What a shame that you don't have it any more.
I understand, though. I wore out and discarded my grandfather's knee-length boots and had his steel WW I helmet. He was in both wars, but I never heard any stories. I was too young when he died to have any appreciation of them.
My father had a whole chest of his Marine Corps gear, medals, navigational instruments, emblems, that kind of stuff. I don't know where most of it is now; maybe my Marine brother has it.
I do have a USMC wool blanket that I've used ever since I was camping out in the back yard. I still use it when I go hunting, which is not often enough.
At our cabin on Flathead Lake, we have a picture of the USS Northampton, the heavy cruiser he was on before the war. During the Battle of Tassafaronga, USS Northampton was hit by two \"Long Lance\" torpedoes from the Japanese destroyer Oyashio and sunk at Lunga Point. We have a section of the teakwood deck, which was removed when the Pacific heated up to get it ready for war. It may be the only piece of that proud ship in existence today.
I hope our young people of the next generation develop an appreciation for what their fathers did in the Gulf War and Iraq and Afghanistan, as we did for our fathers.
I'm really sorry you lost track of the General's uniform. Today, it would be priceless memorabilia. |
