Cascade Crew

[Dewey316]

Thanks to all of those who have served, or are serving.

[Schultzy89GTA]

[Al Hasse]

[iansane]

Usa, all the way.

[83Z28BlackBetty]

woohoo!

[flea]

Happy Veterans day everyone.

[QwkTrip]

One short story of a soldier that three countries owe a debt....

My grandpa was a very naughty boy. As a teenager he ran away from home in Wyoming. He rode Pony Express in Yellowstone for a bit and also rode "shotgun" on wagons to protect tourists from wild animals. I have his canvas Pony Express mail bag. He grew up in the old West with Indians living in teepees and saw the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show.

One day riding motorcycle in Chicago grandpa saw people drowning in a river. It was the Eastland Disaster. Grandpa tried to jump in the river to help but a police officer stopped him. He took a plier from his pocket and hit the officer over the head and knocked him out cold. Grandpa stripped down, jumped in the river, and pulled out about a dozen people and bodies. Grandpa was recognized for heroism in 2002 at a memorial event in Chicago.

Then grandpa began smuggling gold across the US border from Mexico. When General Black Jack Pershing started hunting down Poncho Villa my grandpa became a trail guide for US military. However, his dirty deeds were found out and he was shipped back to the US to serve jail time. But when his ship got near dock in Texas he jumped over board and escaped. He worked his way up to New York but didn't feel like he could stay in America so he traveled to Europe.

It was WWI at the time and grandpa needed money so he joined the British navy. That was short lived when his boat was sunk in the English Channel. He was rescued after two days and discharged from the military.

Out of money again, grandpa went to France where he joined the military. He lied about being able to fly a plane and they made him a pilot. There wasn't much training back then. You either lived or you didn't. He was a natural. He was a WWI ace but not recognized as such because of lacking proper documentation. Some of his kills were using the shotgun he carried on his lap in the plane. Parachutes weren't available so if the plane went down you went down with it. Grandpa used the shotgun to shoot out the leather wings of the other plane. He landed a few times after a kill to collect personal items off the German soldiers. I have a German cross medal and a homemade knife. Another family member has a German spire helmet. Grandpa took shrapnel in the neck at one point but piloted his plane back to base and lived.

He thought the pomp and circumstance of European nobles and officials was funny and he didn't have much reverence for them. One time he flew his fighter plane through the Arc de Triomphe and was grounded for a few weeks as punishment. It was a great insult to the French. Another time he saw a parade passing over a bridge with government officials riding horses and dressed up in their fancy riding uniforms with the huge hats and fancy coats. He dived under the bridge and looped back over it to scare the horses. Sure enough, nearly every fancy looking rider was thrown from their horse. Again, he was grounded.

You lose US citizenship by joining a foreign military, so you're probably wondering how I'm an American? When the US joined the war they didn't have many experienced pilots and believe it or not there were many Americans flying for France. Grandpa got a once in a lifetime offer to become an American again and criminal record forgiven if he would fly for US Army. Done! USA is the best country on earth!

After the war grandpa did many things. Cadillac salesman, barn storming (yes, he was a barn stormer), building model trains for Meyer and Frank (Portland), and running CCC worker camps. I have one of the model diner train cars he hand made.

WWII broke out and grandpa was back in the Army. This time he commanded a reconnaissance base in Alaska that was watching Russia. It was miserable and his men hated him. One night his tent was shot full of bullet holes. He carried a leather wrapped steel cane everywhere for protection from his own men. And flying was dangerous... very dangerous because of ice. He nearly died one night trying to fly back to base. The plane was so heavy with ice he could barely keep it off the ground. He hit the runway hard and the ice fell off. It took two truck loads to clear the ice from the runway.

WWII left him with a physical breakdown. He had been through three wars and was over 50 years old. He retired to Portland Oregon and as far as I know never worked another day. He lived a long time and I knew my grandpa until I was in my early teens. He was the best! All the neighborhood kids called him Cookie Monster because he always had a cookie for the kids and their dogs. When he neared death the Army told him he was the last living WWI American aviator.

My grandpa's life reads like Indiana Jones. There's much more that I haven't talked about from searching for gold claims to expeditions through Alaskan Wilderness, owning pet wolf and bear, and being sentenced to execution by firing squad in Mexico (yes, I'm serious). When he was old there were publishers wanting to buy his life story and write books but he wouldn't do it. Never explained why. Just didn't talk much about the wars. I'm proud of my grandpa and his distinguished life-long military service. I respect him this Veterans Day. And I'm glad I'm American and not French.

[RSFreak]

I was in the Army Reserves for 8 years if that counts.

[flea]

[RoosterC]

Hooyah Vets day while I'm in the ocean (we had a beer day )

@Qwk your Grandfather sounds like a badass, kmine were in the Marines and the Navy. Dads side was a force recon marine and Moms was an engineer on destroyers. Never met them, but I hope their story is close to as adventurous as yours was Kind of sad he didn't want to document any of the better times of his life, but it's understandable not talking about war.