Marion:-

 

If this posting is too gross please feel free to delete it. Comparing my posting vs. yours reminded me of a truly serious problem I had that affected my men.

 

For several reasons, I had certain men that were prone to having the dysentery in the setting that the above picture portrays. One guy managed to get extra Long-Johns and wore them at the same time to "contain the problem".

 

What none of us knew,until our Medic(s)(God Bless Him/Them) pointed out after the fact, that the soiled Long-Johns would freeze and compound the problem(s). The guy above had to be sent back due to the fact that the act of freezing to his body created another serious problem that required Medical attention.

 

Would you believe that I had to argue and give him a direct order (surprised he obeyed it)to get him to go back to a Field Hospital for treatment? He actually went AWOL from the hospital and came back up on his own because he was afraid he was letting the rest of the squad down!!

 

I say this in all sincerity, what you described doing last night was the dream of almost every guy on the line. There were times when some of us felt we would never be warm again.

 

As I said above,I don't know how today, we ever did that back in those days!! Sorry if I got maudlin.

 

Sgtleo

Sgtleo, We were 19,20 20+ then, our minds and our bodies could handle it but I agree with you there were maybe one or two that could'nt. NONCOM's had to make some tough decisions sometimes, except the T5's. Rocky Iron hands,! Sgtleo it's a wonder we got hands now!!!

Ever so carefully he inverted his coat and proceeded to cut open a seam and extract a small packet wrapped in some kind of water proof waxed paper. Inside this packet was a Social Security card(beat to hell but still legible) and a drivers license from NJ. He then proceeded to tell me that he had gone back to Germany to go to school and was living with and Aunt and an Uncle when he got drafted and if he didn't report for duty those relatives would be taken away to the Camps.

Happy New Year to you all and thanks to Buddy's like you Sgtleo, roque, Al, Art and all the others a free one

What you wrote about the young men is true this counted for the Luxemburgish youth too.

In late 1942 the Gauleiter Simon started conscripting the Lux youth into the RAD (German Labor Service) and the Wehrmacht, when you got your conscription order and you didn't comply then your Parents Brother sister etc. were deported with you!

What would you do in such a situation?

Well you put on the hated Feldgrau (Fieldgrey) Uniform that's it what you'll do.

A lot of the those young men died for the Goddamn Gefreiter in Russia.

In 2001 my Dad my Brother myself and Roby, Roby was one of this men who were forced into the Wehrmacht, so we were sitting at the terrace of a bar vis-à-vis the Pegasus Bridge in Normandy drinking some beer and it was already late around 11pm.

Normally they never talk about that what they went through (I think that's a big Fault) but Roby told us some of his experiences.

He was a Granatrohr Träger (Grenade launcher Pipe Carrier) and always around 400 meters behind the front line in Stalingrad, at day time you could not go out of your trench not even take a look out of it when you did you were dead because of the very effective Russian snipers.

If you had too pee you had to do it in the trench, you could get your food and water only at Night.

He told us that one day his superior (A real Nazi) didn't watch out and got a bullet right in the back of his Head, Roby said that were a greta relief for him because he was the only Luxemburger in the group and it was always on him to do the bad job and dangerous jobs.

One day a grenade fell in their trench and he was wounded in his left calf ( He showed us the wound the calf has only half the size of the right one and was black and he must wear a spezial sock since then) , after he got out of the Lazarett he got a permission to go home

for a few days to see his family.

After he was back in Luxembourg he went awol he was hidden with other awol's in Lux. City.

In the first days of his forced enlistement he went too Nederland by Train and they had to wait several days for their Train to Germany and one day the germans were loading Wagons with Jews and when the last wagon were full of Jews the Germans shot the Jews left on the platform by MG42

I have read a lot of books about WWII over a half dozen about the Camps and the killing of the jews Gypsies etc. to read is one thing but to hear such thing from one who lived it is a completly different thing and I'll never understand why they did that.

To All Who Read My Posting about the man with the concealed US Documents:-

I honestly thought that there would be at least one person(including you Maid Marion) who would ask a question(s) which I will reveal in a short time.

Maybe it was my training and/or maybe you were unaware of certain facts that the question was expected but not asked.

Rennog came up with part of the data and that surprised me because I didn't think others younger than us would know factually that had happened.

Not being a wise arz but having been reflecting on the past recently more so than previously. Cannot believe that a year ago New Year's Eve we buried my "Tin Can Sailor" brother.

