In the last chapter, I commented that this wound up the report of my service in the ETO (European Theater of Operations), and I was being transferred to the 97th Division then training at Fort Bragg to be part of the initial assault on the Japanese island of Kyushu scheduled for November, 1945. Before this [...]

In the last chapter, I commented on the transfer of Armored Infantry detachments from the 11th Armored Division to units located back home while training for the assault landing on the Japanese southern island of Kyushu, then scheduled for the month of November, 1945. Part of the Army of Occupation located in Austria, we were [...]

Many years passed after the end of WW II before the various players on the world political scene could publish their memoirs of that era. As each one was read, digested, and assimilated into the perceptions of what actually took place during the period beginning with the end of hostilities in Europe, my personal picture [...]

In a preceding chapter, I told about the location of my platoon during our duty as occupation troops in the Austrian Village of Grossreifling on the Enns River. We guarded a stretch of the river about 7 miles long with guard posts at each crossing of the Enns River into the Russian sector. Where our [...]

This phrase is very near and dear to the hearts of those in the military who benefit from the expressed or implied benefits from being of superior or senior rank. It’s shortened version, well known to all ranks, is RHIP. This has been common to all armies from time immemorial and it’s not going away! [...]

In the military service, there sometimes develops a situation that may require an almost instantaneous decision for which the commander is not prepared by either training or experience and for which no guidance is readily available. Such a situation confronted me in May of 1945. After the 11th Armored Division had completed the month-long drive [...]

This chapter of my memoirs relates the story of what has become identified as “The Holocaust” as it was personally experienced. The name identifies the efforts of Nazi Germany to exterminate some of the ethnic groups in conquered Europe with whom they did not want to share the continent. The largest ethnic group to feel [...]

One of the earliest misfortunes inflicted upon a new recruit in the U.S. Army during WW II was his introduction to the army’s way of serving scrambled eggs. This dish was universally despised by all ranks, in training and in all theaters of war. Although I know that anything would suffice if one is hungry [...]