If you had the chance to talk to a WWII vet......

ONealmr · 10-25-14, 05:34 PM

Whom I'm going to go see is Dr. (Cpl) Sidney Phillips. He was portrayed by an actor in The Pacific in 2010. I went last year to go see him on 04 November (the birthday of Eugene Sledge.....wikipedia him

. Him and Sledge were best friends but served during different times of the war. Sledge came back from the war without even a scratch. No purple heart. Sid Phillips was the same way. However a year ago, as I was approaching his home (there are several around his spot so it's not like he knew I was coming for him specifically), he was leaving to take his sister to a doc appointment.

I told him that I visit Mobile, AL on every 4 November. He invited me to stop by "in a year" and we'll sit down and get to know each other. Now, whether he'll remember all that or not, I'm not sure. But I am going to give it another try for a sit down with him. As time is approaching, I'm starting to panic as I don't have any questions written down as to what to ask him.

What we do have in common though, we are both prior Marines, and both are War veterans (OIF 2006-2007).

Other than a few basic (and obvious) questions, what do I ask this great of a man??? If you had the opportunity, what would you ask?? As a side note, he was an 80mm mortar man.

nikimcbee · 10-25-14, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ONealmr

Whom I'm going to go see is Dr. (Cpl) Sidney Phillips. He was portrayed by an actor in The Pacific in 2010. I went last year to go see him on 04 November (the birthday of Eugene Sledge.....wikipedia him

. Him and Sledge were best friends but served during different times of the war. Sledge came back from the war without even a scratch. No purple heart. Sid Phillips was the same way. However a year ago, as I was approaching his home (there are several around his spot so it's not like he knew I was coming for him specifically), he was leaving to take his sister to a doc appointment.

I told him that I visit Mobile, AL on every 4 November. He invited me to stop by "in a year" and we'll sit down and get to know each other. Now, whether he'll remember all that or not, I'm not sure. But I am going to give it another try for a sit down with him. As time is approaching, I'm starting to panic as I don't have any questions written down as to what to ask him.

What we do have in common though, we are both prior Marines, and both are War veterans (OIF 2006-2007).

Other than a few basic (and obvious) questions, what do I ask this great of a man??? If you had the opportunity, what would you ask?? As a side note, he was an 80mm mortar man.

That.....is....awesome!

After thinking about the OP, "Marine". "Guadalcanal." I'd ask him if he knew John Basilone.
Since I know who it is now, ask him about "The Pacific." What facts were true? What did they change?

If I were in your spot, bring a microphone and record the conversation, if he's okay with that. He may remember, tell you stuff he's never told anybody else. I'd ask him his recollections of the Tokyo Express.
I'd ask him tons of Guadalcanal questions.

svt94 · 10-25-14, 10:01 PM

My Grand Father was in WWII. Some of the stories he told will always burn bright in my mind.

Actually both of my Grandpa's

I never got to meet one of them :bless his sole. he is burried in pearl harbor. So i was told.

My Great grandma was supposed to have worked for Boeing wiring bomb bay doors on the super fortress.

Family says she wired the doors on the Fortress that was later known as the Enola Gay....
i havnt turned up much in terms of information

em2nought · 10-26-14, 01:04 AM

I'd want to know what he thinks of "us" present day. Does he think we need a "reset"?

ONealmr · 10-26-14, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

I'd ask him if he knew John Basilone.
Since I know who it is now, ask him about "The Pacific." What facts were true? What did they change?

I had about 10 minutes with him (maybe I kind of stalled him but I REALLY wanted to talk with him). I asked him about Tv is Tv but reality is of course what really happened. I asked what was completely fabricated in the show. He said if I recalled the point in the show where they were on the train in Australia and one of the Marines shot and killed a cow (a dairy cow)? Never happened. In fact, they didn't even have rifles. They had packs, but not rifles.

The other was the swearing. In 'The Pacific', they swore a lot. In reality, they rarely swore.

John Basilone was in a different unit. Albeit they were all in 1st Marine Division, Basilone was in a different Battalion. He knew who he was, just not on a personal level.

eddie · 10-27-14, 03:21 PM

I talk to a WWII vet everyday, I look after my father who is 90 years old now. He was in the 4th Marine Division, and while he was fighting on Tinian, they had dug in for the night. (He carried a Browning Automatic Rifle) To protect themselves from Japanese infiltrators at night, they strung up wire out in front of their foxholes. They attached cans from their C-Rations to the wire and put some pebbles in them so they would make noise if they were moved.

Well, later that night someone walked into the trip wires and made a bunch of racket out there, they called out for a password incase it was a Marine night patrol returning to their lines, but got no answer. So everyone along the line opened fire. A short time later they were ordered to stop firing, and after they did, they heard nothing, no noise from out front. Of course they didn't sleep the rest of the night. But when the sun finally came up so they could see what was out there, come to find out they had shot the crap out of a water buffalo who walked into the wrong place at the wrong time!

Jimbuna · 10-27-14, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddie

I talk to a WWII vet everyday, I look after my father who is 90 years old now. He was in the 4th Marine Division, and while he was fighting on Tinian, they had dug in for the night. (He carried a Browning Automatic Rifle) To protect themselves from Japanese infiltrators at night, they strung up wire out in front of their foxholes. They attached cans from their C-Rations to the wire and put some pebbles in them so they would make noise if they were moved.

