Monthly Archives: November 2024

This may seem a different writing for Veterans Day. Anyone who has followed this page over the years knows my strong feelings about our veterans, both living and those no longer with us. I’ve written about its history on this Day, first called Armistice Day. November 11 has been Veterans Day since 1954. The date marks the anniversary of the end of World War I, which officially ceased with the signing of the armistice agreement on November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m.—the 11th hour of the 11th Day of the 11th month.

Before beginning, I always mention Memorial Day, an extremely sacred day. I mention it to clear up the confusion between it and Veterans Day. While both holidays honor military service, Memorial Day explicitly remembers those who died in service, whereas Veterans Day celebrates all who have served.

I have the greatest of reverence for all who have served. We owe a debt to our veterans that we can never repay except by living free in liberty. We have a duty to them; we seem to fail in it. As a nation, we need to better care for and provide services for those who sacrificed a portion of their lives for us.

Today, I choose to write about my dad, Cpl. Edward Thompson. He served during WWII in the European Theatre of Operations. When I brought it up as a kid, he told me fun or silly stories. I knew one horror story, but not from him. He shared it with my mom, and she later shared it with me.

Recently, I had a bronze plaque from the VA affixed to his stone at the cemetery. In doing so, I needed his discharge papers, his DD-214. I have several documents he had in his possession: his draft card, Army manual, battle extracts, pass, license to operate an ambulance, and a unit citation. The manual is interesting. It covers every aspect of being a WWII soldier.

So, I decided to do some research. My dad was a corporal. During WWII, he was a non-commissioned officer (NCO). After the war, the designation was changed not to include corporals. Since my dad spoke of nothing of import but had one story from my mom, I will piece it together as best I can.

My research includes history books, numerous memoirs, and now AI. I’ve tried not to embellish, but it would be easy and tempting. Every kid wants his dad to be a hero; to me, he was. But here, I risk the accusation of stolen valor on his behalf, not that it could ever be proved. The problem is, I could be wrong, but I should be close.

He was in the Ninth Army Air Force, specifically the 438th Troop Carrier Group, a crucial unit that carried troops into battle by planes and gliders. I know about this because I subscribed to the newsletter, which is now defunct. My best computation is that the youngest member catching the war’s end would be 96/97 today. If my dad were still alive, he’d be 104.

A note of clarification is necessary. There was no separate air force during WWII. Officially, the United States operated one known as the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF).

The 438th carried troops into battle by planes and gliders. The Unit Citation is for engagement on June 5, 6, and 7, the invasion of Europe, D-Day. The battle extract is with this. For those remembering East Company in the television mini-series The Band of Brothers, the 101st Airborne parachuted behind enemy lines several hours before the amphibious assault. The 82nd Airborne was part of the initial invasion, too.

While it’s possible he was on one of the flights from England to France the first night, I doubt it. A better guess is if he arrived on the 7th or later. So, we need to back up.

As a corporal during World War II, he was a non-commissioned officer (NCO). That’s no longer the case, although I’m not sure when it ended, it seems with the war’s end.

The research described NCOs as the “backbone” of the military due to their essential role in leading and training enlisted soldiers. The only things I remember my dad telling me he led were calisthenics and did some boxing, but most soldiers boxed as training. Like I said, he spoke little about his service time, which I understand is common.

During the war, a corporal was the lowest NCO rank. Corporals took on leadership roles over small teams or squads, providing guidance, training, and discipline. They ensured discipline, conducted training, and led troops in combat. I could go into more detail about everything here, but not now. But that’s the textbook version, but I can’t say anything about combat except speculate.

Was he near or on a battlefield? I think so. According to the DD-214, he was a surgical technician. Plus, he had a document to drive an ambulance. Back to research, a surgical technician had special training. My dad did his at his at Ft. Harrison, Indiana. It is followed by BGH, which means Base General Hospital.

A surgical tech assists in surgeries and performs medical procedures other than actual surgery, including pre-op and post-op. There’s more to it than that. One part that would be difficult is triage work, meaning my dad would have to make decisions on who could be saved by surgery and those who likely would not make it, so would be provided comfort, probably morphine. That’s a difficult decision for a young man with limited medical training.

