Bring back Stories
 

Looking for bring back stories; ones that are verifiable (2nd hand is okay, but have proof like veterans documents, they are direct relatives, etc). Looking for true, actual stories ( no offense, but buy the gun not the story, unless the story is very good and verifiable)


I am putting together a 2nd book on Veteran Bring Backs; can be pistols, rifles, accessories, etc.

I presently have each person or the original owners name at the top of the page and not at the begining of the book.
I of course reserve the right to use or not use the subject material; as I am the one that is on the book cover. If material is used, full credit would be given either in the pages or top of the pages; just unsure at this time.


Ed


weimar_lugers@verizon.net

My mother used to work for a guy who brought back a general. This general had a white horse no less, but no Luger. This occurred in the Baltic States after the Germans found themselves on the wrong side of the curve.

Old cars get better with age while new ones look better on paper.

I got one story: Two elderly gunsmiths my dad knew a few years back from our antique store was at my mom's booth at an antique mall one day and they struck up a conversation. Difference was that the older one had hearing aids, and the younger one was nearly blind. When one would strike a conversation, the other would answer something completely random...unknown how they got along. Now, they had the revolutionary technology of Flexon and hearing aids! But, aside from the point, we told the older one about some antique cap pistols and a relic CG Bonehill shotgun we had, and he was interested. We gave him a card and my mom also mentioned I was a WWII militaria collector and interested in lugers and Japanese swords (along with I'm gonna be a "man of the sea"). With this, he told us a story:

He had enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1945 because of a condition that would've rejected him from many other branches. Right after he graduated, the war ended and he was sent for occupational duties in Japan. While he was overseas, he traveled around there a bit, saw what postwar Japan had to offer, and like the souvenir hunter of the stereotypical GI, wanted something. What he wanted was what his friends and fellow members brought back: A Japanese sword. However he didn't know of the warehouses stored with swords and most of his shipmates had sent theirs' home.

While talking to a fellow shipmate one day, however, he mentioned he wanted a sword and wondered where to get one. This is when his friend told him he had brought one onboard. He didn't really want it, he just picked it along the way! But he also didn't want to give it away, so our young future gunsmith went about the decks bartering for the currency of the day, cigarettes! He finally was able to secure four packs of Lucky Camels and his friend gave him the sword for the packs.

This is basically where the story ends. He told me that the scabbard's laquer was chipping, so he repainted that and there was writing on the blade. Nakago or blade, unknown. He said he'd give us a call about the guns and the sword later to possibly sell or trade...but that was two months ago. xD I'm tempted to call him, but I don't want to bother him.

Great story, can you provide any pictures or other documentation?

I have about 50 pages so far with another 10 ready to add.

Looking for:

VERIFIABLE bring back stories; i.e. you know the vet, you know the history of the weapon, you have story, pictures, etc.

I am Japanese heavy (which is my intention, but need many more pages to fill this up! )

If you have some good stories and are willing share, I give full credit to either (and) the owner now and the person who first got it!


Ed

A quick note, the Japanese forum and other members have a huge amount of stories, which is great, but surely you guys have stories too!


Want, realistic, factual, with provenance, 1st or actual 2nd person stories preferred (not just bring back paperwork if we can help it)


Ed

ed_tinker@hotmail.com

up to 86 PAGES, WIH ANOTHER 10 promised by folks.

If you have some good stories of equipment, guns, etc, from any era or theatre of war, please contact me at ed_tinker@hotmail.com

Up to 93 pages, although 3 pages are of guys that I haven't received written confirmation yet; so in about a week, I'll pull them. meanwhile, still looking for good, verifiable stories of equipment, pistols, rifles and doo-dads brought back by a vet, any time frame; WW1-present (unless you have a family heirloom with a good story, perhaps written down??)


Ed

103 pages as of today, have aquired a lot of stories of Japanese, some lugers and an amazing amount of Vietnam stories, which is very cool!


Ed

Fantastic, Today I rediscovered it. Great reading!Is anyone working on an updated Navy Luger book?

Tom Armstrong was, I don't know anyone else that has started one?

For this book, I am up to 118 pages and had 150 last time, so getting pretty close!

Still looking for 1st hand accounts! (see above for details, its 5:45 Saudi time and too early to rewrite everything ;))

Ed

Still looking for a few more good stories with provinance, any era, any country, but as much known story as you can get.


Ed

Well, here is the rough talley of the book, it covers a wide range; but here goes:
Realize that these are items and not pages, some are 1 page, some are 3 or 4 pages, depending on story and provinance ;)

Japanese Items 17 items
German
Lugers 9 items
P38 4 items
other german 12 items
Vietnam (mixture) 15 items
Equipment all eras 8 items
USA 2 items
Iraq 2 items
Nagants 2 items
Browning 2 items
Radom 1 item

Very interesting mixture, will make a nice book, I am at 158 pages, so can publish anytime (156 was my goal), can still take more pictures and items for the next couple of weeks :)


Ed
ed_tinker@hotmail.com
.
.

