I received a message saying I won a prize. Does the AVC give away prizes for random viewers? I’ve been told I won a hand gun but have to pay shipping? Something doesn’t seem right. The reply wasn’t pinned by the AVC so I am skeptical and a vet and do not want to offend anyone but don’t want to lose my money either. If someone can confirm
@@maverick744 NO. we do not send out messages like that. Please look for the verification check mark next to accounts that claim to be us. We're sorry that a scammer is targeting you.
@@americanveteranscenter god bless you all. Thanks for the info. It was the first time something like that had happened to me. If it weren’t for the 1911 45ACP I wouldn’t had even entertained this guy. Pretty low for some individual to target honorable vets,, thanks again
@@redluke8119 in the history of man kind? That is disgraceful to the men that carried heavy iron and bronze armor that had to hack, slice and dismember each other on the battlefield.
@@gopnikstyle9148 they had to do that in the Islands of the Pacific but also had to contend with naval fire hand to hand combat tanks bombs knifes and sword. The Marines did their fair share of hacking but I totally see what your saying I should have said modern history ancient combat would have been far more intense in shorter spurts
My Dad’s best friend just died At 97 & 3/4 years of age. Joined the Marines at 17…fought on Guam and Iwo too!! A fine man and a great criminal defense lawyer up here in Boston. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Thank you for your service Tomorrow is the 247 Anniversary of the Marine Corps My dad was in the 2nd Division 18th combat engineers Fleet Marine Force. He was at Guadalcanal. Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian. The engineers were flamethrowers and demolition men. How he survived I don’t know. He never spoke of it until near the end of his life. I found a letter of commendation and a medal in an envelope in a drawer near the end of his life for his actions on Saipan. He never told anyone about it. I found out it’s a Silver Star. When I asked him about it he said medals don’t matter. The only hero’s are guys who don’t come home. Ordinary men did extraordinary things.
Admiral Chester Nimitz said uncommon valor was a common virtue. Your father was among extraordinary company. God bless him and the heros he served with and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Thank your father for his service. I was in Afghanistan and probably didn't see a fraction of the stuff these guys did and I still have a hard time talking about the details. Especially with someone who isn't a combat vet. But that just means most likely that he has for sure seen some stuff. God bless your dad and your whole family for his sacrifices for our freedom.
60...dude you're too generous lol. He definitely does Not look like he's in his 90s, that's certain...but 60...nope. If I had to guess by listening and looking, not knowing how old he really is, I'd of guessed 75/76.
Thank you for sharing your story with us. My father joined the USMC during WWII and flew Corsairs in the Pacific theater. He returned, met mother, married and they raised five children. I hope you have been able to find peacefulness and joy in your life. Thank you for your service in saving our country. If he were still alive, he would say "Semper Fidelis"! We appreciate you and the sacrifice you made for us.
My dad and his five brothers were Vets of WWII. My dad's brother, Pete earned the Silver Star as a tank commander under General Patton. He was the real hero out of all of them because he saved hundreds of lives due to his actions. His other brother, Jim was a nose gunner on a B-24 which had to make an emergency landing after having the crap being shot at them with flak. The crew survived to go on fighting for other days and he too came back alive. My uncle Sal was a tank instructor in the U.S. and taught tankers how to survive and fix their tanks along the way. My dad was the youngest of the bunch and entered the war towards the end. He was stationed at Pennacola Florida in the Navy where he was assigned to place the engines onto the brand new airplanes being shipped to our boys overseas. He was also selected to become a flight engineer on a PBY amphibious sub-hunter to scout the U.S. coastline from Nazi U-boats. One day my dad and his buddy requested sea duty to be on a big boat to fight in the Pacific battlefield. His commanding officer said to them: "Are you guys crazy? You're going to say right here in the U.S. and continue putting airplanes together for our boys overseas." I can now say to my dad's commanding officer: "Thank you, Sir". I might not be here today because of you".
My Dad was the youngest of 5 brothers, he was late in the war and never saw action. His oldest brother was foreman at Norfolk shipyards and considered too necessary to go into the service, my Uncle Leroy was a sniper in Europe, my Uncle Sam was artillery on a small island guarding the Panama Canal. My Uncle Jim was a navigator on cargo planes in the S. Pacific, severely injured in a crash but survived. My Dad was a radar tech in Honolulu when the war ended. My Uncle Hugh, my aunt's husband was at the Battle of the Bulge. I was always proud of my Dad and all my uncles. Amazing they all survived.
