I kind of attempted to start one, but I guess it didn't go far, as it was somewhat buried in another thread.
https://iowa.forums.rivals.com/thre...-flag-officers-are-at-a-flexing-point.456424/
Reading through this thread though, it seems that my dad's generation has started to fall through the cracks of time in favor of more recent veterans, and there is nothing wrong with that, as long as none of them are forgotten. My dad's generation eventually took over for the Civil War, Spanish American War, and WWI veterans and they in turn have been slowly forgotten, but hopefully not totally forgotten.
My Dad, and 4 of my uncles all served in WWII, which undeniably has become the greatest war ever on the face of this earth. Unfortunately, one of my uncles never came home alive. His name was Joseph Brost, who served in the 741st Tank Battalion, which landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day in France.
For those who may not know, his battalion was the same tank battalion which was equipped to become a "floating tank", and wade to shore to face the German guns which opposed the landing forces that day. Many of those tanks were lost during the landing due to high seas which swamped and sank many of their tanks just offshore of the Normandy beaches. Many men and tanks were lost due to the stormy conditions which were encountered that morning.
I am honestly not sure whether he landed that morning or joined the unit after landing as a replacement. But he was wounded at some point and held out of active service for a while. As I understand it, though, the 741st Battalion was assigned as part of Patton's forces which moved into Germany late in the war. He was assigned as a scout tank commander, probably as the commander of an M3/M5 reconnaissance tank. He grew up on a farm in Indiana and I am guessing he had actual experience operating "mechanized vehicles" (a farm tractor) and was given the assignment. Just my speculation though.
After being returned to active duty from a field hospital, he was killed while on patrol after his tank slid off a road on the German/Czech border and overturned. He was the only member of his crew that was killed, though, as I assume the other members were shielded within the tank itself, with him being half-exposed outside of the tank turret. This occurred on May 5, 1945, three days before the war in Europe ended. He came so close to surviving but sadly did not make it.
I am linking to his gravestone which is located next to his parents, in a Catholic cemetery located near the Indian/Illinois state line, in Benton County, IN, although I do not know whether he is actually buried there, or possibly in some cemetery in France or Belgium. He was the oldest of 11 children.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33926614/joseph-matt-brost
Thank you, Joe.