Great news and great work !!

What Are our you going to name it?
 

Volume 2?

Veteran Bring Backs Vol 2

As it is very much like the 1st, but with so much in commen, yet different stories, it seems apropo.

Ed
Appreciate the update. After the first vol., can't wait for second.
Let the board know as soon as can order. As always thanks for your contributions.
Ron

Well, this is the cover of the new book. :)

It should be available soon, as it is literally being printed as I write this, well, during the work week ;)

I would expect another 2 months, maybe less to be on our shores?

The only thing I brought back was my self.......can't wait for vol.2

Ed, I love the cover design!

Me, too!

Brad Simpson just wrote me;

The Vet that brought it back
 

I took a picture of my 88 year old father the other day and had it superimposed over another photo of him at the mess hall during WW2. He is holding the mint 1939 Police Banner he brought back of which the story of its capture is in Ed Tinkers first book. He flew 64 P47 fighter missions over Italy and Germany and earned the DFC.
Picture 2 is of him entering Germany with his Colt .45 at the ready. He regrets to this day he did not bring the Colt back.
Picture 3 is the footlocker the Luger came back in.
Picture 4 is the Luger.

Tom

Hey Tom, these extra pictures would be good for Vol III (already up to page 54), send them to my email, weimar_lugers@verizon.net if you'd like me to add them! Would make a nice one page spread :)

And anyone else that has guns with provenance, send me your story's, doesn't have to be a family member or a luger :D

Ed

What a beautiful Luger! Befitting a grand old hero like your dad!

man if your interested I have a story that I learned two years after my step grandfather died. He was apparently in the navy and part of the engineering detail in the Phillipines and brought back some native people daggers...

slowly working on volume four!

:)

ed

Got my Damn Gun Back!
 

My father-in-law and I were talking about a new gun I purchased. He said "you want to see my gun?". "Sure" I said. I had no idea he owned any guns as he didn't hunt or shoot.

He leaves and comes back with a S/42 1939 Luger. He brought the gun back from WW2 where he fought in the 104th Infantry.

He said they killed a german officer and he found the gun on the dead German. When he told his superior what he had, the officer pulled rank and made him give the gun to him. A few days later they were standing side by side when a sniper killed his officer. Dad said, "I got my damn gun back".

Welcome to the forum :)

I am slowly collecting stories for vol IV

If interested, would need hi-rez pictures and a statement or other collaborating info from your FIL :)

We lost Dad earlier this year. He wrote the story up and it is in a book on the 104th. My wife is okay with giving the information to you. I can get a good photo as well. I thought it was a pretty good story.

Japanese Grenade
 

Well...this story is about a Japanese Grenade.....and a mean little kid.......when I was about 5 years old.....was down the street at a neighbors house when their son came home from WW2.....he was a Marine and had been on Iwo Jima........after the dust had settled a bit......he reached in his duffle bag..and gave me the Grenade....it was a small one...and he unscrewed it in front of my mother to allay her fears...he had dumped the powder..had no charge left in it at all.completely safe...the top had a small metal cover with a spring held in place by the usual grenade pin......so.....I took my "treasure" and ran home...coming in the living room...my 11 year old brother was on the couch eating a bowl of cereal....asked me what I had.....so excitedly I told him...."Mr Fryars son who is a Marine just came home from Iwo Jima and gave me this neat Japanese grenade....then.....I pulled the pin...and tossed it in his lap.....I can still see his face to this day and how he threw the cereal bowl straight up and took off running.........Geezzz....I wuz a mean widdle kid :( (my youngest son has it now)

Hansfisher, I guess you and I were a lot alike. In my military days I was in ordinance disposal with the 101st Abn. in KY. and had access to just about anything I wanted. I picked up a dummy frag grenade, painted it OD, plugged the hole in the bottom, and screwed in a live fuse. My buddy's desk just happened to be end to end with mine. As I was sitting at my desk one afternoon pretending to play with the grenade, I could see that he was watching me out of the corner of his eye as he was catching up on some paper work. One of his desk drawers, the one closest to my desk was open and I just couldn't resist, pretending to fumble around with the grenade, I "accidentaly" pulled the pin and nerviously said "Oh s--t" and dropped it into his desk drawer. He came up over the top of that desk cracking both knees on the edge, landed on all fours, and craweled out the door located a few feet away so fast I think he may have left a vapour trail behind him! I laughed so hard the tears were rolling down my cheeks, but needless to say he didn't see the humor in it. Afterward I did feel just a little bad since he banged his knees so hard getting out of there. :rolleyes: