My 50 Year Junk Obsession 9 9

[BB-Gun]

Do you have the original Mickey Mouse pop-up book?

[Robot Man]

Sadly, I no longer have any of the Disney ones. Sold them a few years back to a guy that really wanted them. Only ones left are the Flash Gordon and the small Buck Rogers.

[Robot Man]

A very short but unique sub set today. I'm sure there are a few more of these, but these are the only ones I have that I can think of.

[Robot Man]

[Robot Man]

[Pat Calhoun]

[Robot Man]

That works, thanks Pat!

[Sqeggs]

Here's one.

[Robot Man]

Today is Memorial Day. I was going to post a bunch of related comics. But, I realized that is more of a day of reflection and respect. I decided instead to post a little about two people that have meant the most to me in my life. My parents.

First up, my dad. He was a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy. Stationed in the Solomon Islands on a destroyer. Although, he wasn't killed or even wounded, he saw plenty of action. Usually dodging Japanese planes attacking his ship. He saw most of it through a camera lense. He was a photographer. Part way through the war for some reason, he was transfered to Washington DC. There, he spent the rest of the war at officer's parties shooting photos. I guess he earned it. He was lucky enough to shoot all the movie stars who showed up for war benefit functions. He had great photos of Betty Grable, Rita Heyworth and lots more babes. I take it he was a bit of a playboy.

While in DC he met a pretty woman who would end up becoming my mom. My mom was, to the best of my family's knowledge, was the first woman White House photographer. Most of the men were at war so somehow she landed the job. Very hard to prove as they did not keep records of the women's roles in the war. She worked with another woman later who usually gets this credit but I have my mom's White House press pass from a year earlier. She shot photos of Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower. Got to be friendly enough with them all to be allowed into their personal lives as well. Her stash of photos is an amazing slice of American presidental history.

So, I salute both my parents who both served their country in a more unusual way. Thanks mom and dad for your service and I really miss you.

I would be honored if any of you would like to post info and pictures of your loved ones, friends or people that mean a lot to you that served their country here. Go out and enjoy your day, but give a second to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for you.

[Hudson]

Beautiful tribute, Bob.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

[comicjack]

1 minute ago, Hudson said:

Beautiful tribute, Bob.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

I'll second it Robot great tribute 

[Sqeggs]

1 hour ago, comicjack said:

2 hours ago, Hudson said:

Beautiful tribute, Bob.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

I'll second it Robot great tribute 

I'll third it.  Bob, you have parents to be proud of. 

[porcupine48]

This is my paternal Grandfather ..served in WW2 andKorea.Getting a Naval award.Canada,although his father was born American,he was born Ireland.

Not certain of what happened there.

Second photo is great Grand Baxter,Served WW1 and 2 

Never met either,but i'm very proud.

 

 

[Get Marwood & I]

36 minutes ago, porcupine48 said:

This is my paternal Grandfather ..served in WW2 andKorea.Getting a Naval award.Canada,although his father was born American,he was born Ireland.

Not certain of what happened there.

Second photo is great Grand Baxter,Served WW1 and 2 

Never met either,but i'm very proud.

 

 

Nice to see her Majesty in the background there Jim! Great pictures. The old black and whites carry so much mystery don't they...

[Get Marwood & I]

3 hours ago, Robot Man said:

Today is Memorial Day. I was going to post a bunch of related comics. But, I realized that is more of a day of reflection and respect. I decided instead to post a little about two people that have meant the most to me in my life. My parents.

First up, my dad. He was a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy. Stationed in the Solomon Islands on a destroyer. Although, he wasn't killed or even wounded, he saw plenty of action. Usually dodging Japanese planes attacking his ship. He saw most of it through a camera lense. He was a photographer. Part way through the war for some reason, he was transfered to Washington DC. There, he spent the rest of the war at officer's parties shooting photos. I guess he earned it. He was lucky enough to shoot all the movie stars who showed up for war benefit functions. He had great photos of Betty Grable, Rita Heyworth and lots more babes. I take it he was a bit of a playboy.