The BGH adds information. This training would have been part of a broader effort by the Army Medical Department to ensure that medical support was more extensive so he could handle the injuries seen in combat zones.

Now, we add the ambulance, which can mean an EMT or paramedic in today’s world. Ambulances were critical for evacuating the wounded from battlefields to medical facilities. Because they transported wounded from a battlefield, would it make a surgical tech, like a medic?
It could, but the design was different. While the surgical technician could and would provide medical aid in the field, the time on the battlefield should be limited.

The ambulance crew was to transport the wounded to a field hospital, out of the way of immediate harm. The field hospital was designed to be mobile and located as close to the front lines as safely possible to provide immediate medical care to wounded soldiers. The idea is to treat patients quickly to save lives, stabilize them, and prepare them for evacuation to more comprehensive medical facilities further away from combat zones.

Let me again clarify here. We start with the medic on the battlefield providing medical care during WWII. There were also stretcher bearers working with the medic. An injured soldier would first be taken to an aid station if necessary. If more was required, to a  Portable Surgical Hospital (PSH)—think MASH in Korea and television. A PSH could be close to the battlefield and generally no more than one-half mile behind the front line. A PSH could come under enemy fire, and physicians and personnel received weapons training. A PSH could be taken down and moved in two hours. These tent complexes are where major surgeries were performed.

On the latter, ambulance personnel trained as surgical techs return to their specialist training at the PSH or return to the field to pick up more wounded or injured soldiers. As far as my dad goes, that part remains a mystery to me.

What did my mom tell me? This is a little out of order. My dad hated flying, maybe because of a fear of it. My mom told me a story of a time during the war when a plane crashed in a wooded area. There were 27 men on the plane, all of whom died. Not just dead but burned severely. I can conjure up images since she didn’t go into detail.

She did tell me that he and two other guys had to carry the bodies out. I can’t begin to imagine what that would be like. I never asked him about it—fast-forward to a birthday, or more likely an anniversary. I wanted to get a unique gift then. I finally found one.

Knowing he had been in a troop carrier division, what better gift than a 45-minute ride on a glider they had a year to use? A lot of things could have been better. Using it only took almost a year because I kept asking about it. If I hadn’t, I suspect it would have expired. When I got it, I forgot he hated flying, although he did it occasionally. I forgot about the blackened, burned bodies.

My dad was inducted on October 29, 1942, and discharged almost three years later on September 14, 1945. Others left Europe after Germany surrendered in May 1945. He remained behind in case of an invasion of Japan. Two atomic bombs ended the threat in Japan, but it seems unlikely he would have been part of it. More likely, he remained in Europe as part of an occupation force.

A point of confusion are the medals listed on the DD-214. Like Herbert T. Gillis in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, my dad had a Good Conduct Medal. He also had a “Theatre Ribbon w/7 Bronze Stars.” I guess it was ribbons plural, and the 438th participated in seven battle campaigns. AI tells me there are two types of Bronze Stars, and what my dad received was probably for being a member of a division involved in battle campaigns, such as Normandy, Ardennes, etc.

The benefit of growing up is my dad could take care of injuries in a calm way, unlike my mom, who went to pieces. It saved trips to the doctor.

Had I not ordered the plaque from the VA, I would still be clueless about what my dad did during the war. What I read, especially about being a surgical technician and what is involved, adds to my sense of pride. I mean, I was proud of him before, but the fact that he may have been assisting in surgeries to save lives or getting wounded men off the battlefield and out of harm’s way while putting himself at risk gives me another view of my dad.

It may explain something else. Once, my dad needed five references for a court proceeding, nothing criminal, and I still have those written statements. One was from the local bank president. I still remember some of the words. “Ed was restless after the war but has settled down…he’s a fine chap.”

If he had seen things I think he may have seen, it would have made him restless—and he was. He worked several jobs before settling into one, which took him almost ten years. I know he played sports, semi-pro baseball, and basketball, and hung around bars, but that doesn’t mean he was drunk for ten years, just hanging out. I did hear a few stories about him from a good friend of his. I went through the same phase.