My Grandfather Raymond Buddington served in WW2, Korea, and Vietnam, he is buried at Arlington, he was is and will always be my hero, and I was the only one of his grandkids who joined the Military, US Army, and then ironically I was with 3rd Armored Division during Desert Storm the same Division my Grandfather served with in WW2
Nice family trivia my man! My dad was in the Marines and I ended up under both Marine commands (1st and 2nd divisions) he was under in Vietnam but while I served in the 2nd Inf reg ARMY haha, dad wouldn't let me be a soldier but an combat tested Marine haha (name only but I do get to ware either Marine division patch's for that whole Fallujah/Ramadi err argument) "In August 2004, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team made history by deploying to Iraq from the Republic of Korea. It was the first operational deployment from Korea, and the team worked alongside ROK soldiers, just as they had in Korea. Eventually, in a throwback to the 2nd Infantry Division’s history of fighting alongside the Marines in World War I, the 2nd BCT fell under the direct command of the 1st Marine Division. Later in its deployment, the team was attached to the 2nd Marine Division" www.2id.korea.army.mil/About-Us/History/
Also hey I looked up your grandfather, Glad he stayed and became an Air force (Army aircorps ww2) tech Sgt. Same rank as my dad but different branches. My dad wanted to be an grunt but mostly became an aircraft engineer. The combat he knew was unseen and fast, mine was slow and personal is all I can say.
This is the type of man who needs to write books. He’s so entertaining you can’t help get captivated by him retelling his experiences.. The story’s he must have. God bless him cause we love him!
@@wolfpecker5710 IKR! That entire generation was built to last. He said when Pearl Harbor got hit his two buddy’s was like let’s go join the Marines! All three went into medical processing and his two buddies failed and he passed.. “what the hell am I doing here” LMAO that killed me . I’m sure that happened all the time during WW2 and it was the quiet guy who wins the MOH..I have admiration for all my brothers and sisters but have a special place for those guys.
@@maverick744 hahaha yeah man that was funny. Or when he’s like “so I was digging out my fox hole like mad and the other two guys said they weren’t going to dig. Well a piece artillery hit and blew them up cause they didn’t want to dig”. This guy is the type of guy to survive one of those death marches just to spite the Japanese 😂. What a legend!
Growing up, I always thought the cold European Theater was as bad as war got, until I listened to Dan Carlin's "Supernova in the East" series. The amount of respect I now have for the soldiers who were involved in the Pacific is immeasurable. The jungle environments these men had to fight in has been nightmare fuel for me ever since.
As Sherman noted: "War is Hell. You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out.” -William Tecumseh Sherman, Union General in the American Civil War (1820-1891). Was is a vicious affair. Killing and suffering is bad enough, but climate extremes intensify the experience.
I love listening to his story. It’s like listening to Tony Soprano crossed with Rodney Dangerfield telling you a riveting story about the war. Absolutely thrilling
My Mom's cousin a Marine named Chester Hash from Ida TX was killed in Guam. Your description of your long Pacific tour is more informative than anything printed or filmed that I have come across giving me a clearer picture of that campaign. Thank you so much!
I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate these men, this man (and his Northeast accent) and the channel. I greatly appreciate this work you are doing. Godspeed!
Not sure if he said where he was born and raised, but my grandfather and great uncles were all born and raised in Worcester, Mass! (I was born there as well) My grandfather was an army aircraft mechanic in the pacific theater and one of my great uncles was in the second wave at Omaha beach on D-Day. The latter could never go back into the ocean waters even when they would go to Cape Cod during the summers for vacation… that day on Omaha he lost his innocence at 19 and never regained it. We owe everything to these men and to make sure fascism never surfaces again in this world. Much respect Sir! 🫡🫡🫡
My great uncle Floyd fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He saw men killed next to him and probably would've gotten killed or wounded himself, but they pulled him off the line to guard prisoners since he could speak a little German. I think he had PTSD because he never talked about much except Jack Dempsey or something from the 1920s or 30s. He was a boxer in the Army. Unfortunately he committed suicide in 1992
My uncle PFC Hugh Clements fought at the Bulge. He and another soldier were trapped and surrounded by Germans for 2 days, hid in a burned out tank, and made it back. He was a quiet man, I learned his story from older family members. He used to go to reunions nearly every year until his death. I am always amazed at the hardships these men suffered, if the Germans didn't kill you, the bitter cold did. Incredible stories.
I have watched a lot of first-hand WWII interviews but Mr. Hall is one of my favorites. Thank you Mr. Hall for your service and thank you to all veterans. You guys are my heroes.