Sgtleo :joker:

Sgt. Leo. Yes, I do use the work Kraut also as you know instead of Gemans in most posts. Guess it is a old habit. I dont see anything wrong wrong with it, same as you use the work Kraut in reference to Germn soldiers. From what I heard "way back"

on telephone or radio "Germans and Shermans" (tanks) sounded too much alike and

could cause confusion. in directing fire. And Fred, your quote (bad as it seems) : "If I can manage to get the enough free time,and I'm sure Joe and Roque will bear me out,I'll tell you how hard it was to unbutton your coat or to unbuckle your cartridge belt with fingers of iron. In some instances,a normal body function became a major project to perform". How damn true to life. That '44-'45 winter was a real bad winter. But we

had to endure with it. Talk about one cold azzed winter. But life had to go on.

Incredible stories from all and I thank all of you from the bottom of my for telling them here. I know that many of these are painful to recall, so it means even more to me.

Marion

I did mean the bad things in Pandora's Box getting back into my head. Guess I'm vulnerable with the first anniversary of my "Tin Can Sailor Brother's" death and burial. Can't believe a year has passed since he passed.

Did you pick up on the question(s) I asked in my posting abount the man with the documents posting?

Was glad that rennog bore me out on my story but there is still another phase you(and I'm speaking generally not specifically) did not pick up on.

Sgtleo

Marion - See what you did to our heads by bringing up the past:-

A Today's View of the WW II BTDTs:-

The other day, I happened by chance,

As I passed a mirror,to give it a glance,

And I wondered who that old man could be,

Who, with his mouth open wide, was looking at me.

His bald head was sprinkled with a little grey fuzz,

And he wasn't at all handsome (like I always was),

He looked like a sack of mismatched parts,

Put together without aid of instruction or charts.

And while I know that my shoulders don't slump,

This person's were misshapen in one ugly hump !!

Now, If that was my image, I only can say,

They don't make mirrors like they did in my day.

Sgtleo - Ancient order of BTDTs

Sgtleo, I read your thread so I went to the bedroom and looked in the mirror, and guess what ! The mirror answered back and said, DON'T YOU EVER DIE !!! That's a roger. Wilco,out. RJR

Marion

 

I did mean the bad things in Pandora's Box getting back into my head. Guess I'm vulnerable with the first anniversary of my "Tin Can Sailor Brother's" death and burial. Can't believe a year has passed since he passed.

 

Did you pick up on the question(s) I asked in my posting abount the man with the documents posting?

 

Was glad that rennog bore me out on my story but there is still another phase you(and I'm speaking generally not specifically) did not pick up on.

 

Sgtleo

Hi Sarge:

I'm not surprised if I have missed a few things this past week. Got the bug from my hubby. He got sick two days after Christmas, then I got it four days later. So I haven't been online much at all and have hardly answered my email. Backlogged...

My heart goes out to you regarding your brother. A sad event.

Sgtleo,

I am so sad and my heart in tears for you . For the loss of your brother love

with all my affection

Veronique

Jusy got a timely and appropriate PM from Dogdaddy which I truly appreciated.

To get out of the maudlin,

I mentioned above in that account of the Wehrmacht Soldier I would explain something later if and when NOBODY picked up on and questioned the almost immediate departure on that "Kraut" to the UK and then the USA.

Ever hear of the OSS!!!

Sneaky little Irish man ain't I!!

Have another you may be able to use but my chin is still in my boots about my brother with whom I was very close even though he was a "Navy Lifer". A Lousy time of year for me.

Bah Humbug(LOL) got to fool or I'll cry.

Sgtleo

Well this is the first anniversary of the death of my mom this month.

Yes, one must maintain their sense of humor to get past the tears huh. It is great that you were close though. Always a nice thing to hear about.

Mom and I hadn't been that close in recent years. She was a very stubborn lady (God bless her), and she wound up putting up a lot of road blocks to her heart (well at least with me). A shame, but I guess that is life. Anyway, this is not the time or place for me to rant on... I truly hope that she is finally happy though. That would please my heart!

God bless you through your tough time.

Verow:-

Comme toujours "Mille Merci pour votre pensee"!!

A bientot - Je suis de service maintenant!!

Sgtleo

comme toujours sgtleo comme toujours : mais s'il vous plait faite attention a vous ne vous fatiguez pas trop ordre du doc veronique

avec toute mon affection verow

Sgleo-Marion; I will keep you company in your sadness.

AS you know I am going through the same right this minute. I am glad the holidays are over. Christmas was just another day. Went to church but I could'nt stay for the service, New years day just stayed home. Looked at the picture of Elizabeth and the ceiling suddenly sprung a leak. But WE ALL have memories. Roque.------Oct. 9,2006