There was a positive to hanging around and having a few beers. He met my mom at a bar owned by her parents, where she worked part-time. So, he settled down and got one final job until retirement.

So, Dad, thank you for your service, and thank you for being a great dad!

World War I
The war to end (all) war(s)

Today is not Veterans Day, but a little background on tomorrow.

It was referred to in various ways at the time, but never as WWI-that came later with the advent of WWII. It was first known as The Great War. History is such that the end of World War I set the stage for the next, the peace terms being such the Second World War was inevitable.

Approximately 9 million soldiers died during WW I, and the civilian death toll has been estimated between 5 and 13 million. But consider this: civilians perished due to various causes related to the war, including famine, disease, and direct military actions. The connection between World War I and the 1918 flu epidemic is evident in how the war created conditions perfect for the virus to mutate and spread.

The epidemic, sometimes referred to as the Spanish flu, took the lives of 100 million people worldwide. All of a sudden, the death toll can be said to be 120 million, almost one in ten people worldwide.

Technically, there was no surrender but an armistice on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. So, if you’re older, you will recall commemorating Armistice Day each November 11 instead of Veterans Day. In my school, at 11:00 a.m., we paused for a moment of silence.

Call it what you will; the net effect was a surrender, and terms against Germany were harsh. Despite the high loss of life, I’m not sure the world learned much during the bloody fighting between 1914 and 1918. The fighting stopped November 11, 1918-the 11th hour of the 11th month; the war officially ended with the Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, but effective January the following year. It becomes confusing, but we see the cessation of hostilities on November 18, the date recognized as Armistice Day, now Veterans Day.

World War I was in the news in 2018, at least in my mind. President Trump wanted a large military parade. Those against all things Trump ridiculed the idea, calling it “Trump’s Parade.” There were at least two such parades at earlier times. Given cost considerations, President Trump canceled it.

I favored it—not as a supporter of the president, but because it marked the 100th anniversary of the war’s end. While it may not have accomplished the goal of ending all wars, a fact we quickly found slightly less than 21 years later, we let the politics of hate get in the way of a historical lesson that would be repeated in future wars, though on a smaller scale.

History is always important but often ignored. Of course, we all know the quote, stated in various ways by various people: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In other words, learn history or keep making the same failed mistakes in the future

By the way, I believe it is wrong to say Happy Memorial Day; it’s okay to say Happy Veterans Day, but if you see one tomorrow, “Thank you for your service,” is best.

Veterans come in all shapes, both sexes and all races. The ones still with us fought on the front lines in Okinawa, in the Battle of Bulge, Anzio, the Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh, Hue, Firebase Ripcord, Grenada, Panama, Kuwait, Baghdad, Kandahar, Fallujah, the battle of Do Ab, and the list goes on. We still have soldiers stationed around the world. Americans have stood guard over the rest of us all over the globe.

But today is a day not just for combat veterans but for all veterans. Many people think of the ones on the line first, but it takes more than combat troops to make an army, and all are important. All who put on the uniform are at risk.

Veterans come from all walks of life. They are parents, children, grandparents, brothers, and sisters, all charged with the duty of keeping you safe.

When you see one, not just on a day set aside for Veterans but all days, say thank you for your service and for keeping me safe and free!

Four years before an amendment giving women the right to vote, Jeannette Rankin was elected to the United States Congress in November 1916. Rankin was also instrumental in initiating the legislation that eventually became the 19th Constitutional Amendment, granting voting rights to women.

Rankin served just one term but came back in 1940 at 60, defeating the incumbent, an antisemite, and served another term. She did vote against entry into WWII. She was the only vote against going to war, stating, “As a woman, I can’t go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else.” As a side note, she voted against entering WW I.

Rankin’s first election and worked on the 19th Amendment during the presidency of Woodrow Wilson, the well-known progressive who has been called the Godfather of Liberalism. Wilson opposed the Amendment initially.

While one would expect her to be a democrat, Rankin ran as a Republican for a good reason, but not crucial for this. She died in 1973, about a month short of her 93rd birthday.

