Gratitude

Yessir! well said,

Have a great weekend, Jorge

I agree. Many thanks to all who made the ultimate sacrifice.

I agree, Arnold. My dad was a Pearl Harbor survivor, but he very rarely talked about the war. When it was over and he got back home to my mom, he started building a wonderful Lionel layout for me, which I truly enjoyed through my early teens. My current layout replicates most of the same accessories and is really a dedication to him for starting me on this fine and truly relaxing hobby. I’m also a fisherman, (he got me started on that, too!), but like you, I’m in NE PA, and it’s supposed to rain, so down in the basement I’ll go.

Thanks for starting this chain, Artie

In my many travels overseas, I truly understand why our country is the greatest in the world. I can see the difference when I step off the plane. And I kiss the ground when I return.

Sure, we've got our issues and problems here, but we are free because of the many Men and Women that gave their time and sometimes their lives to further freedom here at home.  Dad (Morton Mann) served in the Korean War from 52-56 I think, in the Air Force. He was a Aviation Radar Tech Trainer, teaching the airplane mechanics on how to service the airplanes Radar equipment.  They often went to Japan for R&R and that's where he discovered the Japanese art of building model trains. 20 years later he used that knowledge to enter the model train business with Japan first and Korea next.

The Korean's are very gracious and thankful for American's who fought and died for their freedom.

I visited the  Memorial Hall for  Incheon Landing Operation one afternoon on a weekend in Seoul.  Here's a link:

http://www.landing915.com/

The Museum is mostly outside with bronze statues, Aircraft and Tanks used in the capture of Incheon.  You walk steps up the hill that our soldiers did to overtake the Port of Incheon. It only took a couple days to free Incheon.

While I was there I was approached several times by Koreans visiting the Memorial and one gentleman got on his knees and bowed to me, thanking me for the American's effort. I was touched deeply. Ignoring all the News and rhetoric, they really are thankful.

The Koreans  know all to well what life was like across the 38th parallel. Most of the people I have met in Seoul tell stories of their parents or grand parents fleeing the North in the night, risking their lives to escape as the war began. Many joined the armed forces of the South and fought alongside the Americans.

One of our Builders in Korea would always have his Uncle come over to talk to me. He  was in his 80s and spoke English well. He shared stories of how he escaped the North and was a Jeep Driver for the American officers in the South. He only had kind things to say about the people he worked with and serviced during the war.

So many Koreans living in Seoul today have roots in the North, and I always ask them, "Have you heard from your loved one's..." And the answer is always, "No, and I don't know if they are alive anymore either."  I feel badly that in these modern times we still have horrible dictators and corrupt communist leaders creating havoc around the world. Our armed forces are just as important now, if not more so. I hope my message brings some perspective to this very important holiday.

Happy Memorial Weekend,

Scott Mann - Sunset Models, 3rd Rail. GGD, ERR.

My uncle, Hubie, served in the U.S. Army  "Big Red One" Infantry Division in WW II and saw action in North Africa, Anzio, Italy and Normandy. Received multiple Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with clusters. While I was growing up, he supported my train hobby and we made many trips into NYC to visit hobby shops and the Lionel and Gilbert showrooms.

I truly hope, with some of the recent internal attacks on our democracy, what my uncle and many others fought for, will not have been in vain!

The expression I first mentioned, just popped into my head. Here it is: "Let it rain, who cares, I've a train downstairs."

Then.  I Googled it, and it turns out that A. A. Milne, who I believe wrote children's books and poetry, came up with the expression, but with a twist. The expression applies more to Peter (Putnam Division) and others with layouts in the attic. It goes: "Let it rain, who cares, I've a train upstairs."

We have been getting a deluge of rain in the Northeast, so that is an expression, whether upstairs or downstairs, that many of us can relate to this holiday weekend.

On a more serious note, thank you all for your moving expressions of gratitude for loved ones who have served our country. Arnold

For those interested, A. A. Milner's complete poen is called " The Train." You can Google it and read the complete poem, which sounds like it is about a wind-up train that "starts with a spring and stops with a string." LOL.

My trains in my second floor spare bedroom is my "gratitude" space, although it takes more effort to climb up and down those stairs with arthritus, etc.

My trains too are in an upstairs spare bedroom.  It's a great place to just BE.  I feel gratitude every time I'm in that room no matter how long or how brief.  

Like Tin Plate Art's Uncle Hubie , my father was in the The First Infantry Division ... Big Red One.  He joined that division in North Africa, landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy France, pushed through France into Germany.    

Dad rarely spoke about his WW2 experiences when my brother and I were young.  Later around 1998 when my brother and I, as adults,  accompanied my dad to the beaches of Normandy, we heard those experiences for the first time.  Horrible stuff!  

As the three of us were walking back to our rental car, from the cemetery above Omaha Beach where almost 10,000 soldiers are buried, a French gentleman overheard our conversation.   The Frenchman asked if my dad was one of the soldiers  who landed on Omaha Beach.  We said yes.  The Frenchman began to cry with gratitude as he asked my father permission to  shake his hand, for he had never met anyone who had landed on the Normandy beaches in the invasion of France.  The Frenchman said " I come here often and never have I met someone who came to save my country.  You are a true hero.  May I shake your hand?  Never have I touched a hero. Thank you thank you thank you". ( The Frenchman was 11 years old when France was taken over by Germany.)   This was an extremely  special moment which I will never forget.  

