Shug - 70 Years Ago Today

[ShugMan55 0]

"Shug has more courage in his little finger than I've got in my entire body," Paul "Bear" Bryant once said.

That line is taken from the article at this link. I know many are aware of Shug's contribution to our country but a few may not be. It's well worth the read.

http://www.montgomer...ordan/10052535/

[kd4au 1,145]

Thanks for sharing the article.My great uncle fought in that war.He actually fought in the battle of the bulge,but he never would talk about the war.He passed away last week he was in his 90's and he was the first from our family to attend Auburn.He was a great man and we will miss him.

[AUbritt 626]

Great article -- thanks for posting.

[ShugMan55 0]

Thanks for sharing the article.My great uncle fought in that war.He actually fought in the battle of the bulge,but he never would talk about the war.He passed away last week he was in his 90's and he was the first from our family to attend Auburn.He was a great man and we will miss him.

My condolences on the loss of your great uncle. So many WW2 vets came to Auburn (API) on the GI Bill and were so incredibly successful. My uncle did the same as well as my best friends father, both after fighting in the pacific campaign. I've found most would not talk about it, mainly out of modesty and respect for those who did not make it back.

War Eagle

[AuburnNTexas 7,489]

It is a generation that will never be matched again. It created so many great men like Shug, my dad (who fought in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam), and many millions more who turned the US into the great country we all know. Today (D-Day) is a day we should all stop and look around at what we have and honor all these great men.

[AURex 2,403]

Shug was a special kind of man. I think the Great Depression and that wartime era created a lot of those kinds of men.

My dad fought in the Battle of the Bulge and then in Korea. He received battlefield commissions that took him from a private to an officer, and received two silver stars and a bronze star. He was wounded in Korea, yet finished out 20 years in the service (and then another 20 with NASA).

There aren't many of those men left today. My dad died a couple of years ago at 91. The generations that followed, including my own as a boomer, did not produce a lot of men like that.

My dad was a Bama fan, but he had great respect for Shug Jordan as a man and as a coach. That's another thing we miss these days -- the sense of respect for others and real sportsmanship in athletics.

I'm glad our stadium was renamed Jordan-Hare during his lifetime. He deserved it.

[ShugMan55 0]

Shug was a special kind of man. I think the Great Depression and that wartime era created a lot of those kinds of men.

My dad fought in the Battle of the Bulge and then in Korea. He received battlefield commissions that took him from a private to an officer, and received two silver stars and a bronze star. He was wounded in Korea, yet finished out 20 years in the service (and then another 20 with NASA).

There aren't many of those men left today. My dad died a couple of years ago at 91. The generations that followed, including my own as a boomer, did not produce a lot of men like that.

My dad was a Bama fan, but he had great respect for Shug Jordan as a man and as a coach. That's another thing we miss these days -- the sense of respect for others and real sportsmanship in athletics.

I'm glad our stadium was renamed Jordan-Hare during his lifetime. He deserved it.

I'm as bad as the worst on this site getting into petty arguments - i won't change and neither will y'all. I suppose I start threads like this every now and then because of posts like this. I never had the honor of knowing your father but I have heard my uncle's and best friends dad's stories of the pacific and as an amateur historian I feel lucky to be aware of what these men did (started reading more on Korea recently and strongly suggest "The Last Stand of Fox Company" by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin). I agree with your statements on that generation and strongly agree with you on how surviving the depression molded that generation.

As for Shug, he is one of very few men who I think of when trying to figure out what to do, or more often how to act. Obviously I fail at times as can be seen in many of my smart-ass responses (Shug would never had posted some of the crap I have). I have always felt that if you personified the Auburn Creed it would be Shug.

Thanks for taking the time for your post. War Eagle.

[Mikey 16,781]

Great article, thanks for posting. My dad was killed in action in the South Pacific, his plane shot down while bombing Japanese forces. I was five weeks old at the time, Mom was only 19. The men and women of that generation will never be equaled.

[ShugMan55 0]

Great article, thanks for posting. My dad was killed in action in the South Pacific, his plane shot down while bombing Japanese forces. I was five weeks old at the time, Mom was only 19. The men and women of that generation will never be equaled.

I heard an interview on NPR (good Finebaum alternative) this afternoon with an 89 year old D-Day survivor. He felt, and was saddened by the fact, that the stories would soon not be told anymore just as the WW1 stories faded out in his lifetime. I understand if you don't want to, but if you wanted to share more of your dad's story I, and I'm sure others, would love to hear it. I hope it's not bad form to ask.

[WarNole 141]

Thanks to those who served !

The greatest generation.

[Warbird82 160]

Thanks for sharing the story about Coach Jordan...when I think of the quintessential Southern Gentleman, I immediately think of him. He was a great model for all of us "Southern Gentlemen"!

