The "Introduce Yourself" Thread

I've been posting in this site for a bit now and have become a regular it seems like and as is some of the other members but all that said, I don't really know anything about the other members other than the fact they're WW2 ethusiasts; so what I want to know is who are you? Introduce yourselves...

Me? Why am I here? Well, I like all things World War 2 because when I saw the amount of heroism and camaraderie in Saving Private Ryan, Dirty Dozen and such, I got hooked into this subject from that instant. Ever Since then, I've collected WW2 books, movies, magazines and I visit tons of WW2 sites; and on that note, I'm also a buff on anything militaria-you name it WorldWar1, Korean War, Gulf War, and other conflicts. For some reason, I'd like to collect tech specs on tanks and fighter planes. Last week, I did a comparison of the fighter jets involved in the first Gulf War to my group of friends at this coffeeshop we'd go to every Sunday in our weekly ww2 discussion. With my avatar, you've probably noted I watched Three Kings at some point...well in fact I have and on that, I'm a George Clooney fan and seen his "war" movies-Thin Red Line and Three Kings. As for my username, I got that from the movie Downfall and my real name is Tommy. I also think another reason why I got into this subject is because I met this guy from the Czech Republic who was a real ww2 buff and somehow from all his energy & enthusiasm into that, he got me hooked. As we speak, behind me I have a whole bookself committed to WW2 books and movies. So tell me...What's your story?

NOTE:This is thread is meant for the veteran members to introduce themselves not like the other thread for newbies and cadets.

 

Dawson's Creek hum? The starting point for the original ALCAN (Alaska) highway built by the US Army in WW 2.

 

Yes. and please introduce yourselves... I may not be new but I want to know more about you guys. I did my part now its your turn.

 

From the Great State of TEXAS here. Military brat. I was raised in Europe. I was in the USAF in combat communications supporting special ops and participated in operations in El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, First Gulf War and the cold war. My father was also in the USAF and flew wild weasals in Vietnam. My grandfather was a foreign volunteer in the Waffen SS. He was from Spain. So growing up in a military family, I have a strong interest in anything military. I read a lot and play war sim games. Remember the "squad leader" gamettes? Now you can guess my age. The ground operations in the European theater is my expertise. I have been posting on and off for a few years. I am the 11th top poster on this form. I guess that's it.

 

I am also from the Great State of Texas but I am further south than the aboved posted person ! I am the 12th top poster, however the 11 spot is in my sights.

I am semi-retired from the State and love reading about aircraft and the politics that goes with building and buying them. I also like reading about present day politics and how governments operate.

I used to like to fly but it seems the glory days of airline flying are long over. I am 6 foot 1 inch and the last airline I flew on was built for munchkins.

 

From the land of Polar bears or almost...Finland that is....

Started reading about WW2 at the tender age of 12 some 27 years ago, having pics of Ostfront battles on my walls when other people of the same age had animals etc on their walls. SO I guess I am bit different. Have not regretted a thing though since I started.

What else do I do? I am working in a hospital. Long working days.

I went to the Finnish Army in 1996 and also joined the NATO forces in 1997 to work in Bosnia ( the Finnish department ) and also spent some 4 months in Macedonia in 1997 working for the UN. If it was not for the cruel things that happened there you could say it was interesting.

Well, that´s about it.

 

I come from a neutral country at the time of WW2. In any case my father had been an artillery officer during the Big One, and he had some stories to tell, plus some militaria he had brought with himself - I still keep his spurs...

He had a decent sized library, for what was available in the 50's and 60's (again, I kept most of his books , my brother has the rest), plus he had some wartime propaganda magazines, American, UK and German. So I grew up in the proper culture medium. From then on it was just adding to the pile

I have to add that my elder brother also had an influence, as in the 60's there were some war stories comics in the market which he used to buy, and I used to devour.

This Russian interest came from the 70's, when my wargames group was turning to WW2. The Jerries were taken up, the Brits and Yanks too so I was saddled with the Russians! Well, I can't say I'm sorry now, as the interest developed on being what it is now

I did no military service, as at the time our army was in a strong shrinking mood after a colonial war, and there was already an excess of bright brains, so I was left out.