The time spent on Omaha Beach with dad, as he recounted the proximity where his  landing craft disembarked.  He told us how his Lt., who had been in two previous invasions, instinctually disobeyed orders and led his men in the opposite direction of the  written orders.  Doing so  saved an entire platoon of men from the heavy artillery shells which fell in the direction of the stated orders as they came off the landing craft.    Btw - that Lt. died by a German soldier's bullet just 3 days before the war ended.  

Dad always supported my train hobby.  He ( and Mom ) got me the best Lionel set they could afford when I was 4 years old. He built my first train table and helped out with the set up every Christmas .. plus bought something new for the layout's expansion each year.   I still have that first set fully intact and operable.  My current layout incorporates Freedom Park ... a park I created to memorialize my father.  Freedom Park contains stones from Omaha Beach which I picked up while on the visit to Normandy France with Dad.  I often think of his Lt. ... Lt. Mackey whom I never met.  I'm grateful Lt. Mackey chose to obey his instincts instead of his written orders on June 6, 1944  by doing so Lt. Mackey allowed my father ( and others ) to live a full and good life.  Of course I've been able to live a good life as well.  

@trumpettrain posted:

My trains too are in an upstairs spare bedroom.  It's a great place to just BE.  I feel gratitude every time I'm in that room no matter how long or how brief.  

Like Tin Plate Art's Uncle Hubie , my father was in the The First Infantry Division ... Big Red One.  He joined that division in North Africa, landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy France, pushed through France into Germany.    

Dad rarely spoke about his WW2 experiences when my brother and I were young.  Later around 1998 when my brother and I, as adults,  accompanied my dad to the beaches of Normandy, we heard those experiences for the first time.  Horrible stuff!  

As the three of us were walking back to our rental car, from the cemetery above Omaha Beach where almost 10,000 soldiers are buried, a French gentleman overheard our conversation.   The Frenchman asked if my dad was one of the soldiers  who landed on Omaha Beach.  We said yes.  The Frenchman began to cry with gratitude as he asked my father if he could shake his hand, for he had never met anyone who had landed on the Normandy beaches in the invasion of France.  The Frenchman said " I come here often and never have I met someone who came to save my country.  You are a true hero.  May I shake your hand?  Never have I touched a hero. Thank you thank you thank you". ( The Frenchman was 11 years old when France was taken over by Germany.)   This was an extremely  special moment which I will never forget.  

The time spent on Omaha Beach with dad, as he recounted the proximity where the landing craft disembarked the soldiers, and how his Lt., who had been in two other invasions, instinctually disobeyed orders and led his men in the opposite direction of orders saved an entire platoon of men from the heavy artillery shells which fell in the direction of the stated orders as they came off the landing craft.    Btw - that Lt. died by a German soldier's bullet just 3 days before the war ended.  

Dad always supported my train hobby.  He ( and Mom ) got me the best Lionel set they could afford when I was 4 years old. He built my first train table and helped out with the set up every Christmas .. plus bought something new for the layout's expansion each year.   I still have that first set fully intact and operable.  My current layout incorporates Freedom Park ... a park I created to memorialize my father.  Freedom Park contains stones from Omaha Beach which I picked up while on the visit to Normandy France with Dad.  I often think of his Lt. ... Lt. Miletti whom I never met.  I'm grateful he chose to obey his instincts instead of his written orders on June 6, 1944  by doing so Lt. Miletti allowed my father ( and others ) to live a full life and of course I've been able to live a good life as well.  

Thanks for sharing that, Trump train. Powerful stuff.  God bless the men like your father and his Lt.

GREAT, and moving share, trumptrain! :-)

I have my layout in my garage so " Let it rain. Who cares. I have a train in my garage." Doesn't work.

Awesome story Strap Hanger, those heroes will never be forgotten!

My father was drafted in June of 1944 at the age of 34. Toward he had the first of several heart attacks. He was discharged honorably a few weeks later. His heart problem was caused by Rheumatic fever as a child which damaged his mitral valve. He was regretted his discharge. I was in Nam when he had his fatal heart attack. Strange how life works.

Dick

My Uncle Hubie was a lifelong batchelor and lived with my parents, me and my sister. I remember he had a box of medals and a First Infantry Division patch. On one occasion, he related he was asleep in a barn when a German 88 scored an almost direct hit. He had been sleeping on his back with his hand over his heart. The shrapnel got his hand instead. Being an Irishman, I guess that was his proverbial luck!

@FECRailroaddog posted:

Awesome story Strap Hanger, those heroes will never be forgotten!

That’s Trumpetrains story. I was just replying to it, FEC.  Quite an amazing Memorial Day share on his part.

Various family members of mine have served including my father, my father in law, a few uncles and a couple of cousins, and I've been a civilian employee for the Navy for 42 years at Lakehurst, NJ, (home of Hangar One and the Hindenburg).

