Rememberance Day/Veterans Day

[Filipe]

Well i would have posted this earlier in the day, but due to illness and general unwillingness to get myself out of bed I could not. So for those that have never heard of this holiday, namely those who are not from Europe, or North America mostly. It is a holiday to mark not only the end of the first world war, but those who gave their lives in the pursuit of freedom. Those who fought for their country, and gave their lives in doing so. It is also to honor those who fought for their country, and lived to return, getting on with their lives as best they could. It may have started out, marking the end of the first world war, but it has since grown to encompass all major wars since. It is just traditionally held in North America, and Europe on November 11th, at 11am. The exact day, and time that the first world war ended in 1918. This is something generally accepted, though I suppose they could have used a different date had they so chosen. Wouldnt have been nearly as appropriate at the time it was created however.

So you might ask, what does this have to do with the forum? Well I am making this thread to mark this occasion, giving people the oppertunity to speak of loved ones, or even their own experiences with war. Or if they have lost someone who fought in a conflict, and lost their lives to tell us about them, and why they went to fight. We will not think any less of them, regardless of what side they were fighting on, or what principles they held, or hold. This is a place to honor the sacrifices of those who fought, or fight for us, and our freedoms.

So to start things off I am going to tell you about three people in my family who fought in the army, during wars. Though I wouldnt call one of them a war so to speak, but rather an armed conflict for certain reasons. First off, I am going to speak of my two maternal great grandfathers. Both have similar stories, so i'll leave the war stories in one place. They were both soldiers in the Portugese army during the first world war. Their records, and what they did has generally been lost with time, but there are a few things I do know. They were both fighting in France, one of them recieved a wound to his left arm, leaving him mostly paralyzed in that arm. They were also both gassed by the Germans during the war. Not much else is known, because Portugal didnt keep very good records during that time. They also didnt remember much, or didnt want to remember.

I am going to speak of my grandfathers dad, he was someone genuinely well liked by most people. He was a storyteller so to speak to young kids before the war, and sometimes following it. To my knowledge, I think he may have been some sort of writer, but it's hard to tell, I think my grandfather still has some of his work. The war took a toll on him, that most people who didnt know him prior wouldnt have noticed. He occasionally liked some wine, with his dinner. Could have a few glasses, and you wouldnt even notice anything with him. Following the war he lost that tolerance, and became known around town as a "happy drunk". Singing as he was walking down the street, serenading the ladies for no reason at all. Unfortunately, it also took a toll on his liver as well, and he ended up dieing of liver failure a few months before the start of world war 2.

My other great grandfather on the other hand, was a violent well I wont use that language here. To say that he "liked his drink" would be an understatement before the war even started. Following the war, the gassing he took led his behavior to new heights of violence. He was known to beat up his wife, his kids, even neighbors if they got on his nerves. I see a lot of that violent temper in my grandmother even today, though she is a lot more calm about things. I dont much like to talk about him, considering how abusive he was to his family, so I will just say he died of kidney failure in 1957.

The last one, is my father who for a time, was a member of the Portugese forces in Angola. He was there when the revolution began to kick out the Portugese, so he too had to fight. Though his activities were more fighting to protect the settlers as they were leaving. Why the Angolans were using weapons to get us to leave, still strikes a lot of Portugese as odd. Considering that we would have left if they had asked, and they probably wouldnt have had civil war for several decades following. I dont think he ever had to kill anyone, but I know he had to do a fair bit of combat to divert attention. I wouldnt be surprised if he had done so.

So, those are my stories, what are yours? For those that have some anyway.
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[che^guevar]

I'm from bosnia and hercegovina.. where the first world war broke out

but i would like to tell you what happend in the years 1991 to 1995
when the war in the balkans broke out...the serbian army said that they would wage war agianst croatia and that bosnia would be one country wich would not be touched.
5 days later
We were attack from all sides
Im from the city of bihac we where the ones that "cleaned"out bosnia our army force was called peti korpus wich means 5th korps it was 50.000 men strong
My father was (i dont know how to translate his rank) a sort of squad comander het had his group of 100 men wich fought under his command
The first two years of the war we only had a little amount of weapons and amunition we mostley defended our selves with knives and boodytraps wich where set in the mountains.
In 1993 we got weapons from Saudi Arabia mostley AK's and hand granades.

