Another WWII Veteran will be buried today

[Sled Idaho]

The man that built my house 50 years ago, and that I have lived across the street from for nearly 10 years passed away last Tuesday morning. He was almost 90. Today Mr. Glenn Blaser will be buried.

I was lucky enough to have spent quite a bit of time with him over the last ten years. He let the neighborhood kids swim in his pool, and at least one of us parents was always there to serve as a lifeguard and ruckus warden. He would come out and visit most days and almost routinely he would have a story or two about the neighborhood, about Boise or about one of his many travels.

One afternoon after the kids had finished swimming he took me into his office to show me a book or something, I can't really remember. On his wall was a photo of him, a medal, and the citation. The photo was of him shaking hands with General George S. Patton; the medal is The Bronze Star; and the citation described what the medal is for. The linked photo album below has a zoom feature where you can read the citation in the second image. It's pretty cool.

A couple of days after first seeing the photo and medal, I asked him about what his experience was, thinking that I might get ten minutes out of him. For the next four plus hours he had story after story after story about his time in Europe and especially Germany during and after the war. Each story seemed to remind him of another. When it was finally time to stop, he said he had not talked this much about the war in over 50 years. It was fascinating and I feel honored and privileged to have been able to share this time with him.

If you all ever have a chance to talk to one of these members of the Greatest Generation please take the time to do so. It is an enriching and humbling experience that you will no doubt remember.


The Bronze Star from Gen. George S. Patton
http://picasaweb.google.com/SledIdaho/MrBlaser?authkey=Gv1sRgCOud6YyCi63ZVQ&feat=directlink


Mr. Blaser's Obituary
http://www.legacy.com/idahostatesman/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=126291603

 

[Gainster]

God Bless brother! Had a uncle that fought the japs as he called them & I loved to hear his stories. Men were men back then.
Just gotta believe he is in a better place now.

 

[MPS]

The man that built my house 50 years ago, and that I have lived across the street from for nearly 10 years passed away last Tuesday morning. He was almost 90. Today Mr. Glenn Blaser will be buried.

I was lucky enough to have spent quite a bit of time with him over the last ten years. He let the neighborhood kids swim in his pool, and at least one of us parents was always there to serve as a lifeguard and ruckus warden. He would come out and visit most days and almost routinely he would have a story or two about the neighborhood, about Boise or about one of his many travels.

One afternoon after the kids had finished swimming he took me into his office to show me a book or something, I can't really remember. On his wall was a photo of him, a medal, and the citation. The photo was of him shaking hands with General George S. Patton; the medal is The Bronze Star; and the citation described what the medal is for. The linked photo album below has a zoom feature where you can read the citation in the second image. It's pretty cool.

A couple of days after first seeing the photo and medal, I asked him about what his experience was, thinking that I might get ten minutes out of him. For the next four plus hours he had story after story after story about his time in Europe and especially Germany during and after the war. Each story seemed to remind him of another. When it was finally time to stop, he said he had not talked this much about the war in over 50 years. It was fascinating and I feel honored and privileged to have been able to share this time with him.

If you all ever have a chance to talk to one of these members of the Greatest Generation please take the time to do so. It is an enriching and humbling experience that you will no doubt remember.


The Bronze Star from Gen. George S. Patton
http://picasaweb.google.com/SledIdaho/MrBlaser?authkey=Gv1sRgCOud6YyCi63ZVQ&feat=directlink


Mr. Blaser's Obituary
http://www.legacy.com/idahostatesman/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=126291603

Thanks for sharing Sled Idaho! I have goose bumps! These men will be missed....they are the kind of men I wish we had more of in this country! They have great honor and morals!

My neighbor is 87 and is also a World War 2 vet....what a guy....he has one hell of a shop and he lets me walk in and use it anytime. I am their satellite fix it guy...since him and his wife are always messing it up....haha. We almost lost him last winter. He fell on the ice crossing the road to get the mail....a car came and didnt see him....he rolled off the road just in time.

 

[MPS]

In honor of US Army Soldier Glenn Blaser

 

[shortstop20]

Cool story, I wish I knew somebody that would tell me WWII stories like that, I could sit there all day and listen.

RIP.

 

[sledchick]

RIP..I too wish their were more people in this world like him. God bless our vets & troops!

 

[ArcticBoy]

That is some history that needs to be taught in every school. Just stories of what really happened from the people who lived it. Thanks for the service!

 

[MPS]

Rest in peace Brother Glenn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19yjoUfbZtw&feature=related

 

[MPS]

.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUxfGkwuC3o&feature=related





.