So here I am, not an armchair general but an armchair Marshal of the Soviet Union

 

Much of a muchness here-old man is a North Africa/Italy vet, so I grew up with an over-riding obsession with WW2.
More interested in the archaeological side of things, and the British Home Front is my focus.
I'm doing Mediaeval history at uni, and the Templars are my other obsession!

 

Fine.
I think the best way to sum me up is I dabble. A "Jack of all Trades" who is a master of some, good at others, and knows a bit about others. In some respects I've learned less and less about more and more until I know absolutely nothing about everything!

Militarily, I retired from the USNR after a combined active and reserve service of just shy of 27 years last December. I went through in the Naval Nuclear Power program (Electrician's Mate) and served on a number of ships and with several ashore commands over the years. Some of these included:
USS Enterprise, USS Nashville, USS George Philip, Ship's Intermediate Maintenance Activity San Diego CA shops 51A, 51B, 51G, 10A, 10B, USS Acadia AD 42, NSA Bahrain, Mobile Inshore Underwater Warfare Unit 106.
I retired at the rank of Chief Petty Officer.

Educationally, I have several undergraduate degrees and a master's. Industrial engineering, business, computer programming, and military history (told you...I dabble).
Other things I do more than passingly well: General contracting, mason, carpentry both framing and finish, and machinist (more dabbling and necessary skills sets over the years).
Off and on, I guest lectured at the University of Arizona on military history until the professor retired and was replaced by a PC über liberal.

Currently I teach Vocational Techincal classes on construction technology (I was hired to teach electronics but construction gets more students so guess what the managment wanted). That's what I get for letting them find out I paid in part for college by being an electrical contractor. But, having real money made college alot more fun.

As far as military history goes, I have a very large library and got into the subject via wargaming (one of those old-time board and miniatures gamers...I wonder what a first edition Afrika Korps game by Avalon Hill in near perfect condition goes for these days....one in the back corner of the closet as I recall...) back in the early 70's. I also got to be a pretty good modeller (miniatures wargaming almost ensures that) and still build alot of scratch build stuff in 1/35 and other various scales including aircraft, vehicles, figures, and ships.
Lately, my interests in this area have been in the human aspects of war. Morale, leadership, that sort of thing. I also do military simulation and modelling (the mathmatematical kind) and have all sorts of unpublished 'stuff' laying about (more dabbling).....maybe one day.
In the mean time, there is the 4500 sq ft house and 2500 sq ft guest house / garage to finish building (my retirement plan...). That reminds me, I gotta call the building inspector to sign off on the retaining wall...ugh....
One of these days I've really got to finish rebuilding the Lotus in the garage and get back into pro-rally.......

Oh, and I look alot like my avatar when I'm in a good mood.....

 

Midwest/Northski born, raised, educated.
Product of Fisherman (one side), Dairy farmers (the other).
Been in Construction 34 years, 16 Union, 18 private.
I have no time for people who wont work, or complain (whine).
No ID, Tax number, Work Comp coverage, or Liability Insurance!
I am "abrupt" in nature, and in self defense. No doubt a product of my chosen environment.
Survival.
Started as "turd" (laborer) then Lead Man, Foreman, Superintendent, Project Manager, Owner.
Had 2 Uncles and a Father in Europe, Italy, England, France, Germany in WW 2. Two are still alive.
It's all they talked about. I have 300 books and over 50 movie/videos on the war.
I'm facinated with WW 1/WW 2/ Korea Aviation.
I go to every airshow/museum around.
My dealing with machines since small childhood has also become a facination with tanks.
I Wish to visit Bovington someday.
Being country, I've used firearms all my life, and am quite a good shot.
I only hunt "birds" with a friend/co-workers dogs. Anything else is a slaughter, but then again, getting deep enough in the bush to get a shot is the "hunt" part I guess.
A childhood friend (whom I could out-shoot in every catagory) is now on the U.S.Army sniper/shoot against other Countries, team (30 cal./iron sites).
I've worked many Bases, R&D facilities, Aircraft Companies, Shipyards and other places I doubt many know about, hence the "handle".
All should take comfort in knowing...what they know is what they want you to know, not even close to everything.
Twas ever thus.