Well, later that night someone walked into the trip wires and made a bunch of racket out there, they called out for a password incase it was a Marine night patrol returning to their lines, but got no answer. So everyone along the line opened fire. A short time later they were ordered to stop firing, and after they did, they heard nothing, no noise from out front. Of course they didn't sleep the rest of the night. But when the sun finally came up so they could see what was out there, come to find out they had shot the crap out of a water buffalo who walked into the wrong place at the wrong time!

Better safe than sorry

eddie · 10-27-14, 05:42 PM

Got that right,lol

eddie · 10-27-14, 06:00 PM

He told me besides being worried at night about an infiltrator getting into your foxhole and slitting your throat, were the snipers who would be in trees. He said the jungle was so thick at times, that a sniper would kill someone in his platoon and they had no idea where the shot came from. Sometimes another Marine would lose their life or be wounded before they could tell where the shot came from. Then they would literally shred the tree with gun fire to make sure they got him. Sometimes a body would fall from the tree, or they would eventually find the body slumped over still tied to the tree trunk. They were going to stay in that tree killing as many GI's as they could before they were killed.

10-25-14, 10:01 PM	#3
svt94 Swabbie Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 11 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 0	My Grand Father was in WWII. Some of the stories he told will always burn bright in my mind. Actually both of my Grandpa's I never got to meet one of them :bless his sole. he is burried in pearl harbor. So i was told. My Great grandma was supposed to have worked for Boeing wiring bomb bay doors on the super fortress. Family says she wired the doors on the Fortress that was later known as the Enola Gay.... i havnt turned up much in terms of information __________________ If you put a toaster on a hippos back and dragged him through the water by his gahdam tail you would have a nuke boat. Sometimes progress sucks. Bob 'Dex' Armstrong

10-26-14, 01:04 AM	#4
em2nought Ocean Warrior Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 3,485 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I'd want to know what he thinks of "us" present day. Does he think we need a "reset"? __________________ em2nought is ecstatic garbage!

10-27-14, 03:21 PM	#6
eddie Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,023 Downloads: 99 Uploads: 0	I talk to a WWII vet everyday, I look after my father who is 90 years old now. He was in the 4th Marine Division, and while he was fighting on Tinian, they had dug in for the night. (He carried a Browning Automatic Rifle) To protect themselves from Japanese infiltrators at night, they strung up wire out in front of their foxholes. They attached cans from their C-Rations to the wire and put some pebbles in them so they would make noise if they were moved. Well, later that night someone walked into the trip wires and made a bunch of racket out there, they called out for a password incase it was a Marine night patrol returning to their lines, but got no answer. So everyone along the line opened fire. A short time later they were ordered to stop firing, and after they did, they heard nothing, no noise from out front. Of course they didn't sleep the rest of the night. But when the sun finally came up so they could see what was out there, come to find out they had shot the crap out of a water buffalo who walked into the wrong place at the wrong time! __________________ Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I'm kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you are going to remember about me. Al Capone

10-27-14, 05:42 PM	#8
eddie Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,023 Downloads: 99 Uploads: 0	Got that right,lol __________________ Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I'm kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you are going to remember about me. Al Capone

10-27-14, 06:00 PM	#9
eddie Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,023 Downloads: 99 Uploads: 0	He told me besides being worried at night about an infiltrator getting into your foxhole and slitting your throat, were the snipers who would be in trees. He said the jungle was so thick at times, that a sniper would kill someone in his platoon and they had no idea where the shot came from. Sometimes another Marine would lose their life or be wounded before they could tell where the shot came from. Then they would literally shred the tree with gun fire to make sure they got him. Sometimes a body would fall from the tree, or they would eventually find the body slumped over still tied to the tree trunk. They were going to stay in that tree killing as many GI's as they could before they were killed. __________________ Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I'm kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you are going to remember about me. Al Capone

10-25-14, 05:34 PM	#1
ONealmr Watch Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 28 Downloads: 136 Uploads: 0	Whom I'm going to go see is Dr. (Cpl) Sidney Phillips. He was portrayed by an actor in The Pacific in 2010. I went last year to go see him on 04 November (the birthday of Eugene Sledge.....wikipedia him . Him and Sledge were best friends but served during different times of the war. Sledge came back from the war without even a scratch. No purple heart. Sid Phillips was the same way. However a year ago, as I was approaching his home (there are several around his spot so it's not like he knew I was coming for him specifically), he was leaving to take his sister to a doc appointment. I told him that I visit Mobile, AL on every 4 November. He invited me to stop by "in a year" and we'll sit down and get to know each other. Now, whether he'll remember all that or not, I'm not sure. But I am going to give it another try for a sit down with him. As time is approaching, I'm starting to panic as I don't have any questions written down as to what to ask him. What we do have in common though, we are both prior Marines, and both are War veterans (OIF 2006-2007). Other than a few basic (and obvious) questions, what do I ask this great of a man??? If you had the opportunity, what would you ask?? As a side note, he was an 80mm mortar man.