My dad got shot 3 times in his leg when he tried to get one of his buddy's to safety
He got a titanim implant in his leg he he's a little bit of feeling in it.
But thanks to that may bad could get out of the army and then we moved to the netherlands

Well thats my story sorry for going so much off topic !!
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[RedCydranth]

That was not off topic at all che^. it was a tale of your father who fought in the services of your nation. He is a very brave man and should be honoured for his bravery.

Both of my grandfathers fought in World War II. One fought for England and the other fought for the United States. My mother's father is a native born englishman and he was a trained bobby (police officer). When air raids started to occur he would have to sound alarms. He was stationed in the very south to watch over the english channel. His greatest memory of his war efforts was watching Normandy from across the English Channel. He said that it was one of the scariest, yet most beautiful things he'd seen. After the war, he became a professional photographer and married my grandmother (an Irish lady from Dineen) and then moved to America where he had my mother and aunt. He passed away last May of old age in Sanford, Maine.

My grandfather on my father's side fought for the United States army and was stationed on the Japanese front. My grandfather was very skilled with his hands and could build things with great efficiency so when the troops island hopped and they cleared an island of Japanese soldiers, My grandfather and his company would swiftly move in and build a fort to protect their newly acquired island. He said he had to have helped build at least 16 forts in his 2 years service over there. He has been to Guam, Midway and the Phillipines. He never had to pick up a gun because the troops were so efficient at wiping the islands the japanese couldn't mount a comeback in time. If they had tried the fort would be built and easily ward of their attacks. He is still alive and married to my grandmother and I see him every year at thanksgiving. They have been married 53 years now.

Though neither of them saw oncoming fire, both played critical roles in defending the lands they stood upon. that is bravery that I fear has not passed on through my bloodlines. I have a lung disorder and am not allowed to fight, but if I were needed in battle I do not think I could answer the call of duty. I fear war and I respect every single man and woman that risk their lives. I may not support the confrontation in Iraq right now, but I support the many troops stationed there trying to protect themselves. I respect not only the americans but all the other countries' soldiers who have helped us there. Heroes, every one of them (except those bastards who did those brutal sex crimes. Heinous. They should be court marshalled and thrown in prison or executed).
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[Masaya]

I suppose perhaps this isn't much of a great story as what I"ve read above... however I'll love to speak about my awsome grandfather. He was sort of a ladies man as far as I know.. but more about his contribution.. he was a weather man durring the cold war. Infact he told me how would keep track best he could with ag roup of others in various other countries. Of just in case a strike. He could report the best possible point "weather wise" where to counter strike. I always thought it was something interesting. I could of never guessed my grandpa in the army, he's just a laid back and relaxed man. He's still around today.. he finally quit smoking and he fishes all of the time.. He's now a retired art teacher aswell.. and I only to oneday perhaps live up to a state of accomplishment and honor for his country.
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[Vextor]

My grandfather starred in a number of XXX films back in the 60s.

[Zero]

That's definately something that I'd brag about drunk. Not something you want to spread around to a bunch of sobre people though, that can make for a long series of burns concerning who the co-star was. Bad move.
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"I came, I saw, I conquered."

Julious Cezar

[Vextor]

My grandfather was also a Hitler Youth when he was in Germany.

[Tendou Souji]

Both my Grandfathers from both sides of the family were once in the military. My Grandfather from my Father's side of the family was in the Indonesian military once, although I don't know what service he had done in his time in the military because he died when I was young. My Grandfather from my Mother's side of the family, on the other hand worked in the Heiho during the times of Japan's rule in Indonesia. He wasn't a soldier, but he was a chef! So, yeah he had probably done a great deed there, feeding the hungry and all.

(*EDIT: By the way, nice thread, Sir Filipe!)