WW2 items (lots of pics)

[XDsm]

I am in Palm Springs/Palm Desert this weekend hanging with friends. My buddy's wife grandparents live on a country club in Palm Desert so we swung by to visit with them. The Grandfather is a WW2 vet that served in many different campaigns. He was in the Ardennes, Rhineland, Central Europe, and Japanese occupation. He had many, many fascinating stories of what he did over there as a front line soldier. He talked about freeing a concentration camp as well as front line fighting. While he was over there he picked up, or in his words "liberated", some items. He brought out just a few of the souvenirs he collected while fighting. Here are some I got pictures of (picture quality not the best, I only had my phone with me):

He had more stuff in storage that he didn't take out including a German officer's uniform with Luger pistol, another pistol he got off a German infantry man, a Japanese sword, Hitler youth belt buckle, various Nazi flags he took from different battles, and Nazi arm bands. Pretty fascinating especially hearing the stories from the man himself that collected the item.

 

[DERRIXRYD]

That is so cool. I dig that dagger. My wife's grandfather actually paved the way for Patton on his marches through Germany. Normandy yep he was there too.
He says he and his group were going through a town. They walked by a motorcycle shop, looked through the window and there was some bike he has seen in magazines and says "I have always wanted one." His buddy says "Hey Will, we are at war." picked up a rock and busted the window, fired it up and rode it until it was out of gas.

 

[Venomous_X]

Man those are some cool pieces of history....Derrick great story.....Nigel man sweet gig. The stories that Vet must still have to tell just gives me chills thinking about it....Wish I could hear some :frown:

 

[06XR-SW]

thats freakin awesome my wife and i just finshed watching band of brothers again and all those guys in the WWI and II did so much for us and God bless all who have been MIA KIA and those who are still alive!!!

 

[Generation-X]

Heck ya tell him thanks for paving the way for the rest of us men and women who served. Those items are kikarse!

 

[XDsm]

Man those are some cool pieces of history....Derrick great story.....Nigel man sweet gig. The stories that Vet must still have to tell just gives me chills thinking about it....Wish I could hear some :frown:

He had some pretty intense stories. He said he wants to write memoirs of his experiences. That man went through a lot during the war.

Heck ya tell him thanks for paving the way for the rest of us men and women who served. Those items are kikarse!

He still has people come up to him and shake his hand when they see his veteran's hat with the campaigns listed on it. He even said one time a kid of one of the prisoners of the concentration camp wrote him to thank him for his part in freeing the camp. Pretty crazy.

 

[XDsm]

I got to see one of the guns, an arm band, and some German rations.

 

[DERRIXRYD]

That arm band... man I don't know what to say...it has so many different feelings for different people. The symbol alone is just something of history that stir emotions in us. For kids these days I bet it seems like mythology.

 

[XDsm]

That arm band... man I don't know what to say...it has so many different feelings for different people. The symbol alone is just something of history that stir emotions in us. For kids these days I bet it seems like mythology.

That's the problem though, kids these days tend to get disconnected to what happened. Like you said, it becomes to them just a story. That's how history repeats itself. Reminders like these, and survivors like the grandfather, show the history and how it should never be repeated.

 

[DERRIXRYD]

My daughter is reading a book by Elie Wiesel, a holocaust survivor. I only seen the guy on Opra and a news feed about he or his son getting punched in S.F. The walk he and Opra did was heartbreaking to watch. They walked where he stood in line to get his head shaved.
I am only 2 generations from that era...if you think about it, it wasn't that long ago.

 

[Xer0 SiN]

wow...great stuff...that k-pot is a one star...is that a generals k-pot?? just wow...

 

[XDsm]

I believe all Japanese helmets had the red star. The grandfather did mention though that the helmets that were painted all in red meant the soldier would do suicide missions.

 

[T0LLPHR33]

I believe all Japanese helmets had the red star. The grandfather did mention though that the helmets that were painted all in red meant the soldier would do suicide missions.

go big or go home huh...

 

[gregincali]

Wow very cool stuff

 

[TegoXR]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[akxr79]

whoaaa. all that stuff is awesome.

That last hat with the sheepskin is crazy

 

[dmbfan73]

the us military is very strick now about bringing things back. they are called "war trophies" and if you get caught you can be prosecuted. i have some iraqi money that i got from some army soldiers in early 03 when i was there.

 

[DERRIXRYD]

Ah man that sucks. I guess that's what makes things of that nature "valuable" in a way. Not for money purposes because what would you pay for stuff like that. It would almost be dishonorable to even give someone money for those types of items.

Thanks for sharing!

Who is that in your avatar...dang...:rock:

 

[JDM-X]

wow man awesome pics musta been intense

 

[XDsm]

I heard it was much more restrictive on what can be brought back as war trophies. Back in WW2 and even early parts of Vietnam they were pretty liberal on what you can take. It wasn't until the end of Vietnam is when they really started to crack down on war trophies.

I agree that it would be dishonorable to sell that stuff. Goes against why he brought it back in the first place. It was awesome for him to even show me, let me handle, and give me the stories on those items. I am not part of their family by blood and I know some people are more reserved about showing outsiders that kind of history. He was very open about it and seemed to enjoy getting the history out.