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Would love to have a chance to talk with or better yet... listen to any of these Veterans.
A replica of the WWII version, now manufactured by WWII carbine parts supplier, Auto-Ordnance.
BAND of BROTHERS WWII M1 PARATROOPER CARBINE .30 : Semi-auto at GunBroker.com
Enjoy your holiday weekend,
Charlie-painter777
Would love to talk to any of those guys as well. My late uncle, my Dad;s older brother was in B Company of the 506th PIR from D-Day to the end of the war.
On D-Day he jumped in ahead of the main force. I had the privilege of taking him to see Saving Private Ryan. It really opened him up about what happened. He told me that when he was going out the door of the C47, he was only 200' up (last guy out lands first). He said every barn was on fire and they shot the crap out of the aircraft. He said "They knew we were coming". Eddie carried a Thompson but liked the Garand best. He said of the Germans; "They were good, really good". He then went to the Pacific as cadre for the 11th Airborne, and did two more jumps there, the last being Corrigador. That was such a small island that they had Navy boats around the island to pick paratroopers out of the water. They killed about 600 Japanese in about one hour. That is where he caught a sailor going through the dead Japanese and Eddie grabbed a discarded Carbine M1A handed it to the Sailor and said: "Send this to Ed Nunes at xxxx St Alameda, Calif, Now get off this island" They didn't like people looting the guys they had killed. When he got home in 1946, the carbine, neatly boxed was waiting for him (who says that this stuff didn't happen? G.I. bringbacks?)
I suppose that would be a nice addition to my gun safe, I served in Delta 1/506th Infantry at Fort Campbell. The "Currahee" addition would be cool too. But if I'm dropping that kind of money on a folding stock carbine, it better be a real folding stock carbine.
I had the honor of being a guide for WW-II 1/506th vets when they held the 101st Airborne Division Association reunion at Fort Campbell in the 70's. Many told of jumping with the folding stock carbines, but replacing them soon after landing with Garands. Great guys, they were about my age back then, and to a man, they could drink me under the table. And they tried many times.
My Uncle told me that he carried a Thompson SMG most of the time. Gotta get me one of those!
I had a Thompson. Fun to shoot, but a bit hard to hold on target under full auto. Not as easy as they like to show in the movies.Quote:
Originally Posted by LeagleEagle
I was in B co 2/187th at Ft Campbell. Unfortunately, it was well after they went from airborne to air assault. At least I got my CIB. Those boys in WWII are my heroes.
All of those old vets value the CIB above any other awards they received. Eddie had a couple of Purple Hearts and they weren't even on his uniform, he was most proud of the CIB.
I think that most of us value our CIB more than most anything else.
I got 2 Bronze Stars - that I didn't get. First one the paperwork got lost in the shuffle and the Lt who reccomended took a bad head wound a week or so later and wasn't around to follow up on the submission. The 2nd one went to another guy for what I had done. I got wounded and medivaced so wasn't around to say anything and he took credit.
Found out about these events many years after the fact. Oh well, Xin Loi!
But I got my CIB!
Sarge
Sarge13,Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarge13
For me, what happened in combat, was a result of training and instinct. Hardly ever planned. In the end, after it was over, each one of us knew what had really happened. You know what you did, and why you did it. It wasn't for a medal. Furthest thing from your mind. It was to protect yourself and the guys you were with. I'd be thankful it wasn't you that took that head wound.
There are those that do, and then always those that will take. (That turd John Kerry comes to mind) The guy that takes credit for another's accomplishments has to live with that guilt the rest of his life. I think that would be a heavy burden to carry for such a small unearned medal on ones chest.
Combat was about accomplishing a mission, and survival. Coming back home to my young wife and daughter was a medal in itself. But that's just me.
We didn't even get a medal per say. CAR (combat action ribbon, not medal).
Jim
Viet Nam 1968-69-70