Daddy never mentioned the tank until he was in a nursing home and was going in and out as far as being cogent in his statements.
I brought him some pics of his outfit which was a combat Engineers Battalion. Daddy looked at it and we discussed it for a short time then Daddy said, “It may have been our outfit which blew it up”. He then laughed and for a short time was very clear in his mind.
He said they first met the Russians outside Berlin. At first they got along well with them but the Russians soon wore out their welcome by stealing American property, particular jeeps.
We had been allowing them to sign out for equipment but since they never returned it, that policy was stopped. Finally their Colonel, Leslie O. Scott told them no more jeeps or any other vehicles to the Russians.
The next day a couple of Russians came in and just took a jeep. We had a tank destroyer set up at the gate and the sergeant told the tank destroyer to blast them. The turret turned it’s gun on the jeep and the Russians who had been watching it, stopped the jeep and walked away.
I guess we finally had learned how to deal with them.
“Combat Engineers Battalion”
As soon as I saw that I knew who blew it! Good for them! Although I honor and respect these old guys that don’t tell their stories - I sure wish they would have.
My dad didn’t see a whole bunch of action on a Mine Sweeper in the Pacific so he would tell his limited range of stories. It wasn’t until my uncle’s funeral that I knew he had flown all 20-something missions as a bombadier over Germany.
I was regularly visiting an older couple from church, and noticed the maritime tattoos on the gentleman. I asked “So you were Navy during the War?”
“Yep”
“I know better than to ask - but I’ll just say thanks for your service.”
His wife piped up. “Harry drove a landing craft on D-Day - but he doesn’t like to talk about it.”
I shook his hand, and said “I guess thanks isn’t nearly enough! But it is all I have - and I’m honored to know you.”
Whenever we visited it was always on my mind what he must have gone through. But we talked about their kids, grandkids, the businesses he had started, etc. But always in the back of my mind was him at D-Day.
My father was a combat engineer in the WWII European theater. Half the time they were commandos, advancing beyond the front lines, taking the river beachheads, and building the bridges in time for the troops to cross as the front caught up with them.