Topic: Cool photo

[Don R]

 We found this in old family photos, it's what we believe to be the Graf Zeppelin over the Masonic Temple in Aurora Il. It flew to the Chicago worlds fair in 1933. Zoomed in, there are several airplanes in the picture also.
  In the blown-up version on my computer, I think there are swastikas on the tail fins and 4 letters printed in the middle, possibly GRAF?

 Edit, we found a momento coin from the 1933 worlds fair also.

[vfourfreak]

Nice bit of history there. From what I recall of postcards I bought in Germany back in the day (not 1933) the civil registration D-LZ127 was painted on the envelope towards the stern.

Kev

[Don R]

 The focus seems to be more on the building than the Zep, but it's a once in a lifetime picture and a cool find. My sister found online pictures of the inside, it was luxurious.
  I'll see if I can post the 34 ford, 40 ford and there's a 19teens year Phaeton photo with four adults and 3 kids all dressed up with fancy clothes and hats.

[vfourfreak]

Old photos are excellent. A window unto a past world. Thanks for sharing.

Post away 😊

Kev

[scottly]

My dad brought back these pics from his trip to Japan, after the war in the pacific ended. En-route they picked up Japanese POWs and took them back home. The only reason they had surrendered was because the Emperor told them to, and didn't believe the stories about the bomb were true, until they saw it for themselves.
His ship was an LST, which stood for Landing Ship Tank.
I just noticed the ship's flag has 48 stars but no stripes?

[Don R]

  Holy cow, that's McArthur isn't it?

   I've never seen that flag either, makes a guy wonder what that story is. EDIT:
 I googled it, it was called the US naval jack flag, used in WW2.
 I've watched a few videos of the various POW's that were held in the US, about how they were shocked when they were fed beef and given soap and showers, also stationary and were encouraged to write home and tell their families they were safe here. Some Germans worked on ranches and met German descendants that owned ranches. Some of them became quite good at cowboy life.
 Some of the Japanese POW's expected to be killed and eaten. When they were fed at first some thought it was a trick and refused it.
  Most of the videos aren't historically verified and fact filled but I'm sure there are instances of truth.
  In Galesburg Illinois, we had a Mayo veterans hospital that also a small camp with German POW's. On Sundays the locals of German heritage would take them baked goods and treats and were allowed to talk through the fences.

[Don R]

   I read a little and the Graf Z had many near misses, it was shot at and hit in Russia, had fireworks shot off near it when it was in S. America, and Denmark sent up hundreds of little hot air balloons fueled by petrol torches. Hail and rain drove it very low at times.
   The remaining zeppelins were taken apart and melted down for aircraft material when the US refused to supply helium after the Hindenberg explosion.

[vfourfreak]

My dad brought back these pics from his trip to Japan, after the war in the pacific ended. En-route they picked up Japanese POWs and took them back home. The only reason they had surrendered was because the Emperor told them to, and didn't believe the stories about the bomb were true, until they saw it for themselves.
His ship was an LST, which stood for Landing Ship Tank.
I just noticed the ship's flag has 48 stars but no stripes?

Some sparse info on LST 213  over on Uboat.net

https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/11311.html

Edit: the company that built it is still in business

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Bridge_%26_Iron_Company

[Don R]

 That uboat web page has a section where an event can be entered for that LST.