[GreenKeys] Veterans Honor Roll

[John Parker]

George,

John Parker here.  Ex Submarine Radioman.  Retired Jan 1993 as Senior Chief.

I did a tour in Viet-Nam during Operation End Sweep with TF 78 in the Tonkin
Gulf.  

My partner, Pati, her father was a waist gunner on a B-17 shot down over
Germany on their first mission.  All escaped but ended up as POWs in two
different Stalag Lufts.  The officers arrived at the POW camp on the night
of the Great Escape.  

Pati's father on the other hand wasn't so lucky.  He was moved from one camp
to another and marched in the equivalent of the Death March in the Pacific
but this one was in Europe.  He would find scraps of food, a potato and
rats.

When liberated, he weighed 97 pounds, spent many months in the hospital.  He
died about 20 years ago before I had the honor of meeting him.

We have heard from the last two surviving members from his plane.  A very
humbling experience.  The last of the great generation.

73,

John KD7KFT




-----Original Message-----
From: greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of George B. Hutchison
Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2007 4:24 PM
To: GreenKeys
Subject: [GreenKeys] Veterans Honor Roll

GreenKeyers - - -

The last stop on my recent Junque Run was to visit Golden Gate 
National Cemetery near San Francisco.

I visited my brother's grave, and that of my uncle, William W. 
Wischemann, who was in the Army during WWII.

Uncle Bill was attached to the shore battery that engaged the 
Japanese submarine that entered the Strait of Juna de Fuca. During 
the battle with the sub an ammunition box exploded right at my 
uncle's feet, filling him with so much shrapnel that his x-rays 
looked like he was snowing inside.

In searching for his grave I walked by literally hundreds of 
headstones of Veterans, many of whom were in the Spanish American 
War.

I mention this because there so many graves there that will never be 
visited by anyone because those people died several generations ago.

A National Cemetery is an awesome and very humbling place, filled 
with those of whom very little if any memory remains anywhere. This 
reflection of my trip, and because of the nature of several of the 
responses already received, has prompted me to totally discard the 
idea of a tabular format with the appearance of a roll-call or daily 
muster sheet.

To those who have already submitted their basic data and to those yet 
to send anything, I request you to please feel free to make your 
submissions anecdotal, telling us something about your military or 
governmental careers.

Furthermore, if you have a relative or a friend you feel should be 
included, don't hesitate to do so.

Two or three paragraphs would be just fine.

It would not bother me a bit to see all of tomorrow's ITTY run taken 
up by what you wish to share with the GreenKeys membership or those 
who lurk in the shadows.

Again, An EXCELLENT VETERANS DAY TO ALL,

George - W7TTY


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