Category: War

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USS Aircraft Carrier Found in the South Pacific

I am going back to sharing some military stories. Many are very recent. Some are short and some are very informative.

USS Hornet Found in South Pacific

The wreckage of a U.S. aircraft carrier famous for launching a bombing raid on Japan four months after the Pearl Harbor attack was discovered in January.

B-52 bombers took off from the Hornet took off on April 18th, 1942 to attack the Japanese mainland. The attack was led by Lt Col James H. Doolittle.

Six months later the Hornet was put out of commission after being struck by multiple bombs and torpedoes.

While being towed by the USS Northampton the Hornet was attacked again by 11 Japanese bombers.

To prevent its capture, U.S. ships scuttled the Hornet with 16 torpedoes. When it finally sank It took the bodies of 140 sailors with it.

The estate of Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder, funded the operation to find it.

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I have another interview to share with you from my upcoming book:

In my book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life,

I have many interviews. Here is part of one of many:

I had the honor of accidentally connecting with a WWII veteran while shopping at my local grocery store. I saw him as I walked down the first aisle. I walked past him and then thought, Why didn’t I say hello and thank him for his service.

Then when I came into the milk aisle I saw him again. I walked over to him and told him thank you for his service. He said he was in Okinawa during the war. That was one of the bloodiest battles of the war.

We said our goodbyes, and went on. Then I wondered why I didn’t ask him if I could interview him. I was very angry with myself.

I got all my groceries and was heading towards a register. They have those dividers between each register so you can’t see the head of the line until you get there.

I came around the divider and there was the WWII veteran right ahead of me. That did it. I quickly asked him if we could meet and let me interview him. He said he would be glad to do it.

He gave me a card with his phone number on it and we parted our ways.

The next day I arranged to meet him at his home.

Here is what happened during the interview

I sat on the couch close to him because his hearing wasn’t good. I found out he was 98 years old. He look great for that age.

I began to ask him questions

DB

What did you do while in Okinawa?

WWII VET

I was a Captain, and in charge of a company of shipping crews. We unloaded the ships as they came into the harbor.

DB

You actually unloaded the supplies, ammo, and equipment for those that were on the front not far from you? That was a pretty vital mission.

WWII VET

Yes it was, and we were being bombed by the Japanese constantly.

DB

What was your worst moment?

WWII Vet

I was on one of the ships and I fell overboard right between a barge and the ship. They were very close together. I had to struggle and swim to the end of the ship to get out.

I also had to keep our men safe from all the bombing.

There is much more to this interview, but you will have to buy the book to find out what else he said. (This is called a hook!)

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As a veteran, if you are struggling with the world as you know it, and having trouble mixing in the civilian world, you certainly are not alone. There thousands of your fellow brothers and sisters struggling along with you.

It is not showing you are weak by getting help. 22 veterans take their own lives every day. Many didn’t even try to seek help.

If you are struggling with PTSD, TBI, anxiety, depression, get help and do it now. There is a 24/7 connection for you to call at:

1-800-273-8255

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never ever, give up!

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A National Guard Soldier Became a Hero During the Riots

What a wild weekend with no end in sight. Protesters are causing much damage and injury. It is senseless, because it isn’t about the death of someone any more. It is just plain anarchy.

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A story I saw today on TV was that a SUV was racing towards a crowd of protesters. The National Guard tried to get him to stop. He kept coming. They tried other methods to try to stop him. He kept coming.

A hero is born.

A Lone National Guard soldier fired three shots at the vehicle, because the driver was also heading toward some police officers who were right behind him .

All three bullets hit the SUV. The driver panicked and drove away.

That National Guardsman, saved many lives with his courage. He didn’t want to kill. He just shot at the rig and not at the windows.

You probably won’t hear much about this in the Fake news, but he is my hero.

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I thought I would share another interview with you today. This one may make you cry, or be angry:

Sgt Michael Thorin, was in charge of a group of vehicles, which was to guard the carvens that move from place to place. Their job was to fight off any agressers when they attack.

On one of the days they were ride along with a convoy, when the rig right in front of Sgt Thorn caught on fire with two men in it. Sgt Thorin jumped out of his rig and raced to the scene. It was too late. There was a massive fire immediately. He had to watch while his buddies burned to death.

He is still dealing with that today.

There is a much longer story and interview about this hero in my up coming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In an Out of the Trenches of Life.

I have many such interviews. Many very sad. Some very funny. I will try to let you see them as time goes by.

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How are you doing?

Have you lost buddies in battles? Have you been injured?

It is hard at best to face life, when things happen you can’t control.

I want you to know right here and now that I am here for you. I have your six. Please use the comment section to let me know any problems you are battling. Your comments will not be published unless you agree to let that happen.

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*If you like what you are reading, subscribe to this site by clicking on the subscribe button at the top of this page. When you do, you will receive all future posts right in your inbox. Please let others know about this site. Especially if they are veterans.

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Remember:

You are not alone.

You are not forsaken.

You are not unloved.

And above all….never, ever, give up!

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A Sniper Shares His Hurts and Regrets

Today is Red Friday. We should all be wearing red to show support our active duty military.

I’ve had some amazing interviews with veterans while putting my new book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

I interviewed WW ll, Korean, Vietnam Iraq, and Afghanistan soldiers.

Some of the interviews were funny; some were sad; and some were hard to listen to.

Today I will share one interview to show you some of the fear, disappointments and anger our veterans have gone through.

Interview with a Sniper

I talked to a veteran from El Paso, Texas. He was a Sargent First Class. His duties were being a sniper.

He was asked if it was hard to shot another person. His answer was, “Not since I was helping my buddies stay alive.”

Death of His Buddies

The next question I asked him was how many of his buddies were killed. He said,”Fifteen or sixteen.” I said, “That must have been hard on you.” He said, They were my friends, what can I say.”

It is Hard on Families

He was getting irritated, so I switched to his family. I asked him if he was married. He said, “I was, but I am divorced now.” I then asked, “Can you tell me why that happened? ” He said, “The separation was to hard on both of us. She went her own way because she was so lonely.” He also said he had three children that he only sees once and a while.

There is much more to this interview, but you can see that he had a very rough time while in the military.

Many other stories like this

I have many more interviews to share. Be sure to subscribe to make sure you do not miss one. Just go to the top and click on the subscribe icon. Then all further posts will go directly to your inbox.

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!