Hi Bill,Almost forgot about you. Missed you. I was home this time. Sure was dead without you - 7 "shorts" - 1 "long"
PETE
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
The Greatest Generation is disappearing. According to Veterans Administration at the beginning of this year there were approximately 5,032,591 veteran of World War II still living in the United States but they are dying at the rate of 1,136 a day. As they die so do many of their memories.Sometimes the memories die before the veteran does himself. Our Father, MoMM3c William Valencheck who served aboard the USS Pride DE 323 and who is now confronting the ravages of Alzheimer’s at the age of 87, has lost much of his memory. Though he never would talk much about his experience of WWII, he cannot now even if he were so inclined.In putting his estate together there was revealed a sizable cache of his memorabilia from WWII. There were letters from old girl friends, pictures of fellow guardsmen, drawings, and other mementos that for us are disconnected from actual people and events. Unsure what to do with all of these images of memories that are in some way treasures, his children thought to begin this blog and post the various items from week to week.The intention is not so much to focus on MoMM (Motor Machinist Mate) William J. Valencheck or even to give an in depth historical analysis of the war, but to give a snap shot of some of what a crew member aboard a U.S. Coast Guard ship during the great war held on to as memories.
4 comments:
I stumbled across your blog after doing a google search for USS Menges. My daddy was a Carpenter's Mate 3rd Class on that ship. Reading your sidebar information, it makes me sad to think that so much valuable information of our history is being lost due to the aging of our vets. I wish I had spent more time pumping information out of Daddy. Thanks for your blog and even the few mentions of my daddy's ship
Happy Veteran's Day. May God bless you and your family.
Great blog here. My dad is sleeping in his chair..most of the time. 89 WW2 USNavy Battle of Okinawa. We have a picture of his ship framed on the wall. He remembers the worst battle like it was yesterday. Also, while aboard ship, he and fellow shipmates wrote a poem, which we still have. Honestly, it is a blessing that he can't concentrate enough on the news to see what's become of our country. It breaks my heart that they did so much for things to change to now so quickly. I'm 58 so I remember life not long after the war. God bless you.
I had the distinct honor of being a guest speaker at a USS PRIDE reunion held in Virginia Beach many years ago. As an active duty Coast Guardsmen (now retired) I was extremely impressed by the camraderie, dedication to shipmates and country, and the sense of selflessness that this crew carried with them through the war and the years afterward. I've served and been aboard many ships...rarely have I seen a group as tight as the former crewmembers of PRIDE. I thanked them for the service then...and I thank them for it now. The foundations of honor, devotion to duty, courage, and mission are still alive and strong in the modern Coast Guard...the legacy of the USS PRIDE still lives on.
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