Just a little way through this … my father was a technical sergeant in the merchant marine on the west coast - & a cargo supervisor for Matson shipping in San Francisco. We sailed on the Lurline & the Mariposa, sister ships of the Matson line. He served both liners in their home port. Fascinating to hear the Lurline having been a troop ship.
Thanks to all the veterans. My dad was marine during Vietnam and my grandfather was navy ww2 south pacific dd732.i have the same flag from my dad funeral. I'm so thankful for the veterans. They are the reason why we are still safe and free.god bless these hero's.thanks for taking the time to tell ur stories. I never understood why my grandfather was scared of going in the ocean. Until he told me about watching his friends be eaten by sharks and starve to death, after being in the water for 3 days after there ship sunk.
Think of this, those guys that went to the pacific early like the Canal unless so wounded they could not do combat again spent the entire time on deserted Islands to the end of the war. The didn’t get to go to Paris for a few days. They were mainly in a jungle training or in combat. They are all heroes and should be remember forever for what they did for us!
This guy Frank Hall is a charachter that is leaving this world...man we need more Frank Hall's...Oh God we need more Frank Hall's... Ah Salute Frank's memory!!! What a sweetheart, just a sweetheart...Thanks Frank, many thanks!!!
Makes me sad to think of the division in this country when I hear about heroes like this man and many other who pulled together when the world needed them the most. I hope as a country we can restore their level of commitment for each other and this great nation
Wow what a Great memory from this Marine - I see that this interview was recorded in 2013 and that he passed in 2018? It’s amazing to me that he’s so matter-of-fact telling his stories…most guys get emotional ( understandable and expected ). I’m sure it was a horror show for those patriotic American 19-year olds. America will never have men like those of his generation, that’s for sure. He referred to PTSD casually in passing as what they at that time called “battle fatigue,” as if it’s just a minor or temporary issue. Amazing
I know you didn’t mean it to come across it did because I have the utmost respect for WWII veterans! But I think every American that has fought in any conflict before and after WWII are special Americans also. The conflicts we didn’t “win” weren’t because of the servicemen who did the fighting…The fault is solely with the politicians and bureaucrats ! The politicians let our boys down!!! The Afghanistan debacle is the most recent example. God Bless our servicemen! God Bless America! But godd*mn our politicians and bureaucrats!!!
This was my Dad. He did pass in 2018, about a week before his 95th birthday. (He had a big party planned, & really wanted to be there).He lived a full life, had 7 children, 6 grandchildren, & so far, 1 great grandchild. He was the mayor of our town twice. A full life. He did struggle with his PTSD, but was a tough old bird. 👍
Loved him! Weve now lost almost all of the remaining surviving WW II vets. :( I wish there had been a public acknowledgment of the closing of this chapter. I guess it would be hard, since obviously they passed at different times, but does anyone else feel like that? It just seems like the fact we've now lost the last our chance for first hand accounts of WW II combat is a really big deal, I feel very sad that I'll likely never get to meet one, and thank him for his service.
Wow what a man thank you for your service sir and yes you are here to help all of us younger generation ro remember the sacrifices you all made. Cheers
My grandfather fought on the Front in France in WW1, suffered from the effects of trench foot/nerve damage throughout his whole life. Iwo Jima, the last thing my daddy saw. He was shot in the head and lost his sight in both eyes a month before his 20th birthday. My father-in-law fought and was wounded in the Hurtgen Forest and also helped liberate one of the concentration camps in Europe. None of them would talk about their experiences. God bless all veterans for what they sacrificed for us. 💕
@@ohio72213 The shot entered into the outside corner of one eye, traveled around his skull, lodged behind his ear, where it remained the rest of his life. Because of its location, he was told it was too dangerous to try to remove it. His good eye then became infected while he was hospitalized and recovering in San Francisco, causing him to lose sight in it, as well. There was a dent on the outside corner of his eye where the bullet had entered, but that was the only physical scar that showed. The mental scars were another story.
My grandpa was in the Pacific Theater, I understand mostly in or near Burma and China. He came back a very different man, and suffered from severe PTSD until an early death. I never got to meet him. He couldn’t talk about his experiences like this, at least not with his sons. They were the Greatest Generation, and they gave everything for us. I see Corporal Frank Hall passed away a few years after this recording. May the departed Rest In Peace.
