Comments on: What was the greatest tragedy that occurred on US soil during World War ll? http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-greatest-tragedy-that-occurred-on-us-soil-during-world-war-ll.htm From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Sat, 18 May 2013 21:56:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Norma Burk Farringotn http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-greatest-tragedy-that-occurred-on-us-soil-during-world-war-ll.htm#comment-816328 Norma Burk Farringotn Fri, 24 Aug 2012 16:12:37 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13682901#comment-816328 Hi Chuck: If you were in Bly in 1945, we also lived there my oldest brother Bobbie Burk was to go on the fishing/picnic also but had come down very sick and mom kept him home that day, we go the Gearhart MT when we come back to Oregon and visit the area, such a beautiful place, our brother Bobbie now rest on Gearhart Mt as we lost him in 2000. Thank you for your write up. Hi Chuck:

If you were in Bly in 1945, we also lived there my oldest brother Bobbie Burk was to go on the fishing/picnic also but had come down very sick and mom kept him home that day, we go the Gearhart MT when we come back to Oregon and visit the area, such a beautiful place, our brother Bobbie now rest on Gearhart Mt as we lost him in 2000. Thank you for your write up.

]]> By: Aaron http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-greatest-tragedy-that-occurred-on-us-soil-during-world-war-ll.htm#comment-802194 Aaron Thu, 17 May 2012 03:56:04 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13682901#comment-802194 By the time I caught my error I was too late. :P By the time I caught my error I was too late. :P

]]> By: James http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-greatest-tragedy-that-occurred-on-us-soil-during-world-war-ll.htm#comment-802143 James Wed, 16 May 2012 17:14:10 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13682901#comment-802143 Agreed, the Civil War was horrific. Reading Whitman's account of his time in a field-hospital - making friends with wounded soldiers only to have them die suddenly weeks later, doing his best for obviously doomed men, seeing piles of severed limbs stacked like firewood - it's deeply unsettling. The photographs that were taken at the time also make for grim viewing. The question was specifically about events during WW2, though. Agreed, the Civil War was horrific. Reading Whitman's account of his time in a field-hospital – making friends with wounded soldiers only to have them die suddenly weeks later, doing his best for obviously doomed men, seeing piles of severed limbs stacked like firewood – it's deeply unsettling. The photographs that were taken at the time also make for grim viewing.

The question was specifically about events during WW2, though.

]]> By: Aaron http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-greatest-tragedy-that-occurred-on-us-soil-during-world-war-ll.htm#comment-802057 Aaron Wed, 16 May 2012 06:04:30 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13682901#comment-802057 The greatest tragedy in the history of America was the Civil War. The reason I rank this higher than 9/11 or WW2 is because 1, 9/11 had some 2,000 deaths, The civil war had 600,000. 2, in WW2 we united as a country to aid the war effort, and we were fighting against a foreign power. 3, We outright FAILED as a country to do what we are suppose to have a true genius for, and that is to negotiate and compromise. The primary people responsible for this were THE FOUNDING FATHERS! They established this country with slavery intact, even though they knew it was wrong. As a result, we made bloody war on ourselves for 4 years. aside from the liberation of the slaves, the war had absolutely NO redeeming qualities. The greatest tragedy in the history of America was the Civil War. The reason I rank this higher than 9/11 or WW2 is because 1, 9/11 had some 2,000 deaths, The civil war had 600,000. 2, in WW2 we united as a country to aid the war effort, and we were fighting against a foreign power. 3, We outright FAILED as a country to do what we are suppose to have a true genius for, and that is to negotiate and compromise. The primary people responsible for this were THE FOUNDING FATHERS! They established this country with slavery intact, even though they knew it was wrong. As a result, we made bloody war on ourselves for 4 years. aside from the liberation of the slaves, the war had absolutely NO redeeming qualities.

]]> By: LoveCollecting.com http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-greatest-tragedy-that-occurred-on-us-soil-during-world-war-ll.htm#comment-751355 LoveCollecting.com Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:45:43 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13682901#comment-751355 I am researching EXACTLY this question...I am selling an archive containing various correspondence including numerous Congressional letters concerning an ARMY B39 (out of Liberal, Kansas) crash that occured on the farm of O.H. Hatfield (former Kansas State Representive and County Head of National Republican Committee) which killed Mr. Hatfield, his infant Grandson and 10 member crew of the B-39. His wife, Kittie Hatfield and daughter, Mrs. Dean Settles were found in the middle of the road by a good samaritan and taken to the hospital in Dodge City. The archive I have commences in October 1944 and continues until 1947 with various letters and telegrams informing Mrs. Hatfield that the bill "H.R. 1736" was headed to the President's desk for his signature. In 2008-09, I offered the archive to the Kansas State Historical Society who disclosed that they had never heard of this crash. I did find an eBook that had short stories on a number of forgotten crashes, where this one was included. What I am attempting to determine is the ranking of this crash - I consider it to be an Army Aircraft Crash on home soil (48 contiguous states) or "Friendly Fire" aircraft accident that involved civilian death. I am researching EXACTLY this question…I am selling an archive containing various correspondence including numerous Congressional letters concerning an ARMY B39 (out of Liberal, Kansas) crash that occured on the farm of O.H. Hatfield (former Kansas State Representive and County Head of National Republican Committee) which killed Mr. Hatfield, his infant Grandson and 10 member crew of the B-39. His wife, Kittie Hatfield and daughter, Mrs. Dean Settles were found in the middle of the road by a good samaritan and taken to the hospital in Dodge City. The archive I have commences in October 1944 and continues until 1947 with various letters and telegrams informing Mrs. Hatfield that the bill "H.R. 1736" was headed to the President's desk for his signature.
In 2008-09, I offered the archive to the Kansas State Historical Society who disclosed that they had never heard of this crash. I did find an eBook that had short stories on a number of forgotten crashes, where this one was included.
What I am attempting to determine is the ranking of this crash – I consider it to be an Army Aircraft Crash on home soil (48 contiguous states) or "Friendly Fire" aircraft accident that involved civilian death.

