In the 2012 limited release movie, “Memorial Day”, children are playing at their grandparent’s home in a rural setting. It is Memorial Day weekend. A 13 year old boy stumbles across a dusty box in a barn.
The box is his grandfather’s WWII Army footlocker, emblazoned with the unit insignia of his famed unit, the 82nd Airborne. It is filled with “souvenirs” he had brought home from war.
Gradually, the men of the 11th Airborne Division would earn their points to be shipped back home and they would allow the fresh, green G.I.'s to take their place in the occupation of Japan.
Click on any photo to enlarge.
Everett (Smitty) Smith would return to Broad Channel, New York to restart his civilian life in February 1946. He gradually got to know Lillian Barrow during his morning rides on the bus, going to his job and he would chuckle whenever he related that story.
In the U.S., if you do not fly your flag everyday, here is a special occasion to put out the sign of your patriotism! In 1949, President Truman decided to consolidate the individual Army, Navy, Marine, etc. days into one as a means of signifying the unification of all the military forces under a single government. (The Marines did not give up their day, but also celebrate AFD.)
It's about William Lagasse a doughboy... from Bristol, Connecticut.
This was the Christmas card sent from Japan to Broad Channel, New York in December 1945. Anna Smith had been waiting to hear this news from her son Everett (Smitty) for over three years. On the back, it reads:
"Dear Mom:
This is the best Xmas card I've sent to you since getting in the army. I figured this would be what you have always been waiting to see, here it goes.
That’s the picture I saw on the wall when I visited Dennis Connolly back in 2012.
That’s the reason I wanted to see him again so he could talk more about it. Not to talk about the war, but about his plane.
I did not know he had more pictures until I saw those… on this site.
Dennis is pictured there with Flight Lieutenant Demozay. I talked about Demozay here on my French version of this blog.
We also pay homage to this French pilot on this Website. The funny thing, if I might use the word funny, is that I would have never known about Flight Lieutenant Demozay and Dennis Connolly if I had not listen to Marc-André Valiquette’s advice to come and see his book presentation.
Comment just received from his daughter…
My Dad, Chief Petty Officer, Douglas T Laurie, was on his way to deck as he just finished his shift in the Engine Room when the Athabaskan was torpedoed . He too was taken Prisoner of War.
My Dad passed away April 19, 2013.
These were all brave men.
About Chief Petty Officer Douglas T Laurie and many others, click here.
There is a story behind that picture.
I will tell you after the funeral.
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