My granddad, Andrew Parker, was there and survived. I agree with ratski's comment about those men being a breed of which we may never see again. I don't personally know of anyone who is a greater person than my granddad was.
I'd read To Hell and Back years ago, and I just recently listened to the unabridged audiobook. It's surprising (though I guess it shouldn't be) how dark the book is in comparison to the movie, and it certainly explains his problems with PTSD later in life. That little Texican done some sh*t in the ETO.
My grandfather got his CIB in Europe, and a Bronze Star and Purple Heart to go with it, but I don't know if he saw combat during the Bulge. He didn't talk about combat 'til after my grandmother passed, and it haunted him 'til he died. When he did talk about it, he said when he was shooting Germans, he visualized shooting squirrels jumping from tree to tree back home near Cleveland (on land that's now mostly under Keystone). He said the one he didn't get was the one that got the tank he was riding on, and while he was laying in the ditch afterward, a Captain told him he was going to recommend him for the Silver Star, "but it must've gotten tarnished on the way."
Then your father, I suspect, was a hell of a man!! Sorry I did not know him!
My father, James I. Boston, was there, although it was as part of the 3rd Army relief. Although the 4th Armored Division led the way, the 10th Armored Division (my father's) was there and did it's part. He said the Sherman he was in was like a deep freezer, but he really felt for the guys that spent days with their feet on the ground. The cold was terrible! He has quite a few pictures of himself and his buddies/crew mainly taken as the battle wore down and the situation improved. He turned 92 on October 10th.
I understand that one of the battle groups of the 10th Armored was in Bastogne when the Germans began their attack and they were very hard pressed. This was before the arrival of the 101st, when they saved the day and made sure they had the press to prove it.
My dad was around there somewhere, not sure where. He was with the 3rd-18th Artillery, Headquarters Division. My brother has a little book that has the entire history of the 3rd-18th European Campaign.
My grandfather, William "WB" Blaine Glover landed on Omaha beach and later was in the Battle of the bulge. He caught a mortar shell on day one and spent the rest of his life with shrapnel in his neck and leg. I recently saw his discharge papers, he spent at least a year in the Army after the Bulge. He was a sharpshooter, was the only guy in his platoon that could hit the bullseye at 300 yards.
He rarely talked about the war, I know very little. What I do know is that while he was in the mash unit, he watched a rocket come straight for him and just before it hit, it veered off sharply hit somewhere else. He thought we was done at that moment.
He was hard on my mom and uncles, but he loved his family very much and I miss him very much. It has been 19 years since he passed at 90.
He rarely talked about the war, I know very little. What I do know is that while he was in the mash unit, he watched a rocket come straight for him and just before it hit, it veered off sharply hit somewhere else. He thought we was done at that moment.
He was hard on my mom and uncles, but he loved his family very much and I miss him very much. It has been 19 years since he passed at 90.
My Dad, Rufus LeRoy Allen was in Patton'sf column that relieved the 101st in Bastogne. Dad would never talk about the war and I did not watch "Combat" on TV if he was home.
I heard recently that we lose 1000 WWII vets every day.
Sad to say good-by to such a wonderful generation.
I heard recently that we lose 1000 WWII vets every day.
Sad to say good-by to such a wonderful generation.
My granddad used to tell me stories about the the bulge, he was there with the 2nd Armored Division manning the gun on a tank. Still have his uniform, medals, patches, unit photos, and a bunch of stuff he brought back.
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