While in DC he met a pretty woman who would end up becoming my mom. My mom was, to the best of my family's knowledge, was the first woman White House photographer. Most of the men were at war so somehow she landed the job. Very hard to prove as they did not keep records of the women's roles in the war. She worked with another woman later who usually gets this credit but I have my mom's White House press pass from a year earlier. She shot photos of Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower. Got to be friendly enough with them all to be allowed into their personal lives as well. Her stash of photos is an amazing slice of American presidental history.

So, I salute both my parents who both served their country in a more unusual way. Thanks mom and dad for your service and I really miss you.

I would be honored if any of you would like to post info and pictures of your loved ones, friends or people that mean a lot to you that served their country here. Go out and enjoy your day, but give a second to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for you.

Great pictures and stories. We easily forget sometimes the exciting, varied lives some of the old folk around us have had.

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

While I don't have a photo of my Dad who luckily served in Germany during the Korean War era I do have a pile of the letters he wrote back home. In today's age of instant communication think back on what it must have been like to go down to the depot to see your son (no daughters then) leave for basic training and then to be assigned who knows where. There are stacks of these letters so they were the lifeline to keep in touch with the family and clearly my Grandmother kept them close and never disposed of them. Just to give you a taste here is what one would have looked like arriving at a small New Jersey beach community from my Dad to my Grandmom and Grandad in July 1954.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 29, 2017 by 40YrsCollctngCmcs

[Robot Man]

6 hours ago, porcupine48 said:

This is my paternal Grandfather ..served in WW2 andKorea.Getting a Naval award.Canada,although his father was born American,he was born Ireland.

Not certain of what happened there.

Second photo is great Grand Baxter,Served WW1 and 2 

Never met either,but i'm very proud.

 

 

Great photos and story Jimmers. Thanks for posting and honoring your grandfathers. What country did they serve? Canada? Great Britian? 

[Robot Man]

5 hours ago, 40YrsCollctngCmcs said:

While I don't have a photo of my Dad who luckily served in Germany during the Korean War era I do have a pile of the letters he wrote back home. In today's age of instant communication think back on what it must have been like to go down to the depot to see your son (no daughters then) leave for basic training and then to be assigned who knows where. There are stacks of these letters so they were the lifeline to keep in touch with the family and clearly my Grandmother kept them close and never disposed of them. Just to give you a taste here is what one would have looked like arriving at a small New Jersey beach community from my Dad to my Grandmom and Grandad in July 1954.

 

 

 

 

Awesome that your grandmother kept all those letters. I can't imagine having a loved one over seas and having to communicate via snail mail. They might be interesting to read.

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

21 minutes ago, Robot Man said:

Awesome that your grandmother kept all those letters. I can't imagine having a loved one over seas and having to communicate via snail mail. They might be interesting to read.

Yes I plan on reading the batch when I retire in about seven years; though I've read snippets here and there. The kids are off to college this fall and I've got lots of weekend plans already. Of course the wife is bound to have other plans!

[porcupine48]

1 hour ago, Robot Man said:

Great photos and story Jimmers. Thanks for posting and honoring your grandfathers. What country did they serve? Canada? Great Britian? 

I believe Great Grandad was American first then Canada/British?Grandad was British then Canadian I have been told.The past is rather murky on my fathers side..what we know mostly is from after Grandad  married my Grandmother in 1945.He met her in Holland and helped bring her family to Canada after the war..but really cannot be traced much farther back than that..seems his family went back and forth between Ireland and North America a lot.My family only really found any info. after my Grandmother passed a few years ago,when the pictures of my great Grandfather were turned up.Seems I am the fourth J Baxter in a row.My father never met his grandparents,nor I my Grandfather.

Love the pictures and story of your parents.Sounds like it could be made into a film.

Edited May 30, 2017 by porcupine48