The year is 1944 and my dad has been shipped over to Belgium. Before being sent off to the front lines his group was allowed to acclimate to the area. They did a lot of exploring and this farm boy had to check out this boat. Being from Iowa a boat is rarely seen or used. I don't know if it had been damaged when the Germans had invaded or if it was damaged when the Americans came in to drive the occupiers out of the country.
A photo that is among my dad's war photos is one that looks more like a tropical scene than a Belgium scene. He did have photos from a friend that was stationed in the tropics. Those photos had palm trees in them. It is just an old photo I guess and it is totally unknown in its origin.
The scary thing of being told you are going overseas to fight in the Battle of the Bulge to a farm boy was bad enough but the boat they shipped them in was unbearable to my dad. They sent his unit across the ocean in very small shipping boats like this. The seasickness was overwhelming for most of them on board as the waters were very rough for most of the trip. He was unable to eat most of the trip and hot strong old coffee was all that seemed to make it tolerable.
To finish up my blog today I will share a more colorful image and pleasant scene. This is the landlocked tugboat that is on display off of the harbor at Duluth, Minnesota. The boats that float through this harbor are large ones carrying cargo from as far as Russia. The also leave having their cargo holds filled with iron ore and wood materials. This harbor is at the very bottom of Lake Superior. Check in on others who are participating in Sepia Saturday by clicking here. Many sites from around the world who are enjoying creative blogging.
1 comment:
Posts about ships are always more enjoyable when they are connected to your family. Enjoyed this, Larry
Post a Comment