We are going to post two perspectives on the same site. I'll start this one.
My Cousin, Doug was a paratrooper in WWII, in the Pacific theater. the only story I recall him telling was of being hung by his parachute up in a tree after a night drop, and hearing voices below speaking in a foreign tongue, and of course wondering whether the voices were locals or Japanese.
He added that a knife was visible in the dark, but he wasn't sure whether it was going to be used to cut him up, or cut him down. I suspect this was a bit of an embellishment, but he earned the right to tell the story anyway he liked.
Anyway, I thought it worthwhile to stop at Camp Blanding, a WWII paratrooper training base, and site of a terrific WWII museum.
Outside the museum is an excellent display of WWII military equipment, with a C-47 as the centerpiece. It was a great opportunity for me to practice using my new 3D camera, so I have prepared a video, which can be viewed in 3D or in 2D, as you prefer.
You can reach Camp Blanding by two lane road (see map) or by parachute, but not by interstate!
David and I stopped at the Camp Blanding Joint training Center. It also serves as a WWII museum. There are exhibits outside as well as in. Ordinarily, this would not be my cup of tea. Here is the “she said” side.
Walking outside through what could be called garden art from WWII; a plane, an ambulance, cannons, and other machines of destruction, a lump began to form in my throat. WWII is not new to me. As a small child, I lived through part of it. I remember the things a child would remember, parties when my uncles would get leave, their imposing figures in uniform, and sporting one of their army hats, and even ration stamps.
As an adult, I have seen television programs depicting the horrors told by those who were there, but I admit I avoid these whenever I can. I was drawn to the plane because of the pin-up painted on its side. But unexpectedly, standing there close enough to touch it, seeing the cross hatches painted on its side to indelibly mark its strikes against the enemy, the impact of what war does to our young men and women grabbed hold of my heart and squeezed. It made me think not only of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, but of those men and women that return scared for life. Suddenly, it was all too real to me. So there it is, the age old question; why?
The inside of the museum held surprises as well. Chronicles of daily life for our military men were everywhere. But also, things like a newspaper article that told of a bread company that was being fined for price fixing. Profiteers are always present, but I never thought of them as being a natural part of WWII.
All in all, I’m glad we stopped!
The You Tube Movie will give you 90 seconds of close up images of WWII motorized equipment, in 3D if you choose, and a few shots of the famed C-47. The images below are ticklers, in universal free view parallel or crosseyed, as you prefer, and for those who prefer flash, an autimated gif.
Movie
Keep the Show on the Road!
Dave