]]> By: Catherine http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-greatest-tragedy-that-occurred-on-us-soil-during-world-war-ll.htm#comment-412914 Catherine Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:59:01 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13682901#comment-412914 I almost agree with Darryl. Only thing to add is that, contrary to common knowledge, Italians and Germans received the same treatment in the southeast of the country. I almost agree with Darryl. Only thing to add is that, contrary to common knowledge, Italians and Germans received the same treatment in the southeast of the country.

]]> By: Chuck http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-greatest-tragedy-that-occurred-on-us-soil-during-world-war-ll.htm#comment-355827 Chuck Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:45:01 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13682901#comment-355827 You are right the question was a bit vague. I submitted the question at the suggestion of the HistoryNet Staff since they weren't coming up with any of their own recently. I should have asked what tragedy occurred on the U.S. mainland. The government issued the statement... The only known fatalities on the U.S mainland from enemy attack during World War II,” To a 12 year old boy like me it was tragic to go to the funerals of my close friends. Two of them were brother and sister. They are buried in Klamath Falls, Oregon along with another boy. The two boys are buried in their Boy Scout Uniforms. They are buried next to another brother who was killed in a B17 in Germany a few months earlier. This family lost three children to the war in just a few short months. It tears me to hear someone like Dwight put this down. In the future, if I am asked to submit a question I will try to be more specific. To me it will always be a tragic incident that I will never forget. I thank my Mother for not letting me attend the outing. Chuck in Montana You are right the question was a bit vague. I submitted the question at the suggestion of the HistoryNet Staff since they weren't coming up with any of their own recently. I should have asked what tragedy occurred on the U.S. mainland. The government issued the statement… The only known fatalities on the U.S mainland from enemy attack during World War II,”
To a 12 year old boy like me it was tragic to go to the funerals of my close friends. Two of them were brother and sister. They are buried in Klamath Falls, Oregon along with another boy. The two boys are buried in their Boy Scout Uniforms. They are buried next to another brother who was killed in a B17 in Germany a few months earlier. This family lost three children to the war in just a few short months.
It tears me to hear someone like Dwight put this down.
In the future, if I am asked to submit a question I will try to be more specific.
To me it will always be a tragic incident that I will never forget. I thank my Mother for not letting me attend the outing.

Chuck in Montana

]]> By: HistoryNet Staff http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-greatest-tragedy-that-occurred-on-us-soil-during-world-war-ll.htm#comment-355378 HistoryNet Staff Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:30:27 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13682901#comment-355378 The question was a bit vague in hindsight. It is intended to explore what happened on the home front of the US during the war, not the obvious battles like Pearl Harbor, Bataan, etc. The answers above should not be seen as a reflection of our readers' lack of understanding of history, but instead a lack of good question formation on the part of HistoryNet staff. Our apologies. The question was a bit vague in hindsight. It is intended to explore what happened on the home front of the US during the war, not the obvious battles like Pearl Harbor, Bataan, etc. The answers above should not be seen as a reflection of our readers' lack of understanding of history, but instead a lack of good question formation on the part of HistoryNet staff.

Our apologies.

]]> By: GeraldS http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-greatest-tragedy-that-occurred-on-us-soil-during-world-war-ll.htm#comment-354886 GeraldS Mon, 25 Oct 2010 14:13:22 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13682901#comment-354886 Around noon on July 1, 1942, a former American Airlines flagship converted into a troop transport for the war crashed into a hillside near Welch in southern West Virginia. After skidding 200 yards what was left of the plane stopped in, ironically, a Victory Garden. All 21 of the passengers and crew perished. While I wouldn't call this the worst tragedy on American soil during WWII, it is one that has been forgotten, and I mention it in memory of all those who died in military-related air crashes across America during the war. Milligan, Nebraska, has three monuments honoring the 32 (total) airmen who died in three crashes near the airbase there. http://www.yorknewstimes.com/articles/2010/08/17/news/doc4c6a0935c97f0881386387.txt Around noon on July 1, 1942, a former American Airlines flagship converted into a troop transport for the war crashed into a hillside near Welch in southern West Virginia. After skidding 200 yards what was left of the plane stopped in, ironically, a Victory Garden. All 21 of the passengers and crew perished.

While I wouldn't call this the worst tragedy on American soil during WWII, it is one that has been forgotten, and I mention it in memory of all those who died in military-related air crashes across America during the war.

Milligan, Nebraska, has three monuments honoring the 32 (total) airmen who died in three crashes near the airbase there. http://www.yorknewstimes.com/articles/2010/08/17/news/doc4c6a0935c97f0881386387.txt

]]> By: Peter http://www.historynet.com/what-was-the-greatest-tragedy-that-occurred-on-us-soil-during-world-war-ll.htm#comment-354808 Peter Mon, 25 Oct 2010 08:58:10 +0000 http://www.historynet.com/?p=13682901#comment-354808 Independance ?? Independance ??

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