My dad served in the RCNVR (Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve) as a communications operator on a corvette.
I wish I had paid more attention to detail, because I cannot recall the exact date he joined the navy, but do know it was 1944.
(he is second from the left in the second row in this picture)
Take a moment today to remember the sacrifices so many young men and women made during the Second World War.
18 comments:
God bless your Dad for his service. (Looking at the date - my mom was born that year, 1944)...
Thanks for sharing the pictures - handsome man!
Thanks, Aleta!
Thank you for sharing this. It reminds me of the pictures I have of my grandpa.
Thank you to your dad, too.
Thanks, Georgie!
Thanks Sis. I wrote the date at the office and thought, "okay, why is this day important?" Then the phone rang. Thank you for posting it and reminding me and others.
I can't remember what date in 1942 my father joined the Coast Guard (because he was too old for the Navy) but I was smart: years ago I bullied him into writing all his service related dates and places down in narrative form.
Mary Anne in Kentucky
Reb - you're welcome for the reminder. Dad always quizzed me about dates, so I do tend to remember.
Mary Anne - you're smarter than I - I should have had Dad write things down, too.
Good for your dad.
Excellent pics, too.
Thanks, cousin!
Wonderful post, Baggie. Thank you.
Thanks, Hilary!
Thanks for sharing. It's an amazing thing our troops did.
Lately Dan has been hanging out with a group that restores WWII bombers and he brings home pictures that we talk about for hours. The equipment seems so primitive. The planes have cramped and exposed areas, and many jobs, like banging on things to release stuck bombs, were extremely dangerous. Tailgunners had a life expectancy measured in months because they were so exposed, yet there was never a shortage of volunteers.
Dan's father was a paratrooper and dropped into Normandy on this day. Insane stuff, but insanity is sometimes what it takes.
So sad that so few are left. God bless them all for their sacrifices. For anyone who has never seen a WWII-era plane, tank, or ship, find one. Check it all out. Ask questions. It's humbling and thought-provoking.
BG - my ex-husband worked with WWII aircraft - they were fitted with tanks and used to drop "mud" on forest fires. I found it fascinating to crawl around inside the planes and experience how cramped they were.
And there is a corvette in the Halifax harbour that has been restored. We toured it with my father many years ago - it made his stories come alive.
Our lives would be quite different if our fathers, uncles and grandfathers hadn't fought for what they believed in.
What an inspiration your dad is! Thanks to your dad for his service and for you for reminding us of his sacrifice!
Thanks, Charlotte - he was a wonderful man.
Thanks for sharing! So few WWII vets left...hopefully their memories have been recorded.
Thanks, Bag Lady's dad!
Those photos are wonderful.
I wish I knew more about that part of history. My grandpa never served (he was a minister) but J's grandpa actually came back form the war very ill (he was gassed) so I never go to know him...it's so easy to forget...so few are left to remind us.
Thanks for the reminders...:)
Ah, look at your handsome young dad!
My grandfather was in the Navy but served his time in the Pacific Ocean.
One of my regrets is that during our 3 years in Germany we did not make it out to Normandy. Something to do with either being pregnant or nursing a baby for those 3 years complicated our travel schedule...
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