It was tough to be away from my family and my mother's cooking was missed the most. The funniest thing I remember was being chased by a bull as we were marching troops down an English lane. My final preparations before going on a mission was to be certain that my equipment was in proper order.
On the Holland mission I rode in its co-pilot seat and the pilot gave me basic flying instructions on the way. Over Eindhoven, Holland, we ran into very heavy anti-aircraft fire. Some tow planes and gliders were shot out of the air. One of the men in my glider received a bullet wound in his buttocks and we crashed on landing near Grave, Holland.
In an attack on the Mook Plain in Holland I was wounded slightly in the hand. I, along with two enlisted men, were standing next to a huge German foxhole. A British tank moved in behind us. A lieutenant got out of the tank and he was standing along with one of our linemen (with a spool of wire) next to a nearby German foxhole. The Germans heard the tank and they fired an 88 round in our general area. It was a tree burst. One of the men jumped in the foxhole I was standing next to. I jumped in and the third man jumped in on top of me. He was struck in the back by shrapnel and was evacuated. The major force of the tree burst landed in the other foxhole that the British lieutenant and our lineman jumped into and they were cut to pieces.
In Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge the company commander of "B" Company was K.I.A. and I was sent to take over the company. I received my Captaincy during the Bulge.
Yes, I was very frightened at times, but once you get into action your fear leaves you since so much is going on.
I was with "B" Company during our occupation of Berlin. I left the company in November 1945 and was discharged at Camp Grant, Illinois, in January 1946. I returned to school after the war. During my first two years I washed dishes to help pay my way through school, but after the war I had the GI Bill which certainly helped.
My wife is deceased and I have one son. I joined the R.J. French Company (best known for French's mustard) in 1947 and spent 42 and a half years with them. I served as a Salesman, District Representative, District Manager, Regional Manager, Sales Personnel Manager (400 sales reps) and my last position was in Hawaii for about 10 years as Far-East and South Pacific Sales Manager. I made three trips to the Far East each year (from Japan and Korea down to Indonesia and India). Also I made one trip (6 weeks) down through the island chain, Samoa, Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and New Guinea.
My time in the service gave me maturity, perspective on life itself and the importance of being honest, faithful, and trustworthy. My time in the 325th and the men I served with will always be uppermost in my thoughts and dreams.
I gave my helmet, a German helmet and a Nazi flag to the Brigade Headquarters of the 325th at Ft. Bragg. It is on display in their library which I helped dedicate some years ago. |
