Hello everyone. I'm Luke Wallace, from Redlands, California. I am a veteran of the US Army and California Army National Guard, combat medic from 2003-2008. Served one tour in Iraq from 2004-2005 with the 1st Infantry Division. I had an uncle who was with the Army engineers during Vietnam, and before that, my maternal grandfather was a commissaryman aboard a handful of destroyer escorts during Korea and again as a reservist in the 1960s. During WWII, I've located at least three family members who served: a maternal great-uncle who was KIA in Italy in October 1944, a paternal great-uncle who served in an amphibious tractor unit in the Pacific, and his brother (and hence my grandfather) who was in the Seabees and was involved in airfield construction.
Welcome! We'll mark your family as fully paid-up citizens. I'm retired USN, '69-'89. (Yes, I'm that damned old.)
Glad you could join us. Share stories, if you can. We're generally a friendly bunch, at least we don't bite. New guy buys a round at the bar.
Thanks! I should also mention that on my wife's side of the family she had a grandfather in the Royal Navy during the war. Served as a diver on a converted yacht in South East Asia from ~1943-45. Thankfully he loved to take pictures, so we have pics of him in Nepal, Burma, Chittagong, Kuala Lumpur, etc. He really got around.
Well, one wartime family story I can share is a sad one, but it is what it is. It's actually what got me started in my quest to learn more about my family's military history. I had always heard from my mother that her grandmother (Blanche Mouser Gilliland) had died during the war after finding out her son Lee had been killed in action. Finally, years later, while at the National WWII Memorial, I entered what information I found out about him and was able to find some cursory information. So, from there I did some searching and found out through the FindAGrave.com website that he was KIA on October 13, 1944, and was with the 363rd Infantry Regiment. That information led me to find a unit history of the 363rd online, which had an entry for October 13, 1944. So, now I know he was KIA in/around a small Italian village called Querceta. I shared this info with my grandmother, who related how, yes, late October was the first day of the school year when it was cold enough to start wearing a coat (this was in Ohio). She said she mouthed off to her mother, said she didn't need to wear one and went off to school with her sister. Well, later that day the Army came to the house to deliver the bad news about her son, and a short time later she passed away from presumably heart failure. So, my grandmother's dad had to come to school to give my grandmother and sister doubly bad news. This is Lee's gravesite in Ohio. I have the newspaper article clippings as well covering her and her son's death somewhere on my computer.
Late to the table but Welcome To the forum Luke! My cousin was a Corpsman playing in the sandbox same time as you. Much Respect!
Thanks! Yes, it was an interesting time there, that's for sure. Can't believe it'll be 20 years ago next month when my unit deployed to Iraq.
Dave told his Dad he was sitting on a ship in the Gulf, but later admitted he was riding with a Headquarters unit that crossed from Saudi Arabia into Iraq. I think there's a book : "Tip of the Spear" (?) that explains just where he was and where he went. If you recall the incident where a convoy had a rear-end collision and several Soldier died, he was there. If we ever meet, Drinks are on me. If not, you'll always have deepest Respect.
LOL, I had email connections with my brother during Desert Shield. I had his location and instructions to tell his wife that he was in an area will outside the SCUDs. She never penetrated that web of lies.
Please tell me where, i would look forward to buy a round (coors light for me and maybe a shot whiskey) for honor and Thanks, but to appreciate anything you risk for me to be alive, i would love buy a round (hopefully someone else chip in too but) for a salute to the people or persons that fought for me to be alive. I need show appreciation, please reply. Where and when.