 

[rockymking]

My hats off to men like Mr. Glenn Blaser and the thousands like him who sacrificed everything for duty, honor and country ... NEVER FORGET!

 

[Scott]

Hats are off. Rest in peace, sir.

Thanks for the post Scott.
We are losing that generation quickly.

 

[Skinner]

Hats off to Glenn Blaser!!!


Reminds me of the Nights around the camp fire that my Uncle would tell storys of WWII. God rest his soul!

 

[MPS]

.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv6StZXsKp8&feature=related



.

 

[motojunkie101]

My grandfather was in WWII as well and I go out and talk to him every time I'm home. Some of the stories are pretty wild...they really were our greatest generation. Just a little of what he has told me(this is going to be a long post)

He was a ski trooper at camp hale (near leadville, CO) and worked with mule trains. He won a car while he was there and sold it without even seeing it.
He was headed home on leave and they pulled the train out on the dock in San Franciso. MP's got on the train and grabbed every GI they could find and herded them down onto a boat. My grandfather went across the equator in his underwear since he was still wearing his winter uniform and said it was "just too damn hot to keep it on" All he had to his name at that point was his uniform and a shaving kit, everything else was back in Colorado.
They landed in Aussie, geared up, and he was part of 15 different beach landings starting at bouganville (near guada canal). On bouganville he had everyone setting up camp at this abandoned farm and woke up one night to a girl standing over him asking what he was doing in her house..lol. The japs had killed her family, but she had gotten away. Before the japs had gotten there, her family had buried 2 brand new chevy cars in the field. She showed them the spot and they dug them up...2 weeks later the MP's showed up and took the cars away from them. Shortly after my grandpa saw General McArthur riding around in the car he'd dug up! One other story he had was when he was digging his foxhole he leaned over to get his canteen and had a sniper miss his head by inches...he said he could feel the heat from the bullet so you know it was close! I love how he put it though "...so I just grabbed up my tommy gun and shot him outta the tree he was in" like it was no big deal..puts a new kind of fear in ya about your gramps. haha
My grandad also joined the paratroopers over there for the extra money, but before he could continue on island hopping he caught malaria and nearly died...he was down to nearly 120 pounds from being over 200. When the Allies occupied Japan he was the first squad to General Tojos shrine...their Lt told him to take the flag and burn it, but he kept it and showed it to me once. He also brought back a samurai sword, 1 swiss pistol, a luger, the flag, several kimonos (sp?) his parachute, and a bunch of pictures.

Like I said though, thats just a little of what he and I have talked about. Since he came back he never talked to anyone about the war...then I came back after my first trip to Iraq and he started telling all kinds of stories when I'd visit.

He turned 87 this year and when we went to help him shovel the roof on their house, we found him standing on top of their motorhome shoveling away...I think that speaks for his condition on its own.

If you do nothing else today, thank a veteran.

 

[MPS]

I love these stories about our vets! Keep em coming!

 

[oldracr]

God bless his soul!

 

[swampwater]

Thank You Mr. Blaser, please say hello to my father Ski Zielasko US Navy GMMC First Class Pacific theater. Swampy No icons for this one.

The man that built my house 50 years ago, and that I have lived across the street from for nearly 10 years passed away last Tuesday morning. He was almost 90. Today Mr. Glenn Blaser will be buried.

I was lucky enough to have spent quite a bit of time with him over the last ten years. He let the neighborhood kids swim in his pool, and at least one of us parents was always there to serve as a lifeguard and ruckus warden. He would come out and visit most days and almost routinely he would have a story or two about the neighborhood, about Boise or about one of his many travels.

One afternoon after the kids had finished swimming he took me into his office to show me a book or something, I can't really remember. On his wall was a photo of him, a medal, and the citation. The photo was of him shaking hands with General George S. Patton; the medal is The Bronze Star; and the citation described what the medal is for. The linked photo album below has a zoom feature where you can read the citation in the second image. It's pretty cool.

A couple of days after first seeing the photo and medal, I asked him about what his experience was, thinking that I might get ten minutes out of him. For the next four plus hours he had story after story after story about his time in Europe and especially Germany during and after the war. Each story seemed to remind him of another. When it was finally time to stop, he said he had not talked this much about the war in over 50 years. It was fascinating and I feel honored and privileged to have been able to share this time with him.

If you all ever have a chance to talk to one of these members of the Greatest Generation please take the time to do so. It is an enriching and humbling experience that you will no doubt remember.


