When I First Saw A PT Boat I Thought 'I'm Dead'

#avc #history #veteran #military #navy #ww2

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[americanveteranscenter]

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[markshimaji]

Thank you for your service to our country 🇺🇸.

[DFord-rvnz]

Dad was US Navy W2. Thank you for your service

[dantheman]

Thank you for your service sir! My dad was on a PT Boat in WW2! You guys rock!! Thank you

[Copperhead-ts]

Very cool! John F. Kennedy also served on a PT boat during World War II!

[richardmcgeehan]

LEST WE FORGET HAND SALUTE FOR ALL WHO SERVED IN THE WAR, BOTH AMERICAN AND OUR ALLIES.

[billlewis]

The mistake that faced this sailor was, he was given the choice among "Boats, " not ships!
During the war, Boat" choices were extremely limited to PT Boats, Subs, Tugs, & various other types of miscellaneous small craft.

Had the Navy asked him what type of "ship" he wanted to serve aboard, chances are, his PT duty would not have been on his orders. Sounds like he lucked out. Good for him!

I did too. From boot camp with no designation, I became a Navy Photographer, eventually in the Pacific Fleet Combat Photo Group.
It was the best part of my life. There were less than 135 of us world-wide.
Not many military personnel can claim to have loved their Service Careers. I can, & frequently do.

During my many years, I shot various images, Mo-Pic & Video of 23 types of military aircraft, during opps. Including, "The Blues."

My assignments documented every type of vessel in the Pacific Fleet, from WWII Higgins Boat landing craft, to our Navy's Battle Ships, Cruisers, Friggots, Subs. and the newer super Carriers between the years 1965 - '94.

My most memorable assignment included documenting the transporting of our "Vietnam War Unknown Soldier" on his way to Arlington, VA. Other Honored projects included documenting Presidents Reagan and later on, George W. Bush.

The Navy's long time slogan has always been, "Join the Navy & see the world!" I have now visited over 52 US military Bases throughout the lower US and in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Okinawa, & Panama. (Vietnam)

I truly believe: "One gets out of life what we put into it!' Our Armed Forces are no different. With one exception: we who serve(ed), signed a contract to give up everything we have to protect our nation from all enemies, foreign & Domestic. We will even give our lives if necessary, to keep that commitment.
Will you?

As a veteran, I firmly believe, we owe our continued freedoms to to those who served before us. Veterans like this PT Sailor and his shipmates. Those who survived Pearl Harbor and spent the next 4-5 years getting even.
The 1, 170 Sailors killed when the Battleship Arizona exploded. All those 7, 000+ Marines who died taking OwoJima. Guam, Corregidor, Tarawa, the Manil Philippines and every little chunck of rock in the Pacific,

And all those who gallantly hit the beaches on D-day. The landing The deserts of North Africa, those who suffered during the Battle of the Bulge and throughout Europe, we owe those brave troops a debt we can't repay. Except by never forgetting! By remembering what they did for us. We can never pay back such a debt of wounds & blood suffering.

Arlington, Normandy, Manila, and all the other American National Cemeteries are all we asked for after liberating the wartorn countries of WWII; Just enough land to bury our dead soldiers on. The soldiers we must never forget!

USN Ret.



















to PT Boats,
With the choice of boats it would have been a PT, a Subor a Tug

Welcome Home my brothers, Superpickle D co 1/22 4th Inf Div, Vietnam 68/69

[thomast]

i always thought it was, where do you want to go? carrier? OK, oil tanker, next - and you? marine raider? OK, corpsman, next - and you? radar technician? OK, aircraft mechanic, next - and so on

[steven]

Smaller boats give more motion sickness.

[leslieschott]

So glad you’re safe; thank you for making such a huge difference for our country! 🫡❤️