Read about Dad's memory of Christmas while serving in World War II(Just to clarify, "holiday" was not used instead of Christmas to be politically correct, it was because the party is always after Christmas but before New Years. And yes, we had a MERRY CHRISTMAS!)
Linda is still learning the ropes for bloggin and she ask that I post this for her....
This year at our annual family holiday gathering (almost 70 people!) we shared fond memories of Christmases past. Dad recalled that 65 years ago this Christmas he was a 18 year old US Navy seaman on board the newly commissioned USS McDermut (DD-667) on a "shakedown" in the British Isles. He recalls that they spent Christmas Day "practicing shooting up some beach" along side the British Navy. Sack lunches had been provided for both crews and he also recalled (rather sheepishly) that his crew snuck and ate the British sailors lunch early in the morning---then at noon tried to act innocent while they ate their own! The year would have been 1943 and the British Isles were quite a long ways from Laurel Mills and his beloved home in Rappahannock County, VA.
This year at our annual family holiday gathering (almost 70 people!) we shared fond memories of Christmases past. Dad recalled that 65 years ago this Christmas he was a 18 year old US Navy seaman on board the newly commissioned USS McDermut (DD-667) on a "shakedown" in the British Isles. He recalls that they spent Christmas Day "practicing shooting up some beach" along side the British Navy. Sack lunches had been provided for both crews and he also recalled (rather sheepishly) that his crew snuck and ate the British sailors lunch early in the morning---then at noon tried to act innocent while they ate their own! The year would have been 1943 and the British Isles were quite a long ways from Laurel Mills and his beloved home in Rappahannock County, VA.
