Another Interview About A Near Death Experience With A WWII Veteran

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Military news…

Air Force pilots explain why the F-22 Raptor is a ‘beast’ in aerial combat

“You may fly this aircraft with reckless abandon.”

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The Navy just launched a brand new ship it doesn’t even want

Another of the troubled Littoral Combat Ships takes to the water.

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I saw ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and it’s way better than the original

We feel the need for speed.

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Russian troops are proving that cell phones in war zones are a very bad idea

“If I can find you, I can target you.”

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The Pentagon can’t explain the ‘spherical object’ in this video

“We want to know what’s out there as much as you want to know what’s out there.”

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Biden Speeds up Military Aid to Ukraine, Drawing U.S. Deeper Into War

From the start of the war, the administration sought to parse its response, deciding which weapons could be called defensive and therefore were acceptable to send to Ukraine and which ones could be called offensive and therefore should not be delivered. But the line has shifted in recent weeks.

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Coast Guard Admiral Becomes First Woman to Lead a U.S. Military Branch

The Senate voted unanimously late Wednesday to confirm Adm. Linda Fagan as the next commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. “I’m committed to fielding an operationally relevant and ready force and will continue to focus on readiness and our ability to execute operationally,” Fagan said.

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Baby Formula Supply Is ‘Adequate’ at U.S. Military Commissaries, Pentagon Says

“We’re not immune to the same supply chain problems that other families across America are experiencing,” John Kirby told reporters at the Pentagon.

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Here is the third in a series of three interviews with WWII Veterans. Bob Coury was a Captain in the Army. His story follows.

What was your job as a Captain?

I had a full company of men who unloaded ships in Okinawa.

How did that go?

We did a great job of keeping equipment, and supplies to the soldiers fighting Okinawa.

Did you have any times you almost died?

I was up on one of the ships and somehow I feel off into the ocean. I was in between the ship and a barge that was moving in the waves. If I didn’t get out of there fast the barge could crush me. I swam fast to the end of the barge and was able to make it to shore. (Near death experience)

I asked him how hard it was to unload the ships in enemy territory?

It was very hard because the Kamikaze planes were trying to hit the ship we were Unloading.

Any advice to young recruits?

Always obey your leaders, and do your best.

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I have a side story about Bob Coury. I was shopping for groceries one day and I saw a man with a WWII hat on. I went up to him and said, “Thank you for your service. ” We both went on our way and I thought why onearth didn’t I ask him if he would allow me to interview him.

I Figured I had made a huge mistake. However when I got in line to ay for my groceries there he was in line. I didn’t hesitate, and asked him if I could interview him. He said sure and handed me one of his cards.

I looked at the card and it blew me away. This guy owned all the Bob’s Hamburgers restaurants in the area! I knew him from way back in highschool.

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His push was that he had 19 cent hamburgers. He happend to build his first restaurant in the street I walked home from high school. He was there working everyday.

My mom gave me 25 cents to get a burger every day on my way home. Bob even stopped to talk to me from time to time. I got a cup of water and chomped away.

I never thought for a New York minute that this guy would be back in my life.

We have become good friends. He just past the age of 100 this year and he is still going.

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Come back often to read more amazing interviews with veterans . Many had near death experiences. Better yet, click on the Subscribe tab at the top of this page. When you do all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

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Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you struggling?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 14,745 veterans on this site who have your back.

Here is what I am asking you to do…please share this site with as many other veterans as you can. It has helped so many.

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If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

Pentagon in damage control over report that US intel was used to kill Russian generals

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________________________________________________________________

Military news…

‘The king of battle’ — How US artillery in the hands of Ukrainians may reshape the war with Russia

We’ve always called it ‘the king of battle'”

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Pentagon in damage control mode over report that US intel was used to kill Russian generals

“We do not provide intelligence on the location of senior military leaders on the battlefield or participate in the targeting decisions of the Ukrainian military.”

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Why the Army cut back on incoherent screaming by drill sergeants on day 1 of basic training

“Nothing’s really changed other than we’re not screaming in their faces.”

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When the Coast Guard put missiles on cutters and afterburners on jets

The Coast Guard of the 80s was led by a man with a heroic past and .45 caliber sidearm.

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Pentagon urges Congress to pass supplemental Ukraine aid bill swiftly as funding for weapons runs low
Only $100 million remains of a $3.5 billion authority granted by Congress in March to pull weapons and equipment from U.S. inventories and ship them to Ukrainians battling Russian forces, chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.

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Taiwan invasion would be risky move for Chinese leadership, defense experts say

An effort by Beijing to invade Taiwan that provoked a US response would be a ‘huge disaster’ that could cost Chinese President Xi Jinping his job, according to an American security expert.

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North Korean media are staying silent on regime’s latest missile launches

North Korea’s latest launch came three days before South Korea’s president-elect is inaugurated in Seoul.

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I will be skipping my usual excerpt from my upcoming book. Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. This month is military appreciation month.

Keep coming back to see more excerpts from the book. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on Subscribe. When you do all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

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I am proud to say I am a veteran. I served with honor. My family has a history of being in the military. I had three uncles who fought in WWII; two received Purple hearts. I was in the Army and was deployed to Korea. My son was a career soldier and retired as a Colonel. Three generations of loyal Americans.

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Would I go back in if they had a way to let me? In a New York minute! I am sadden by what is happening in our world and we as a nation need to stand up and take notice. We do not need to go fight in every little skirmish around the world, but we also need to defend those who are in danger.