 

Okay, thought I'd start here with my first post. I'm 27, live in Cumbria in a town called Cleator Moor and work in the Civil Service.

My interest in WW2 has been in the background for a long time, I was more interested in the Napoleonic Wars for a long time but I've moved towards WW2 over the last few years. I think it really started when I went to Normandy with High School back in '96 just after I'd finished my GCSE's.

I have no personal experiance of military service but I like to read and I'm starting to get a small collection of WW2 books and I've watched just about every documentary that's been on television. My Grandfather was in the British Army during the war and I wish I'd talked to him more about it when I had the chance.

I've been messing around the wargaming side if things for a few years and I'm starting to develop some small forces for the US, Germany nad Italy. The Italians were only bought yesterday at the Stockton wargaming show where I had a good talk to some WW2 re-enactors.

My other hobbies include tabletop and live action roleplaying, music and computers.

 

It's my first post here...
Due to my grandfather's veteran status(RCAF 410 SQ - Armourer) I've been a WWII enthusiast since my earliest days.
Through years of self discovery, I ran the classes when it came to war discussion in my high school years.
I used to have every piece of equipment, big and small, memorised technicaly and visualy - but these days I retain only about 96% of it...LOL
Looking forward to discussing the 2nd world war with fellow enthusiasts of a highly knowledgable nature

cheers all

PK

 

Affirmative Otto

Check my Normandy thread

PK

 

Hello all, allow me to re-introduce myself...
My name is Bill and my main area of interest is the Pacific Theater. After being away from the boards and the computer for the 7-8 months I have finally gotten enough things settled down on the home front to spend more time persuing my hobbies. I have missed being here and from the looks of things the Pacific Theater board has gotten quite a bit more active since my absence. I am looking forward to catching up on what has been going on here and hope to learn more from the many knowledgable people who post here.

 

Along with Peppy, i am one of the original members of this Forum. All those years ago (despite only being 21 - soon to be 22 myself) i was playing PBEM games and found a WWII game. It was extremely complex and i was basically given the role of Erwin Rommel - i was in charge of all the North African units, battle plan, etc. Unfortuneately, the game was shortlived. Bit it sparked by interest, and having recently (at the time) written a report on Erwin Rommel and his similarities to Alexander the Great, i had been drawn into the WWII World. I've been hooked ever since, read numerous books on various theatres, battles, and people, and am currently (this semester) taking a course on the part i am not very familiar with - Interwar Germany (1919 - 1939).

 

Hi there - born in a small country town (Manilla NSW Australia) in 1954 with a grandfather who'd served in WWII it was from a young age I became aware of the history side of things. As every kid did in those days you either played cowboys and indians with your makeshift bows & arrows and rifles carved out of an old bit of 2x1 or you played war games using those same rifles - your grandfathers helmet etc and tossed clods of dirt as genades at your mates - all simple good fun.
We were taught to shoot at a young age (I think I was 6) and graduated to Lee Enfield 303's for hunting and I guess the passion for history generated out of that.
Obviously there were the movies from time to time and one TV series Combat with Vic Morrow which has never been seen again outside its original airing back in the late 60's.
Also many books involved with a leaning towards air warfare.
I tied all this in with a passion for motor sport from the same age as one went hand in hand as I saw it - both had warriors involved and wonderful machinery.
Whilst trained as a electrical mechanic I dumped that on completion and went onto working in the music industry from 76 through to 98 which allowed me to travel the world constantly with the added bonus of visiting many race tracks and airfields Id read about throughout my childhood. I remember sitting in the middle of a field in Kent one day just pondering what it would have felt like back then - you could almost hear the Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancasters - same when I went and visited Indianapolis Motor Speedway - its just the history - you can almost feel it.
Since then Ive been busying myself in building up a dvd website with a leaning towards both motor sport history and military - seemed a natural progression.
Anyway I'm going to take a look around this wondeful forum and look forward to some good dialogue with everyone.

 

I forgot to mention - my dad never served in any war thank god but his cousin did - hope this shot of him loads ok - its quite a famous photo from WWII - dad gave me the paper clipping before he died in 1990 (had never spoken to me about it before).