WWII Soldier Killed at Parade Honoring Veterans

[crioten]

this is just weird, but sad too...

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=JVGSGBQXEPDOQCRBAEOCF EY?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=6800452

BOSTON (Reuters) - William Hammond survived one of the bloodiest battles of World War II but died at a parade honoring him and others after a van at a Veteran's Day parade ran over him.

Hammond, of Abington, Mass., was accidentally run over during a parade Thursday in Whitman, Mass. by a van owned by the local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter and driven by a close friend of his, according to Boston's WBZ radio station.

Hammond, 80, fought in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944-1945, one of the toughest offensives of World War II as under-equipped U.S. soldiers fended off a last-ditch German offensive in one of Europe's bitterest winters.

[-E-]

http://www.zilvia.net/f/images/smilies/frown.gif

[csdcowboy]

Rip :( so sad

[MakotoS13]

man... that is so unbelievably funny.... what the hell is sad? the guy was EIGHTY... he had a good run ;)

[Phlip]

Does he get a purple heart for that?

[MakotoS13]

i doubt it, i think kerry has em all stored in a "safe place".

[Phlip]

Oh well, I guess it's okay that he not get the purple heart...

I will offer the analogy of wandering through a minefield under heavy enemy fire, making it to the other side and running across a large open field still under heavy fire, then having to walk home several miles in fucked up weather, then getting struck by lightning and living, only to go home and be run over...

... wait, that's what happened.
DAMN I SUCK AT THIS!!!

[MakotoS13]

well, it could be worse at least you weren't wandering through a minefield under heavy enemy fire, making it to the other side and running across a large open field still under heavy fire, then having to walk home several miles in fucked up weather, then getting struck by lightning and living to the age of 80 only to go home and be run over... by a van... driven by your assumed blind friend.

[The ROMAN]

That's embarrassing.....

[Phlip]

You're right, Roman, it IS embarrassing to:
"wander through a minefield under heavy enemy fire, making it to the other side and running across a large open field still under heavy fire, then have to walk home several miles in fucked up weather, then get struck by lightning and live to the age of 80 only to go home and be run over... by a van... driven by your assumed blind friend."
but I would think it to be even MORE so to have this happen at an event taking place IN YOUR HONOR... This one act immediately relegated him to being one of those "hey, what ever happened to..." or "hey, you remember that time..." stories.

[MakotoS13]

i think i'd much rather go out in a hail of gunfire.

[Phlip]

I think I'd have rather stepped on one of those landmines, at least my moms would have gotten my purple heart.

[MakotoS13]

well it ain't like his mom is cryin or anything, dude. she's prolly been dead for 40 years.

[Phlip]

Are you saying that SHE stepped on one of the landmines?

[MakotoS13]

hmm.... idunno man... i just DON'T know.

[Ghettokracker71]

Man all I know is that ,that fucking sucks! 80 years old or not,the man was clearly in good enough shape to be walking around at a parade?

Well,he did have a long run...but I fucking hate to hear shit about people getting killed like this....absolutely so avoidable...