This Memorial Day 2010, I'm drawn to think of the sacrifices made by two men, (Sgt.)? George "Lou" Hayhoe and Thad "Sonny" Chaney. One was my uncle and one was my father.
Uncle Lou was a member of the 29th Infantry Division the Blue and Gray. He went ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day. If you've seen "Saving Private Ryan" and HBO's "Band of Brothers" that's pretty much my Uncle's story. He was at Omaha, at the Battle of the Bulge. His company accepted the surrender of 80,000 Nazi troops at the Ruhr. On D-Day, after he came ashore, he shot a German soldier as he tried to ride away on a motorcycle. Then Uncle Lou jumped on the bike and rode up the hill to a pillbox or entrenchment, and threw in a couple of grenades that neutralized the threat and saved countless lives on the beach. We lost him this past year of complications from Alzheimer's. I'm most sorry that I didn't ask him more or video record it for at least our family.
My Dad got the gravy assignment. He was assigned to Dutch Harbor, AK. We've all heard about Pearl Harbor. but did you know American soil was bombed a second time at Dutch Harbor, AK???. My dad was there and if you have to go to war, then probably the best case scenario has to be that you are actually attacked by a small Japanese force over two days and then your exposure to enemy threat is over. You came under actual enemy fire over two days, and you lived to tell the tale. As far as the cold is concerned, I never heard it mentioned but my guess would be that Uncle Lou would gladly trade his time in the Arrgone for 3 and a half years in the Aleutians.
But in thinking about this and reading up on it during this Memorial Day, I learned something new.
My dad was part of the 206th Coastal Artillery. Where I learn that the the 206th trained with the 200th Coastal Artillery. HQ needed one division to re-enforce the Philippines and one to guard the Alaska Coast. The 200th had several Spanish speakers which would recommend it but the 206th Legend has it that the final decision came down to the toss of a nickel and the 200th won the toss and was assigned to the Philippines. They were there when the Philippines were overrun by the Japanese and the survivors forced into the Bataan Death March. . For the toss of a nickel, I probably would not be sitting here in the 21st century writing this diary.
So that's who I'm thinking about this Memorial Weekend. God bless them all who keep us safe and my heartfelt thanks to all including these two. So, I'll raise my glass and say, "Sleep comfortable and warm tonight Uncle Lou." And to my Dad I'll say "To the nickel!"