What's your/your family military background?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Serious thread for a balance.

[dead0man]

I was honest in the other thread about my dad.

There aren't many vets or active duty here, 5 or 6 I think.  I was in the USAF for 5 years and still work for the Air Force as a contractor.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

In my family recently:

My great-grandfather fought in the 1920 Polish-Bolsheviks War and recalled that, as he served in one of the first Polish armored units, they once destroyed the entire Soviet calvary squad with just two tankettes (they thought it's a field kitched and well...). Later, the same great-grandfather fought in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 and was taken POW.

Other great-grandfather fought in the Russian Civil War on the losing side (Whites). I don't know much details beside that was the reason he setteled down in Poland. Later he participated briefly in 1939 Defense war and was taken POW too.

Other great-grandfather served in the late 19th century in Russian Imperial army during peacetime.

And yet other great-grandfather, who actually never served in military, but during German occupation he was a some prominent member of the Delegature to the Country (a body established by the Government in exile to oversee the underground state) and continued work in the intelligence (recently, I just found out he was employee of the intelligence since 1920s actually. What he was doing then beside being professor and Gymnasium principal in the Eastern Poland? Dunno.

As of next generation. Sister of my grandfather (the same I mentioned in other thread) was a nurse during Warsaw Uprising and was executed, at age of 15, by Nazis in first week. Their half-brother of grandfather was a Home Army foot soldier during uprising and was eventually taken POW as well. My grandfather, as the youngest, just served 2 years of compulsory service in peacetime after the war.

Two of my grandmother brothers served in the Peasants Battalions during the war. Other brother participated in the Warsaw Uprising as well.

My other grandfather never was drafted and just did some duty in peacetime after the war (and following graduation from the Polytechnique) on a basis smilliar to military service in Switzerland, retiring with lieutenant rank.

My father, well, resisted the draft successfully and given the fact he would be drafter when General Jaruzelski ruined the christmas and declared martial law, who's suprised? 

[2952-0-0]

One grandfather fought for the Nationalist Party against the Communists. He was a field doctor and spent time in Shanghai before being captured and POW'd by the Communists. He didn't serve under the red flag.

The other grandfather didn't actually fight, but lost his entire property to the Communists and could have chosen to flee to Taiwan, but somehow didn't. He would, along with his wife, work on some military-related things for the People's Republic.

[fezzyfestoon]

Both grandfathers were in the Navy and were non-combat in Korea I believe.  My dad's dad used to hitchhike from Norfolk, VA to West New York, NJ every weekend to see my grandmother.  My aunt is in the Air Force and was in the Pentagon on 9/11.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

3 of my Uncles fought in WWII - Army
Father-in-Law - Korean War - Army
Father - Marines  (peace time)

[Barnes]

My Paternal Grandfather served in the Pacific in WWII. My Maternal Grandfather served in Allied occupied Germany after the war.

My great-great-Grandfather served in the Civil War, for the South, of course!

[Хahar 🤔]

My uncle was in the army for a while in the '80s. That's all.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Father made his military service in a French base in Tahiti. He served as waiter of officers, then it was more or less vacations for him.

Uncle made him in an other French base in Djibouti (Eastern Africa), and he prolonged by a professional contract during a while.

I guess my both grand father made their military service too, and I know one of them hided in a maquis close of where he lived during WW2, not to be taken into forced French workers for the Reich. Dunno a lot more about it, he didn't like to speak about all the painful aspects of war, though he did everything for that we, his grand children had a good education about it.

Other grand father, I knew him less, and he had heavy diseases like an heavy Parkinson, then he wasn't even really able to speak for the times I remember about him, and it wasn't the kind of topics on air in the family and I never really asked, what I would remind is that his children didn't know because him too didn't like to speak about it. Though, apparently during all his life he would have been a kind of 'man who doesn't speak a lot', and quite leftist but without claiming it, in his behaviors.

[useful idiot]

My great grandfather was on the Bataan Death March in the Philippines while in the Army during WWII. Both of my grandfathers were in the military, one in the Air Force during the early 60s and the other in the Navy during Vietnam. My uncle was career Army, first in the 82nd Airborne, then in the Rangers, and then in the Special Forces. He just retired, he's 44. My father was in the U.S. Coast Guard, and I lived on USCG bases for the first 7 years of my life.

[Ban my account ffs!]

My dad's dad was an engineer in the Navy at the tail end of WWII.  My mom's dad was drafted and fought in Korea.  My mom's uncle, who is only 12 years older than her, fought in Vietnam.  Upon returning home, he found out that his wife had cheated on him and they divorced, so he re-enlisted and went back.  It was a bad decision and the events he witnessed in Vietnam seriously changed his life for the worse.  He had major PTSD and is now experiencing health problems thought to be side effects of Agent Orange.  My dad's brother was in the air force in the late 70s and early 80s.