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This Military Appreciation Month, I hope you will take an extra minute to recognize the sacrifices made by our Nation’s service members.

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Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you struggling?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 14,645 veterans on this site who have your back.

Here is what I am asking you to do…please share this site with as many other veterans as you can. It has helped so many.

______________________________________________________________

If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

_______________________________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

The Heroes From D-Day 1944 Had Fearful Moments When They parachuted in.

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

________________________________________________________________

Military news…

NATO fighter jets intercept Russian planes over Black and Baltic seas
NATO fighter jets positioned around the Baltic and Black seas scrambled multiple times over four days to track and intercept Russian aircraft flying near allied airspace, NATO said Friday.

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National Guard soldiers work again with Ukrainian troops they trained before Russian invasion

Florida National Guard soldiers who trained troops in Ukraine before Russia’s invasion are now training Ukrainian forces again outside the war-torn country, chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday.

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Confronting Russia will deter China, says Japanese defense minister

A strong international response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine is critical to deterring China from embarking on territorial conquests in Taiwan or the South China Sea, said Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi.

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North Korea fires suspected submarine-launched ballistic missile, South’s military says
North Korea fired what is suspected to be a short-range ballistic missile off its eastern coast, according to a message sent to reporters from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Saturday.

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Dozens feared dead in bombing of Ukrainian school

Scores of Ukrainians were feared dead Sunday after a Russian bomb flattened a school where about 90 people were taking shelter in the basement, while Ukrainian fighters held out inside Mariupol’s steel plant as Moscow’s forces apparently raced to capture the city ahead of Russia’s Victory Day holiday.

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Ukraine is rebuilding cities as fast as Russia destroyed them

The rebuilding effort is imbued with a sense of optimism that Ukraine will outlast Russia’s assault. Volunteers are mostly carrying it out, allowing government funds to remain focused on the war.

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Last Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol vow to fight ‘as long as we are alive’

Civilians in Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant have been evacuated, but fighters who remain there say there is no way out.

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What follows is some information about some Band of Brothers who lived right in my home town. These soldiers fought in WWII and parachuted behind enemy lines on D-Day June of 1944. They were called Easy company. They are part of my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

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Band of Brothers in my home town.

One of the honors I shared was right in my home town of Salem, Oregon. Three members of the Band of Brothers live close to me. Two of the three died before I started this book.

One name was Leo Boyle and high school teacher and then the special education director. He was the least known. He died in 1997. That was four years before the Emmy winning television series aired.

Only Bill Wingett was still living when I started this book. He was in a military assisted facility in Lebanon, Oregon. I was ready to go interview him and the pandemic hit. He died before I could get to him.

He is part of the ever shrinking Easy Company of the 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne, which most Americans know as the Band of Brothers.

I also personally met another Band of Brothers in Minneapolis, Wisconsin.  I bought his book that shares many of the actual happenings in WWII that was done by this group.

A list shows that there are only 14 Brothers left, but it is outdated.

Easy company was involved of some of the most brutal on D-Day over 75 years ago. They also fought during Market Garden-the battle of Bastogne, and the Battle of the Bulge.

But the whole story about them got started on June 6th, 1944. They were assigned a night jump behind enemy lines several hours before the invasion.

Wingett said that one day was a “red-letter day.”

As important as that day was some details faded for him who just turned 97 during this interview for the Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon. The interviewer was Capi Lynn.

“I may not be able to dig up some of the stories, but I lived them,” Wingett said. He really didn’t want to tell his own stories.

Years ago he described D-Day like this, “We got in an airplane in England and we jumped out of the Damn thing in France, and the fight began. There’s not much more to say about that.”

His group jumped into darkness in the early morning hours.

The target was Utah Beach. The allies divided the 60-mile coastal stretch into five code-named sectors for the invasion. Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sward were the others.

Wingett landed where the Germans flooded the area as a defensive tactic. Many paratroopers were killed by gun-fire before they hit the ground. And many more drowned.

Wingett struggled in the water That day. He only survived because he was slowly able to shed much of the 150 pounds of gear he was carrying, including a main and reserve chutes, weapons, ammunition, and rations, between breaths of air above water.

Malarkey from Salem, jumped roughly in the same area and landed in a tree. He dangled in his chute until he got his bearings, then cut himself loose and fell to the ground.

He went on to serve more time on the front lines than any Easy Company soldiers. He received the Bronze Star for his bravery in the Battle of Brecourt Manor.

Boyle also parachuted into Normandy, where he was wounded and evacuated to England. Boyle was later promoted to Staff Sergeant, and served as commanding officer Richard Winters’ right hand man before being severely wounded during Operation Market Garden. He was discharged after nine months in various hospitals.

Wingett said he never had a close call even though he was wounded three times.

I wasn’t able to see all of his medals because of the Pandemic. He had a purple heart with two oak leaf clusters. This was along with the many medals, ribbons, badges, and patches displayed in a frame on the wall in the apartment where he lived at the Oregon Veteran’s Home in Lebanon, Oregon.

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There are more parts of the book dedicated to these heroes from WWII. Come back of ten to check them out. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on Subscribe. When you all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

____________________________________________________________

Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you struggling?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 14,640 veterans on this site who have your back.

Here is what I am asking you to do…please share this site with as many other veterans as you can. It has helped so many.

______________________________________________________________

If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

______________________________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

_______________________________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.