My Dad was D+10, an uncle D+2. My father NEVER spoke of his involvement (through the Normandy campaign, the Ardennes (phew!), the Rhineland, and finally a bit of peace-keeping in Czechosolvakis before his return 1/45.
He was a sharpshhooter, manning a three-person machine gun group until a temporary evacuation for trenchfoot near the Bulge. His keen eyesight (and sculpting skills) were put to use later on as SWANK's chief designer of all their cufflinks, tiebars, etc., for 40 years. He retired in '88, and unfortunately died a year later. Since he NEVER wore jewelry, I'm only now collecting a few examples of his craft. He once carved a 3/4" solid gold replica of my Hammond B organ for my Mom's charm bracelet...with ALL 122 keys...and 25 pedals! I never learned much else about his involvement in the European Theatre, and all records perished in that fire in DC years ago....
My uncle passed in 2002, and was a trucker in Normandy. An extremely humble big guy, he claimed to be one of the few drivers who didn't skim provisions enroute from supply depots. He said quite a few quartermasters became incredibly rich....
I have a pretty deep WWII library...especially of D-Day and the Normandy campaign, including many maps, if anyone else wishes to swap titles or stories. There are many great tomes to recommend....
Someday I'll find someone who has more details of Company D, 12th Infantry, I hope.
I've walked the beaches, startled by the amazing architecture of the US museaum at Utah, and cried at the cemetery at Colleville.
Silent and great generation, indeed. Ern
He was a sharpshhooter, manning a three-person machine gun group until a temporary evacuation for trenchfoot near the Bulge. His keen eyesight (and sculpting skills) were put to use later on as SWANK's chief designer of all their cufflinks, tiebars, etc., for 40 years. He retired in '88, and unfortunately died a year later. Since he NEVER wore jewelry, I'm only now collecting a few examples of his craft. He once carved a 3/4" solid gold replica of my Hammond B organ for my Mom's charm bracelet...with ALL 122 keys...and 25 pedals! I never learned much else about his involvement in the European Theatre, and all records perished in that fire in DC years ago....
My uncle passed in 2002, and was a trucker in Normandy. An extremely humble big guy, he claimed to be one of the few drivers who didn't skim provisions enroute from supply depots. He said quite a few quartermasters became incredibly rich....
I have a pretty deep WWII library...especially of D-Day and the Normandy campaign, including many maps, if anyone else wishes to swap titles or stories. There are many great tomes to recommend....
Someday I'll find someone who has more details of Company D, 12th Infantry, I hope.
I've walked the beaches, startled by the amazing architecture of the US museaum at Utah, and cried at the cemetery at Colleville.
Silent and great generation, indeed. Ern