In general, however, my family tends to be pretty pacifistic.. especially my mom's side, so military service has really only stemmed from the draft.

Going way back on my father's side, there were immigrants from Scotland and Switzerland that were loyalists.  The Swiss fellow married a Scottish immigrant.  He fought int he French and Indian War on the British side.  In 1776, as a staunch loyalist, he and his wife attempted to emigrate to Canada.  He died in western New York later that year, but his wife moved onto Canada.

Eventually, one of their descendants married a Scottish immigrant and moved to Michigan before eventually settling in Nebraska and Missouri.  Oddly, one branch of the family settled in Warren, Minnesota and married into the Scandinavian Christenson family.  My brother dated a girl named Holly Christenson as a teenager having no idea that they are distantly related.

[Free Palestine]

My father was in 'Nam.  My maternal great-great-something grandfather was in the German army during World War I.

[memphis]

Couple of uncles are retired navy. One grandfather fought in WWII.

[??????????]

My father was a non-combatant medic during Vietnam.

Granddad (paternal)- US coast guard during the second world war. He ran supplies up and down the seaboard in a truck.

Ggrandfather(paternal) - blocked by the govt from serving in WW1 due to being German, cleared of spying charges though.

Grandfather (maternal)- medically exempt, blind in one eye and had a war critical job (miner)

Ggrandad - exempt from ww1, war critical job (miner)

Farther back we had some officers in the Napoleonic wars. No idea what my relatives from Lebanon did.

Had two second uncles fight the Soviets at the battle of leningrad. One was severely injured and died, the other lived. I've heard I have both yankee and confederate ancestors.

[MasterJedi]

Grandpa on my dad's side was in the military police on the European front for WWII during and after the war.

Step-Grandpa on my dad's side (born in Germany) went into France a little after D-Day and fought until the end. He was a gunner on a jeep or some kind of vehicle which I can't remember. Survived until the end when the life expectancy in battle was something around 15 seconds.

Dad almost got drafted during Vietnam. Don't really think anyone else was, at least as far as I know.

[Hash]

Father: military service with the Marine Infantry-Colonial Troops/Paratroopers, posted in the Aisne. Hated it, but made good friends and tells good stories about it, like sleeping under the tank during a Franco-German military training thingee.
Paternal grandfather: NCO in the French military, served in World War II and in the Indochina War as well as colonial postings in Africa. Taken prisoner by the Japs in Indochina, slit the throat of a Jap guard and escaped. Don't know much else about the rest of his career, except that he was gone for a very very long time and often came close to death.
Paternal great-great-grandfather (I think): In the French navy, likely around the time of Napoleon III.

The two kids of my dad's brother both recently retired (at age 35) from the military/police. One was in the Republican Guard somewhere, the other was for the army working with military radars in Orange. The latter is currently working around the world in places like Iran or the PRC for private military contractors.

No recent service of note on my mother's side, they were all (by contemporary standards) middle-class farmers or small town folks doing jobs related to small town things.

[RI]

None that I know of. My great-grandfather might have served in the First World War, but that is about it.

[justW353]

My father served in the Gulf.  My grandfather served during Vietnam, but didn't get deployed.  A great uncle died there.

I have a few relatives from World War II.  My great-grandfather died at Pearl Harbor while my great-grandmother was pregnant with my grandfather.  

Going further back, my (I don't know how many greats; I think five) grandfather died at Gettysburg.  I also have a direct line to a Revolutionary.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

my grandfather fought in various major battles in the pacific. Because his job was to set up communications he was normally one of the first two hit the beach. My great uncle Fought in the battle of the buldge. Other than that most individuals in my family normally have not seen much war.

[The Dowager Mod]

Both grandfathers WWII
Father Vietnam
Me Army m.p.

[Bo]

Great-grandfather & great-uncle: WWII, Red Army
Great-great-grandfather: WWI, Russian Army (I think)

[CPT MikeyMike]

Father's father - World War II, 3rdID, Bronze Star and 2 Purple Hearts
Mother's Father - Serves in the Marine Reserves. Was stationed in Cuba during the Korean War.

Myself - Still active Army. Two deployments to Iraq, with 2 Bronze Stars.  Working in recruiting right now.

[Lunar]

I've played Call of Duty, Hearts of Iron, and Battlefield 1942

As well as Worms Armageddon

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I've played Call of Duty, Hearts of Iron, and Battlefield 1942

As well as Worms Armageddon

I won three campaignes in the Operation Flashpoint.

[??????????]

Father's father - World War II, 3rdID, Bronze Star and 2 Purple Hearts
Mother's Father - Serves in the Marine Reserves. Was stationed in Cuba during the Korean War.

Myself - Still active Army. Two deployments to Iraq, with 2 Bronze Stars.  Working in recruiting right now.

FF, literally.