on a rack were uniforms of a deceased WW II soldier. As I walked through and glanced at the items, pictures were being sold, letters, the uniforms and even the man’s medals were gone in minutes. I paused in disgust and I assumed with the expression on my face was the reason the young lady come over to me.

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Memorial Day

The Staff of US Legacies would like to wish you a happy and safe Memorial Day.

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nations Civil War dead by decorating their graves. Many cities and states lay claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. The true origin of Memorial Day is unknown.

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War vs Chess

War vs Chess

Fighting a war is like playing a chess game. The perfect chess game has never been played and the perfect war has never been fought.

In Iraq, Sadam has advisors whispering in his ear, pointing out any suspected weakness they see in the coalition game plan.

In England, Blair has advisors whispering in his ear, pointing out any suspected weakness they see in the coalition game plan.

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Wartime Questions

Andy Rooney and Gen Patton

From Jim Franklin

In the Feb issue there was a letter from Tom stating that Andy Rooney made a remark that astonished me, that Gen Patton was not a good General, and did not do that much in the victory of Germany, and got a lot of credit for things he didn’t do, but gave most of the credit to Omar Bradley who I think is a great General. Andy Rooney didn’t think Patton was or did what they all said he did.

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Wartime History

It happened in April

Lee Surrendered
April 9, 1865

"It would be useless and therefore cruel, to provoke the further effusion of blood," said Confederate General Robert E. Lee, "and I have arranged to meet with General Grant with a view to surrender." After four years of fighting the Civil War, Lee knew it was time to put an end to the fighting. Do you know where General Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia surrendered to the Union Army?

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USS Florence Nightingale AP 70

USS Florence Nightingale AP 70 (navsource.org)

Letter from a WWII Group

George Swarts

February 2005

I started out in the scouts and raiders in 1942. After North Africa. I went abroad The USS Florence Nightingale AP 70. Stayed aboard her for 22 months. Making the invasion of Siscly, Selnora, Point De Lac, and Southern France.

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Milton Long Comments

Regarding Class Trip

Hi!

I really enjoyed reading about your trip to DC and the Marine Memorial. I am a WWII veteran and I hope you and your students got a chance to visit the WWII Memorial. The WWII Memorial is not a veterans memorial, it is a monument to all those people that made victory possible. This includes the defense workers and the people at home that did so much to help us win a hard fought victory.

Wartime Memories