The Bronze Star from Gen. George S. Patton
http://picasaweb.google.com/SledIdaho/MrBlaser?authkey=Gv1sRgCOud6YyCi63ZVQ&feat=directlink


Mr. Blaser's Obituary
http://www.legacy.com/idahostatesman/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=126291603

 

[onlyrotax]

Great story, so sad we are losing the generation that saved the world for us to live in. A few years ago my wife's uncle died, he was a WWII vet, he was always kind of a grumpy old guy, never had much to say and was very strict with his kids. After he died the family was going through his things and discovered papers that said he had served in Europe as General Patton's personal driver, he had several medals and citations hidden in his things. The family never knew any of this, he had never told anyone about it, I kind of understand now why he was the way he was, probably saw things over there that would make most people crazy forever.

 

[Oregongirl]

Rest in peace, Mr. Blaser! Thank you for your service.

My father is a WWII vet. He served in the 10th Mountain Division and trained at Camp Hale and at Mt. Rainier. He received special permission to enlist at 17 and is one of the youngest veterans. He'll be 84 in a couple of weeks. He has Alzheimers now, so there are no more stories. I used to press him to talk about it, but after I watched the first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan, I vowed to never ask again. Who would want to relive the horrors of battle like that!?

He has written stories about his time there. One has even been published in a book about the 10th Mountain. I have never been able to read them. It is just too hard to imagine my father under those circumstances.

There is a story though......about how I owe my very existence to Senator Bob Dole. (I've not been able to finish HIS book either!!!)

They were in the process of taking hill from the Germans. Daddy was digging a foxhole for the night. A medic unit was "bedded" down in a hole not far from where Daddy was. They called out to him that he could have theirs - they had a call to responded to an injured officer and would not be returning. Tired and hungry - Daddy took them up on their offer and moved into their "digs". The spot where Daddy had originally been digging took a direct hit that same night. The injured office was Bob Dole.

I did not know this story until I was 19. I was attending a Division reunion with my dad in Seattle. We were out on some island in the Sound for a clam bake or something. Senator Dole arrived by helicopter from SeaTac - to GREAT fanfare. The emcee shared this story after he introduced the Senator. As he finishes the story, he goes on about how this man fathered six daughters, and xx many grandchildren, etc., etc. and I'm standing there thinking..."WOW! Sounds like my Dad!" Well, when they called my Dad's name and called him forward I was dumbfounded!! I got to meet the Senator and I shook his hand....I know I did....but have no really memories of that - because I was so overwhelmed that my Dad had this very pivotal moment in his life and in my almost 2 decades of being his daughter - I never knew about it.

Perhaps after he passes on, and joins his Division for the final time, I'll be able to read his "war stories". But for now....they sit in a file in my desk.

 

[swampwater]

My condolences for you father and thanks to him for his sacrafices. Fortunately my father had full mental powers to the end. Again please let him know the american people thank him for being in the greatest generation. Swampy

Rest in peace, Mr. Blaser! Thank you for your service.

My father is a WWII vet. He served in the 10th Mountain Division and trained at Camp Hale and at Mt. Rainier. He received special permission to enlist at 17 and is one of the youngest veterans. He'll be 84 in a couple of weeks. He has Alzheimers now, so there are no more stories. I used to press him to talk about it, but after I watched the first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan, I vowed to never ask again. Who would want to relive the horrors of battle like that!?

He has written stories about his time there. One has even been published in a book about the 10th Mountain. I have never been able to read them. It is just too hard to imagine my father under those circumstances.

There is a story though......about how I owe my very existence to Senator Bob Dole. (I've not been able to finish HIS book either!!!)

They were in the process of taking hill from the Germans. Daddy was digging a foxhole for the night. A medic unit was "bedded" down in a hole not far from where Daddy was. They called out to him that he could have theirs - they had a call to responded to an injured officer and would not be returning. Tired and hungry - Daddy took them up on their offer and moved into their "digs". The spot where Daddy had originally been digging took a direct hit that same night. The injured office was Bob Dole.

I did not know this story until I was 19. I was attending a Division reunion with my dad in Seattle. We were out on some island in the Sound for a clam bake or something. Senator Dole arrived by helicopter from SeaTac - to GREAT fanfare. The emcee shared this story after he introduced the Senator. As he finishes the story, he goes on about how this man fathered six daughters, and xx many grandchildren, etc., etc. and I'm standing there thinking..."WOW! Sounds like my Dad!" Well, when they called my Dad's name and called him forward I was dumbfounded!! I got to meet the Senator and I shook his hand....I know I did....but have no really memories of that - because I was so overwhelmed that my Dad had this very pivotal moment in his life and in my almost 2 decades of being his daughter - I never knew about it.

Perhaps after he passes on, and joins his Division for the final time, I'll be able to read his "war stories". But for now....they sit in a file in my desk.