And I pass that Hangar every work day and I've never forgotten what all of the folks who have passed through there have done for me.

Because of them I can go out into my garage on this rainy Sunday and bring the 3:15 from New Haven into Penn Station.

THANKS, Sean! :-)

When I was a kid, it seemed like everyone's Dad had served in the war.  My father was in the 55th Seabees on a lonely atoll in the Pacific, called Mios Woendi.  Our neighbors, Jack Swindle and Ken McCoy had been in the army.  Cyndi Bankhead's father had flown B19's and then became a TWA pilot after he returned.  Jim Brady was in the army and returned with a German war bride.  My cousin Freddy was a tail gunner in a B24 and was wounded by shrapnel.

I played with other musicians who had been in an army band in Korea, who, when their camp was attacked, had to abandon their instruments and use their rifles.

My own generation served as well.  Rick Shoffit, a year behind me in school and a back fence neighbor, was wounded in Viet Nam.  And Martin Guard, who was in my kindergarten class, as well as my high school graduating class, gave his life.

I feel very humble when I think of our defenders who fought and especially those who died, because, although I was a Viet Nam era draftee, I never left the contiguous United States.

May we never forget the bravery and sacrifice of those who have bravely defended freedom.

Arnold, I’m glad you found the poem. A. A. Milne is best known for Winnie the Pooh.  That is a great line to remember when the weather isn’t fit for outdoor activity.

My dad taught us respect for those who have served and those who died.  Dad was in the Army during the Korean War, but he was sent to the West/East German border to a base opposite a Russian/Soviet base.  There was a lot of cat and mouse, but fortunately no one ever got an itchy finger and pulled the trigger.

So often when I mentioned a kid at school, Dad would say, “Oh his dad is a WWII vet”, with a definite tone of respect.  In a rural community everyone knew everyone somehow.  My uncle (Mom’s sister’s husband) was at the Battle of the Bulge.  He was fortunate to come home safely.  Like most, he wouldn’t bring up the war, but would say something if asked.  

So Arnold, the rain left us yesterday, and I know you are getting it.  “Let it rain, who cares, I've a train downstairs."  And be thankful for all those who died so we could have the freedom to “Let it rain, who cares, I've a train downstairs."

Mark, your reply is so well-stated. Thank you for sharing it.

Thanks, also. to Tom and the rest of you folks who have shared your gratitude for those who have served in our military, and the interest many of them had with model railroading.

Funny how the mind works. When I began reading your reply, Mark, I immediately thought of Yogi Berra. That is because I believe he was one of the great ones who landed on the beach and fought as a soldier in the Normandy Invasion. Arnold

Arnold, I did not know Yogi served there.  So many players did during WWII.  Ted Williams served in WWII and Korean War.  The most famous story in Western Pennsylvania is that of Rocky Bleier being wounded in Viet Nam and returning to be a key player on the early Steelers Super Bowl teams.

@Number 90 posted:

I feel very humble when I think of our defenders who fought and especially those who died, because, although I was a Viet Nam era draftee, I never left the contiguous United States.

May we never forget the bravery and sacrifice of those who have bravely defended freedom.

Well said. I think your phrase "very humble: is excellent. I feel the same way, maybe even more so. While I technically served, it was for 9 years during peace time as a reservist. Toughest duty I had was Hurricane Hugo relief. Respect and humility are the best we can offer those  we honor today.

The horrific Capitol attack has shown we have dangers within our country which are a threat to our democracy.

The G&O crew usually runs trains on Memorial Day to remember those who have fallen.  Crew members attend a local service in the morning and run trains in the afternoon.  My father was a Seabee in WWII.  He built airfields and bases throughout the South Pacific.  I served in Vietnam as an advisor.  

Covid kept us from running trains last year and this year.  Here are some photos of previous Memorial Days.  NH Joe

Great post Arnold.  To you, sdmann, Tinplate Art, and the rest of you know how great America is compared to many other countries found on our poor polluted planet today.  Many OGR members have served with a sense of duty and pride in the Armed Forces of the US of A.  I served three years in the mid-1960s in the US Army Transportation Corps.

Tinplate Art, you said it best in regards to the recent attacks on our Democracy.  Not to forget that here are Americans of all races, many who have, and are, serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, to insure that every human being can continue to enjoy a Freedom not seen in many countries around the world today.

O Gauge Railroading members, please join together and Pray for Peace.  I believe the time is fitting to enjoy the late great Kate Smith on YouTube as she performs her WWII version of God Bless America.  Her version is by far the very best in my opinion of this great patriotic song and shows Americans why they have always defended all of the freedoms contained in the Constitution.  Are Americans perfect?  No, we had made some tragic mistakes too.  This is human nature, however, America continues to do it's utmost best to correct the failures of the past and build a better U.S.A. where all humans can live, work, and play.

Let's do our part as well, regardless where we live.  Most importantly, do it for our children.  We owe it to them don't you think?

Item: Pay a visit to the Ready Made Trains site and read their Memorial Day message.  It's heart warming.