[Slammer1 409]

Well I guess I will tell my Coach Jordan story. I was not aware of his WWII exploits at the time but I didn't need to know. It was 1976, Doug Barfield's first year as head coach and I was sittling undeneath the west stands press box chatting with an old friend, Wayne Frazier. Wayne was our center in the late 50s after Jackie Burkett had left. He was the KC Chiefs center under Hank Stramm for a number of years. He was using a cane to get around because of the many knee opertations he had had. Coach Jordan came up to where we were sitting and sat down next to Wayne. I was just listening in as they talked about the old days when a young kid spotted Coach Jordan and asked him for his autograph. Of couse Coach Jordan gladly gave it to him. It made that kid's day. I guess the word spread like wildfire that Coach was there because I think every kid in the stadium came up to get his autograph. Coach Jordan signed EVERY ONE OF THEM !!! He never even got to see the game!! That day just confiirmed everything I always thought about Coach Jordan. What a Southern gentleman and true Auburn man. Can you even imagine the midget from the other side of the state doing something like that? No, me neither.

[cptau 169]

Great article, thanks for posting. My dad was killed in action in the South Pacific, his plane shot down while bombing Japanese forces. I was five weeks old at the time, Mom was only 19. The men and women of that generation will never be equaled.

I heard an interview on NPR (good Finebaum alternative) this afternoon with an 89 year old D-Day survivor. He felt, and was saddened by the fact, that the stories would soon not be told anymore just as the WW1 stories faded out in his lifetime. I understand if you don't want to, but if you wanted to share more of your dad's story I, and I'm sure others, would love to hear it. I hope it's not bad form to ask.

WWI has faded, but we were only in WWI for about a year with most troops in France and a few in Russia.

WWII is different 16 million Americans served in a war that lasted almost 4 years. Combat films with sound, interviews, movies, books, etc have all been done and kept. The US military then spent over 40 years in Western Europe Japan and South Korea making sure that was was over. They will be remembered

[hutchids 268]

Great article, thanks for posting. My dad was killed in action in the South Pacific, his plane shot down while bombing Japanese forces. I was five weeks old at the time, Mom was only 19. The men and women of that generation will never be equaled.

I heard an interview on NPR (good Finebaum alternative) this afternoon with an 89 year old D-Day survivor. He felt, and was saddened by the fact, that the stories would soon not be told anymore just as the WW1 stories faded out in his lifetime. I understand if you don't want to, but if you wanted to share more of your dad's story I, and I'm sure others, would love to hear it. I hope it's not bad form to ask.

this

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

This is a great thread.

I can never say Thank You enough to those who served in WWII. They saved us all. They were perhaps the Greatest Generation in the history of all mankind.

[Mikey 16,781]

Well, since y'all asked,,, in my dad's case they had been unable recover the wrecked airplane. They knew it went down, just weren't certain where. Then in 2009 they found a wreck with human remains in the mountains of New Guinea, had me send in DNA samples, and there was a match! So then the army flew me, my wife and children to Arlington for his military funeral, 67 years after his death.

In all it was a very moving experience. I don't think any other country in the history of the world would still be looking for remains and honoring soldiers killed over 60 years ago. Things like that make one proud to be an American.

I wish my mom and paternal grandparents could have witnessed the Arlington ceremony but all those had passed on long before 2009.

[gAUlf 1]

Well, since y'all asked,,, in my dad's case they had been unable recover the wrecked airplane. They knew it went down, just weren't certain where. Then in 2009 they found a wreck with human remains in the mountains of New Guinea, had me send in DNA samples, and there was a match! So then the army flew me, my wife and children to Arlington for his military funeral, 67 years after his death.

In all it was a very moving experience. I don't think any other country in the history of the world would still be looking for remains and honoring soldiers killed over 60 years ago. Things like that make one proud to be an American.

I wish my mom and paternal grandparents could have witnessed the Arlington ceremony but all those had passed on long before 2009.

What an awesome story! Since we are sharing my great-grand father was 101st Airborne in WWII. He jumped in operation overlord. I wish I knew more of his stories. I know I'm very fortunate to be here today. Thanks to him and all the service men and women for being braver than I could ever imagine being!

