My Dad volunteered in 1943, as 16+ million other Americans had, and did the nearly-impossible in hundreds, if not in thousands of situations, saved hundreds of civilian lives, took thousands of enemy lives, with Patton’s 3rd Corps in World War II, from March, 1943 to December, 1945. America fought WWII on 2 fronts: in Europe and the Pacific.
He was a Platoon Sergeant, responsible for 33 soldiers in several squads, and served with the 101st Combat Engineers, 26th Infantry Division, attached to Patton’s 3rd Army Corps in the European Theater. They built and blew bridges and buildings, built HQs, de-activated landmines, and fought in ferocious combat; basically, whatever needed to be done.
He received the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal w/ 4 Clusters for Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, Central Europe, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor w/ Bronze Clusters for saving other US Soldiers from Nazi machine gun fire, along with the Purple Heart Medal for Nazi sniper wounds he received in The Battle of The Bulge at Ardennes and Bastogne, Good Conduct Medal, European Theater Service Medal and the WW II Victory Service Medal.
His sniper wound was his “ticket home” on a US Hospital Ship. His family back in Emigsville hadn’t heard if he was dead or alive, even after a US Army Officer personally notified them he’d been shot. They didn’t get a letter from Dad for over a month. There was very little Trans-Atlantic call activity back then.
Dad passed on August 26th, 2018, at 95. May he RIP. I miss you, Dad.
RIP indeed.
If you look in the Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of “hero” would likely include your dad.
Thanks to him and all like him, of which there were thousands . . .
Heckuva man. RIP to your soldier father.
God bless him
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.- George S. Patton
Would that be Emigsville, York County, PA? God bless the memory of your Dad and all his comrades. My uncle Elwood was a Timber Wolf in Europe. His brother uncle Rodger was MIA after the Bulge and was in a stalag for a while. My brother Don was an MP in occupied Germany, and my brother Ken was with the Corps of Engrs on Okinawa. 15 years later, I served 3 years on Honshu, Japan. Go Army!
These threads on WW2 veterans are always good. I know this is a Battle of the Bulge thread but others have posted their family stories so I will do mine.
Dad was the “second son” so he knew when they enacted the draft he was going. He joined the Navy just before the War started. Watched overloaded PBYs head out from San Diego.
Spent the war on a seagoing tug from Portland Maine to the Panama Canal then Portland Oregon. And Back again. Only time he was scared was a hurricane. Did not get released until Wright Patman a Texas Dem Congressman got a law passed to get them out of the service. That had implications for Korea.
Will follow up in a bit with another relative