How did/do you guys learn about the war?

I was just curious about how you "buffs" learned about the war... I have an interest in the war since my grandfather served and just after hearing his stories I want to learn and know all about it. I have been reading most anything I can get my hands on.... I also like to watch different documentaries on the Military Channel and History Channel.

 

I got interested in the war actually from learning about airplanes: there were alot of cool airplanes I liked that fought in WWII, so I decided to read about it more (picture books: this all was when I was 6 and 7 years old). I was really into WWII by the time I was 8. I watched four great Nova shows, "Decoding NAzi Secrets," "Hitler's Lost Sub," "Colditz," and "Finest Hour." This was the year that I really got into WWII and I've never stopped studying it since. I love it.

 

Cool! Thanks guys! Interesting info! I always knew my granddad was in the war... wasn't untill I was older to realize the signficance of the war and all involved.

 

Learned it through my grandfather's stories of his experience. Nobody else would listen to him but me. Years after his death, I researched his units and while doing that, I ended up here.

 

Same happened to me... started with his units, then realized I need to know all the background...

 

Being my Dad was a Vet, he was friends with many Vets who lived in and near the neighborhood where I grew up in. I remember when I was very young, that a few elderly Gents would come over to the house early Sat and Sunday mornings to talk and to drink Coffee with my Dad. One of the Vets I remember-was a Gent who had been an Infantry Officer in WWI and ended the war as a Captain. His name was Cole. A really nice gent and I remember sitting on his lap listening to those vets trade stories. I sure wish I could remember the stories told.

It wasn't from that that really got me started on my interests on WWII-but it was the stories my Mom told me about her Dad, who was a Merchant Marine Captain in WWII and whose boat-the SS Fort Lee, was sunk (by the then unknown U 181) by a German Uboat. It waas through what she sadi, adn what the U 181 Gents have told me, that I was able to piece together the full stories of what happened. Since then,a dn thanks to watching shows like: Voyage To the Bottom of the Sea, COMBAT, Hogans Heroes and McHales Navy-that further fueled my interestes of WWII.

 

go back to what did your relatives do in the war, look on page 4 there is my answer......... I was interested by the time I was 5 years of age listening to stories told by uncles and my Opa of his WW 1 days

 

For me it was Hogan's Heroes re-runs.

Seriously though my step dad served in WW2 and I grew up hearing stories from he and his buddies who also served. I had no idea what "Vietnam" was until I was in the 5th grade or so.

Add to that "Baa Baa Black Sheep" on TV once a week and you get the picture.

 

I first got serious about researching the war about 13 years ago. I was assigned a History project that had to do with WW2. All the "good" topics had been taken already. Not sure what to pick I was given the choice of researching the Battle of Midway. At the time I knew nothing of the War in the Pacific, and very little about Europe. The whole project had me hooked. I couldn't get over Fuchida's (spelling?) account of "the fateful 5 minutes." How could the the entire war hinge around a five minute window? I received an A on my visual display, but never put down the books. After one I would read another. After a while I got lost as to what I read in what book, so I picked up a small journal. Every time I sit down with a book, I now keep a journal nearby so I can record page numbers and important information on every book I read.

 

I got interested when my father talked about that there was a german plane shot down not far from where we lived before.

 

I also was really interested in interviewing my relatives about the war, even if they weren't involved. All of my great uncles fought in WWII: One in the Marine Raiders at Guadalcanal (wounded, died a decade before I was born), one in the army during the Phillipines 1944 cmpaign (also wounded and died before I was born. My mother says to the day he died he never said the word "Japanese;" only "dirty japs."). The other two, who I got to talk to about the war, were on ships (one in the Navy on a battleship and the other in the merchant marines in Burma). The latter passed away several years ago from heart disease, but I got to interview both about thier experiences and they both were very happy to talk to me about them.

 

Great thread....

I remember being a young man (8years old) visiting my grandparents in Washington State. My Grandfather served in the Navy during the war, and recall of his tales and wartime experiences very well. Before my interests spiked on the military side, it all started as a generational welcoming... my grandparents expressing life in the days of indefinite and uncertain times. This generation inspired me at very young age, and to this day, remains a constant idle in learning more about this dark time. As I continue to grow with each passing day, my appreciation and perspective gain a healthy respect for these men and women of our time....

Jem

 

Hi huff, I could almost never get one of my Uncles to talk about his experiances fighting the Japanese. The only story he ever told me was that he was one of only three men, to survive the war who had been in the same Infantry Company. His story about one experiance he had on Okinawa, though short when told to me-but really "said" it all for me.

His Company was in a Jungle/forest on Okinawa, and he was sleeping between two of his buddies one night during their stay in that area-and woke up the next morning only to find them both dead-throats were slit. Understandibly so, he never got over that experiance.

 

I grew up knowing my Dad had fought in the war as well as his two brothers, Dad in Burma and his brothers in Burma, Italy and I think N.Africa.So I learnt from him and my Mum who lived through the Blitz in London and who has a Birthday on V.E day! then there were the films Battle Of Britain, The Cruel Sea The Wooden Horse etc, and next came books which is still my biggest educator today, and of course this Forum

 

Reading lots of books (Purnells started me off IIRC) and watching "The World at War" started me off.

Richie

 

From my Grandparents generation to start with, from the few tales they might share, through all the pop media around at the time, like old war movies, then from documentories through to books.

The oddest part being is now as an old bugger I'd swap all the books and films for a few hours chat about it with family long since shuffled off this mortal coil.

 

I am glad to see so many responses!

Seems many people have interest because of family, that's really special. The soldiers serve as heroes to so many and its even more so for me knowing my grandfather was one of them!

The first thing I ever studied was the atomic bomb. We had to study a controversial topic... most people chose capital punishment or abortion.

 

I got my interest from standing at my garden gate at the age of seven watching all
the convoys of tanks and lorries on thier way to Southampton to load up for D day.
Always wanted to know more after that.
also from sitting under the stairs in the middle of the night while the bombers went
overhead and hoping they wouldnt drop in on us !!