[kingfish 76]

Well I guess I will tell my Coach Jordan story. I was not aware of his WWII exploits at the time but I didn't need to know. It was 1976, Doug Barfield's first year as head coach and I was sittling undeneath the west stands press box chatting with an old friend, Wayne Frazier. Wayne was our center in the late 50s after Jackie Burkett had left. He was the KC Chiefs center under Hank Stramm for a number of years. He was using a cane to get around because of the many knee opertations he had had. Coach Jordan came up to where we were sitting and sat down next to Wayne. I was just listening in as they talked about the old days when a young kid spotted Coach Jordan and asked him for his autograph. Of couse Coach Jordan gladly gave it to him. It made that kid's day. I guess the word spread like wildfire that Coach was there because I think every kid in the stadium came up to get his autograph. Coach Jordan signed EVERY ONE OF THEM !!! He never even got to see the game!! That day just confiirmed everything I always thought about Coach Jordan. What a Southern gentleman and true Auburn man. Can you even imagine the midget from the other side of the state doing something like that? No, me neither.

Shug was not only a class coach and individual, but a great southern gentleman.

[vatz22au 148]

Great article, thanks for posting. My dad was killed in action in the South Pacific, his plane shot down while bombing Japanese forces. I was five weeks old at the time, Mom was only 19. The men and women of that generation will never be equaled.

I heard an interview on NPR (good Finebaum alternative) this afternoon with an 89 year old D-Day survivor. He felt, and was saddened by the fact, that the stories would soon not be told anymore just as the WW1 stories faded out in his lifetime. I understand if you don't want to, but if you wanted to share more of your dad's story I, and I'm sure others, would love to hear it. I hope it's not bad form to ask.

WWI has faded, but we were only in WWI for about a year with most troops in France and a few in Russia.

WWII is different 16 million Americans served in a war that lasted almost 4 years. Combat films with sound, interviews, movies, books, etc have all been done and kept. The US military then spent over 40 years in Western Europe Japan and South Korea making sure that was was over. They will be remembered

I definitely agree with this. WWI stories may have faded during a generation but that generation did not have the benefit of the technology to capture the events like WWII did. In addition, they also did not have the benefit of such ease of access to these types of multimedia as we do today. These heroes will always be remembered.

[CJBas 4]

Thanks for sharing the article.My great uncle fought in that war.He actually fought in the battle of the bulge,but he never would talk about the war.He passed away last week he was in his 90's and he was the first from our family to attend Auburn.He was a great man and we will miss him.

My prayers for your loss and your family's. I also had uncles in the war. We were raised by real heroes. That never sank into me when I was a kid. I thought the heroes were all on the movie screen. Little did I realize they were all around us back then.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

I have 3 umcles on my mother's side who was in WW2. They never did talk about what all they did and saw. The only thing they would say was "it was hell on earth."

[Weegle777 78]

Did you guys watch DDay on the History Channel? Those were real men. To endure what they endured was unreal.

[Slammer1 409]

If any of you some day get opportunity to go to France, go to Normandy and go to the cemetary and Omaha beach. It is very moving. I went this past year on a Viking cruise. It is expensive but well worth it. A word of advice on visiting Europe during August. DO NOT go in August. That is the vacation month for all of Europe and the crowds are horendous. Any other time should be OK.

When I got to Omaha Beach the tide conditions were the same as D-Day in 1944. It was low tide. Our troops had to negotiate over a thousand yards of beach without any cover whatsoever. I stood there at water's edge and wondered how did they ever manage it.Those men were truly the great generation. Somebody on this thread said their relative would not talk about the war only to say it was hell on earth. That is so true and your hell can happen anywhere. Whether it's in the jungles of Viet Nam, the sands of Iwo Jima or the beaches of Normandy, it's pretty much the same. It is life or death in the raw. God bless you Coach Jordan for your patriotism to our country and your loyalty to Auburn University. Semper Fi coach.

[cooltigger21 0]

Well, since y'all asked,,, in my dad's case they had been unable recover the wrecked airplane. They knew it went down, just weren't certain where. Then in 2009 they found a wreck with human remains in the mountains of New Guinea, had me send in DNA samples, and there was a match! So then the army flew me, my wife and children to Arlington for his military funeral, 67 years after his death.

In all it was a very moving experience. I don't think any other country in the history of the world would still be looking for remains and honoring soldiers killed over 60 years ago. Things like that make one proud to be an American.

I wish my mom and paternal grandparents could have witnessed the Arlington ceremony but all those had passed on long before 2009.

What an awesome story! Since we are sharing my great-grand father was 101st Airborne in WWII. He jumped in operation overlord. I wish I knew more of his stories. I know I'm very fortunate to be here today. Thanks to him and all the service men and women for being braver than I could ever imagine being!

My uncle was in the Navy and was originally slated to be aboard the Arizona. Not long before Pearl Harbor he transferred to Norfolk VA. I heard many of his stories of his time during the war. i wish I could remember them now. I stop and think of all the people whose lives he touched through the years and am just amazed at how different it could have been.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

I watched DDay on the History Channel. I'm in early 50s and I found myself crying as those brave talked about landing on those beaches as they were being shot at and so many men died just as the were running onto the beaches.