@@ruck27 No doubt. I'll also mention that, to quote a dear friend of mine, "grief is not a competition". What he (and I) mean by that is two people may go through a similar situation and be affected in very different ways. I don't know exactly what it was that so traumatized my grandpa, but no doubt it did. I don't know how our hero in this video could speak about some of these things, but the reality is that he could, and I'm grateful for his insight into the world my Grandpa Dominick suffered in. God bless :)
A friend of mine's father was a sapper on D-Day Omaha beach. They were the first ones out to blow up barriers in the surf. His unit suffered 85% killed in action. He never spoke of it. We owe a great debt to these men.
That was very hard fighting in that area. Sometimes called the forgotten war. The weather, the jungle, disease, lack of supply's and savage fighting made it stand out. A lot of it was commando type penetrating raids behind enemy lines. All this made the action in that theater terrible even by ww2 standards. Maybe he was part of the legendary Merrill’s Marauders. Either way he was one of a relative few who saw this brutal and little known campaign.
These WW2 guys were all some hard men. so we're the Vietnam guys. Which honestly most of the infantry guys I served with in Afghanistan were pretty badass themselves but we all had our stories of badasses from before us.
Loved this Marines story of combat during WWII. We still called it 782 gear while I was in the Corps during the 80's! Is it still called that today? I hope so just for continuity's sake. His whole story spoke to me in a way I can't even explain, Semper Fi brother, you were a part of linage of Marines that still exist to this day, I hope. We've existed since 1775, that's right we predated the Army. Even George Washington thought we weren't needed till he changed his mind when he knew he couldn't get rid of us, the Country needs the Marines!
@@ryanbales8116 Thanks for the reply, Man! Though I was also taught that Washington also tried to get rid of the Corps thinking it wasn't needed back in the day.
I spent too long thinking he had a plug sticking out of his lapel. xD As a Navy vet I can confirm sleeping on a steel deck is brutal. I am a bit horrified those poor Marines had to sleep on it consistently or roast below decks. Blergh. Only the young could survive.
Thank you to all Veterans!!! For fighting for our FREEDOM. God bless!! I will keep you all in my prayers for those who's lives where lost for our FREEDOM!!
I have the utmost respect for anyone in uniform who served defending our nation. What strikes me is these were all very young men when they experienced the events they speak about. The sad part is they carry this with them their entire lives, some better than the others. Thank you all. 🇺🇸
Much respect to this man and men like my grandfather who was a Marine SBD pilot fighting against the Japanese. He shared with me his love for aviation but rarely spoke specifics about dive bombing or the things he saw. He's been gone over 30 years and I still miss him dearly!
Holy shit. This guy nearly has the same history as my grandfather. I am going to see if he was with him on the Muster Rolls. In Oct 1942, Frank (Francis E. Hall) was in the 4th Separate Recruit Bn and my grandfather was in the 8th in New River, NC (FMF Training Center). Frank was transferred to the 21st Marine Regiment also at New River and my grandfather remained with the 8th until he was transferred to Camp Elliot on 5Nov1942. As an aside, my grandfather enlisted in NY on 28Aug1942 and was at PI the next day. There is a chance my grandfather met Frank... crazy.
My Grandfather was a China Marine prewar. Army Air Corps during WWII. From 1942 to 1946 served in the pacific theater with the 317th Aero Transport Group, 46th Transport Squadron flying everything under the sun. After he died, I found out I was the only one he talked to about his wartime experience since I was the only grandchild. I miss that old bastard!
He performed his heroics in 1943 he recalled them in 2013 when this was recorded this hero passed away in 2018 and I hear his story now such a shame I never get to shake his hand or thank him Semper Fidelis Never forgotten R.I.P
New Zealand as a country is STILL incredibly grateful for the bravery & dedication of the US Marines who were stationed and trained here during WW2. The US troops were famous for being fun, polite, kind, generous & treated the people of New Zealand with the greatest respect - which my grandparents always spoke of with great fondness & gratitude. We remain fond of America & Americans to this day for many reasons, but one of the first interactions that opened up this friendship was these wonderful US Marines in 1942 - 1944/5 who were based in Auckland & Wellington etc. Thank you to all those who visited us & saved us from any possible invasion or threat! Four of my greatest friends to this day are wonderful Americans from LA, San Diego, Baltimore & Arizona… Respect to you all. RH 🇳🇿🇺🇸🇳🇿🇺🇸💪🏼
I live on the gulf coast of Tx and was never aware of the fact that Germany sunk up to 200 supply and warships in the gulf of Mexico and also mexico was rearming and refueling the subs that were here! Never got taught that about the 2nd world war had to learn through these one on ones and valid research