November 8, 2010, I was on my way to court for a hearing. I wasn’t quite a mile from home when, on a curve, a car came left of center. I’ve detailed the whole thing before, so I won’t now. But remember, this came to you without warning. It can be a game changer.

For November, it was a warm, sunny day. It was so nice, the evening before I went for a bike ride. I didn’t know it then, but it would be one of the last bike rides of my life, except for a stationary bike in the house, which is nothing but boring. My favorite activities over the decades, hiking in the mountains and climbing, pretty much ended that day.

If this happens to you, here are some things you should do. I didn’t because I had to have the door opened by paramedics and was transferred to an ambulance, an old word now, but I’m old. It’s hard to believe this was 14 years ago. Here are some things to keep in mind, and while I could go into more detail on some, this is an overview. Consult an attorney.

1. Avoid moving your vehicle unless it is hazardous to other traffic.

2. Turn off the ignitions of the cars involved.

3. If possible, make a medical check of all persons involved in the accident. Again, I didn’t because I could not exit my vehicle after the collision.

4. Call the police and, if necessary, emergency medical services. Chances are, someone will have already taken care of this.

5. Get the names of all persons in the motor vehicles and people who witnessed the accident. When gathering names, get a contact number. (also see no. Seven below)

6. If you are able to do so, make a quick diagram of where the vehicle occupants were seated and indicate the vehicle’s direction of travel and lane. Also note the date, time, and weather conditions. The more information you can remember and write down at the time, the better. The police will obtain much of this information. Getting it immediately, though, will help keep everything fresh in your mind. With that, keeping a daily journal is a good idea.

7. Ask to see the other driver’s license and write down the number. Get the other driver’s phone number as well. Also, get the name of the driver’s insurance company, and don’t be afraid to ask for an insurance company to write the information. In speaking with the other driver or anyone else, DO NOT discuss “fault” or make statements about the accident to anyone but the police, and you may want to limit it as well.

8. Contact your vehicle insurance company as soon as possible. Incidentally, although it does cost more, always try to keep full coverage on your vehicle. Medical pay offered is very important, and it costs little to increase the amount. Having coverage for underinsured and uninsured is extremely important, in my opinion. Having full coverage costs more, but it pays for itself if there are injuries.

9. Get a copy of the police report. This is easier today than ever before. In a matter of days, you’ll start receiving letters from attorneys around the state doing personal injury work. I’d likely avoid them, but included with their promotional material will no doubt be a copy of your accident report.

10. Since I mentioned it, getting an attorney is up to you, but it’s always a good idea. Always remember the insurance company is trying to settle cases for the least amount possible, and your job is to be fully compensated for all losses. And, you need not settle immediately. Recommendation: DON’T!

In Ohio, you typically have two years from the accident date to settle a claim or file a legal action. Otherwise, your claim could be forever barred. Going back to insurance companies, the company, even if your own, is not your side. Unfortunately, I’ve seen various techniques used to make it seem the opposite is true, and then suddenly, the time runs out. I’m not saying this is typical, but keep it in mind. It may be your own company you are dealing with, for example, an uninsured or underinsured motorist claim.

11. Get to your doctor immediately to ensure everything is okay. Some injuries don’t manifest themselves immediately.

Stay safe, but always be ready! These things can happen in seconds or less. By the way, time does seem to slow down, and airbags hurt.

Today In History
November 07, 1811
The Battle of Tippecanoe

In 1811, American military forces defeated the Shawnee chieftain Tecumseh and his confederation of Indian warriors at the Battle of Tippecanoe.  General William Henry Harrison gained fame and popularity from the victory, which eventually catapulted him to the White House in 1840. I’ve been to the battlefield. The battle is an interesting story for another time. Some of the trees were there at the time of the actual battle.

He only served 31 days until death. Three people served as president within a calendar year: Martin Van Buren, Harrison, and John Tyler. This happened again when Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, and Chester Arthur each served in 1881. Hayes and Garfield were both from Ohio.

Benjamin Harrison of Ohio, his grandson, served as a president toward the end of the 19th century.

While in Congress, she introduced legislation that eventually became the 19th Constitutional Amendment, granting unrestricted voting rights to women nationwide.