Nonnie's Observations

Veterans Day Formerly called Armistice Day  marked the end of the war to end all wars,  World War I.   This photo from History of Veterans Day was taken two minutes  before the armistice  was to go in effect  shows soldiers   from the 353rd Infantry near a church in  Stenay, Meuse in France .   My mother's dad served three years in the 165th (Mine) of the Company Coast Regiment of Artillery Corps. My information comes  from his discharge papers. Since I was born before America entered into World War II, I have faint memories of being aware that three of my momma's six brothers were  overseas serving. Uncle Raymond was in the Navy. Uncle John also was in the Navy,  but he was attached to the Marines  as a corpsman. Uncle John was only 17 when he enlisted. Obviously, he did not tell his true age. Uncle Roy was in the Army. My grandmother must have done  some heavy praying during those years, what with three sons be...

At the left is my cousin's uncle Billy, and at right is our uncle John. On the back of the photo, it's dated April of 1945. It was taken on Guam. Featured here is Uncle Raymond, who was on leave, and his wife Mary.  They are standing in front of the apartment house in which the uncle shown below lived.  And in the background is the house in which my grandparents lived. Uncle Roy John (served in the Navy attached to the Marines because he was a medic), Raymond (Navy) and Roy (Army) were brothers. I was too young then to appreciate the sacrifice my grandmother also made because three of her sons served in the military during World War II. During the Korean War, my uncle Charles was in the Marines.  I remember writing to him; by then I was a teenager. My husband served in the Air Force during that same "police action."  I didn't meet him till he was discharged.  He continued in the reserves for a few more years.