I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Question and opinion regarding Living History / Reenacting.
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Joe Gopan
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I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by Joe Gopan » Sat Nov 03, 2018 8:38 am

HARRY TRUNDY was in the bed across from me in the recovery ward at Ft Devens Army Hospital. He was 74 at the time and retired Army. His last assignment was as NCOIC of the PX system at Ft Monmouth. He had altered his records and the Army caught up with him at age 65. He was a fiesty old sergeant.
His claim to fame was General Persing personally putting him on KP as the General discovered him asleep on his horse. Harry had been on mounted guard duty for 24 hours straight without relief. This was 1916, his unit was in Mexico after Pancho Villa. He also served on the Burma Road in WWII.
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Mark Jesic
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Re: I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by Mark Jesic » Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:01 am

Those heroes who served in Burma went through absolute hell. I visited the graveyard of the fallen in Thailand, all those young lads, a lot of them teenagers, you came out in tears. We will never forget.

Joe Gopan
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Re: I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by Joe Gopan » Sat Apr 20, 2019 9:33 am

Another is USAF Col. Nathan Rosengarten, aka "Rosie" Rosie was born 1917, an engineering graduate at Drexel University. He held a commission in the Army Engineers but ended up as a Flight test Engineer at Wright Field. He had an exciting carreer and was involved in flight testing all the early jets and bombers starting in 1941. He was Flight Test Engineer assigned to the Bell P-59 and Lockheed P-80. Colonel Rosengarten was also assigned to Project Bluebook (UFO's) He enjoyed talking away the hours on the phone with stories about famous test pilots flight testing American and WWII enemy aircraft while being prompted by his wife Erma in the background. He passed away a year or so ago at age 101.
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LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
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Joe Gopan
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Re: I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by Joe Gopan » Tue Aug 13, 2019 10:14 pm

One does not have to look far to discover WWII Veterans that were witness Air Force history Friends Walter Wyman USAF Air Policeman and Henry Miller, WWII MP.
Henry served on the Security Detail at MUROC on the first flight of the Bell XP59 Jet in 1942, and Walter was on the Air Police Detail for the first flights of the U-2 at Edwards AFB during 1956.
The head of my engineering section Ev Stevens flew a combat tour in B-24's (457BG) and secret C-47 missions into Norwak near the end of WWII, his C.O. for those secret missions was Bernt Balchen.
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Andy Cole
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Re: I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by Andy Cole » Thu Aug 15, 2019 5:10 am

Last week I posted in the weapons section about hosting a Korean War vet for a field day.

See link below.

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=309316&p=1798743#p1798743
1943 Willys MB285433 D.O.D. 12-3-1943
1951 M100 trailer D.O.D. 3/51
1951 M37 Truck D.O.D. 5-28-1951
M3 37MM ATG
M3A4 Hand Cart
Wife D.O.Delivery 7-21-1979
Boy D.O.Delivery. 2-15-2007
Girl D.O.Delivery. 4-9-2009
Girl D.O.Delivery. 10-23-2012

Joe Gopan
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Re: I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu Sep 24, 2020 1:38 pm

Walter Wyman was also a charter member of the Maine Air National Guard which was formed in 1947, it's first mission aircraft was the P-47-D and about a year later the Maine ANG reequipped with new F-80C Shooting Stars. One of the original Maine ANG Shooting Stars is now on display with the EAA at Oshkosh.
The Air Force Advisor at this time was Colonel Harrison Thyng. CO of the Maine ANG was Colonel Philip E. Tukey. Across the Base (DOW FIELD) was the 14th Fighter Group, (stationed at DOW 1946-1949), the first unit to receive the P-84B. The P84-B was full of bugs and the planted a lot of these early P-84's in a 100 mile area around Dow.
I've mentioned this before that the former US Army Heavyweight Boxing Champ was a Supply Sergeant in the 14th FG. He taught me how to ride my bicycle. I am proud to have known him. The 14th FG was a "who's who" of famous WWII AAF Aces. I got to hear the war stories of these WWII veterans while they were still young and the exploits fresh in their minds. I felt lucky to be surrounded by our AAF veteran customers, most of us here in G503 have to read this history books, I heard it from the veterans.
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LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

Joe Gopan
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Re: I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by Joe Gopan » Wed Nov 18, 2020 3:00 pm

Colonel Rosengarten sent me an envelope containing hand written unpublished manuscripts about test flying 40's-50's aircraft at "Old Wright Field", I wish I had started contacting famous WWII pilots years earlier, they all had endless stories they enjoyed telling.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

RadMan
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Re: I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by RadMan » Wed Dec 09, 2020 7:49 pm

There is nothing like meeting/talking to Vet's and asking them about daily life with ears, amazing what comes from that!
"He who calls rifles guns
and cartridges bullets
ought not to be taken seriously."
Statement from an old Marine officer who used to write for Guns & Ammo

RadMan
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Re: I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by RadMan » Wed Dec 09, 2020 8:08 pm

I remember David Hill showing up at the Big Reno Gun show back in the 90's many times because his fellow AVG friend lived in Mindon, NV, he would fly into Carson.
Talking to people like that is something never forgotten.
"He who calls rifles guns
and cartridges bullets
ought not to be taken seriously."
Statement from an old Marine officer who used to write for Guns & Ammo

Joe Gopan
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Re: I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu Jul 08, 2021 2:11 pm

I only wish I had started contacting these veterans that made WWII Warbird history twenty tears earlier, they were all more than eager to relive history they made over the phone.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

DogDoc
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Re: I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by DogDoc » Thu Jul 08, 2021 4:23 pm

Yesterday, a friend messaged me and told me I needed to go across the street from my office to our small municipal airport. Glad I made it happen. A B-17G and an AT-6 were sitting side by side on the tarmac. One of the crew was the radio operator on this aircraft for the navy during the Korean War. Amazing gentleman with amazing stories on an amazing aircraft!

Jay
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Arnold43GPW
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Re: I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by Arnold43GPW » Wed Oct 27, 2021 9:48 pm

I have personally interviewed 57 WWII Veterans over the past 5 years, it is an HONOR to know these men, and hear their stories.
1943 Ford GPW #104421 “ The Spirit of 43’ “ My PTO Jeep

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Re: I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by D_Conrad » Fri Nov 05, 2021 7:45 pm

I am still in the process of conducting interviews of WWII vets. I have only been able to talk to about 15 though. Jealous of your 53!
Daniel

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viewtopic.php?t=273387

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Re: I LIKE MEETING OLD VETERANS

Post by garandshooter » Sat Nov 06, 2021 2:40 pm

I fly as crew with the B-17 “Texas Raiders” and take the chance to interview all of the WWII vets who come out to see us. Only a matter of a few more years before the last of them will be gone.


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