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As part of the First Army’s 3rd Armored Division, my father and his buddies in the 23rd Armored Engineering Battalion bridge the River Seine in France in the summer of 1944, near where Orly International Airport is today. Soldiers of the 23rd went on to bridge the Marne River east of Paris, the Meuse in Belgium and the Rhine in Germany, among others. They fought for weeks in the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest, the single longest battle in U.S. Army history. During one of the coldest winters in local memory, the combat engineers fought in the Battle of the Bulge as armored infantry. They dynamited holes in the Siegfried Line, Germany’s western wall of defense, and removed thousands of mines. The 3rd Armored Division overran the German towns of Paderborn and Nordhausen, capturing the V-2 rockets manufactured there and preserving the technology for America. They also discovered and freed a nearby concentration camp where inmate slaves were being worked to death in the underground rocket plants. In the spring of 1945, the 3rd Armored Division, the “Spearhead Division,” was deep in Germany and about to meet Soviet troops coming from the east. My father and his buddies were preparing to bridge the Mulde River when they were ordered to stand down. The war had ended. My father survived this experience and came home in the fall of that year. He did not tell me these things. I learned them through my own research, much of it conducted after his death in 1992. And I wonder, how does someone walk away from something like that and go back to a normal life. I guess I should know, he never really did.
174 responses to “My Daddy”
Yikes, Jackie. What a story, and a lesson for all of us to take the best care of ourselves that we can, physically, mentally, and emotionally, so that we can also take care of others. The saying is: Love your neighbor as yourself. You have to love yourself also.
Than you for sharing that with us. I have never talked with a WWII vet who wants to give the details…they’ll tell a little bit, but not everything. So imagine my surprise the last time I talked with my Uncle Delbert. We were sitting in his livingroom and suddenly he started telling me about his experience in the Battle of the Bulge. I was holding my breath…I didn’t want to say anything and break the moment. I learned more from him in 10 minutes than I ever did in 30+ years. He died a few months later.
Just ate leftover roast from Ghosts family recipe, along with healthier cauliflower au gratin, pan sautéed plaintains. There are leftovers. My workmen eat meals here often. Sometimes they are odder than others.
Tomorrow it’s some other precooked roast, probably pork, lemon garlic cauliflower or leftover au gratin, probably a kale dish. Because I need to use up a couple bunches of kale. And leftover green and yellow squash will morph into a squash sour cream baked squash side.
Let’s talk food for awhile. Only thing that’s possibly better than sex or the two together.
How did your chili turn out Ghost? And did the Georgia Dogs beat the Auburn Wareagles? And do we think Lewis Grizzard watched the game from a premium seat?
Jackie: ‘. . . sex or the two together.’ Just how does that work? I am/was more inclined to give 100% attention to each, but not at the same time.
Correction: 100% to food, or to food and conversation, no TV. Maybe MPR classical softly in the background. Conversation, of course, might include topics not suitable here.
Peace,
Surely you saw the movie Tom Jones? Sexiest scene of gluttonous eating ever filmed. Or licking chocolate or whipped cream or other consumables off body parts, going back to Greeks, Romans and before for all we know?
I could go on fairly lengthfully but others might contribute perhaps.
Now that I think about it the baccanals celebrated sex and food with a name for such a feast.
Me, I love to cook passionately with males but men like that are hard to find. First, they need to know how to cook, second they need to have great coordination and a sense of whimsy, never taking themselves or the dishes they are working on too lightly, nor too seriously.
And yes, I think like this and talk like this in person. Doesn’t everyone? Just off the cuff?
Otherwise I will go back to Abraham Lincoln and cats to get us in a genial mood.
Two unbeaten top 10 college teams went down today. Don’t count your chickens. Right Debbe? BTW the movie about the USS Indianapolis has finally been released. Go see what brave men did for freedom.
Jackie, sadly I do have plans for Thanksgiving, and also my plate is going to be pretty full until after the first of the year. On the bright side, I have had some experience with drugged/screaming/cursing females, and it has never been a problem for me. Oh, and I can cook, too. 🙂
Perhaps we can figure out an alternate method of me not letting you wimp out. And remember, I survived Bat-Guano Crazy Lady, so…
Yep, Georgia beat Auburn 13-7. I hope Lewis had a good seat. There were a number of other upsets and near-upsets today.
Didn’t do chili this time; decided to slow-cook a roast with Yukon Gold potatoes, baby carrots and mushrooms. I’ll put it on before I go to bed tonight.
Debbe 😉 Sunday night, Doc Brown wanted us to watch a show on his TV*…an episode of General Electric Theater, hosted by a middle-aged actor named Ronald Reagan. You know, many people seem to think there were few or no African-Americans on TV until the 70s, but the episode (and it was a good one) was “Winner by Decision”, starring Harry Belafonte, Ethel Waters, and Diahann Carroll.
On the way back to Doc Brown’s house from a trip to the electric supply store the next morning, I heard this very pretty song on the AM radio in his convertible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqZ0Sdz_V40
*Doc mentioned that on Saturday night he had watched a Western show that was new that season. He said he liked it (because he’d always wanted to live in the Old West), but he was afraid “Gunsmoke” wouldn’t last past its first season.
Need a measurement from you Ghost. Not what you are thinking. I imagine you have long fingers and thumbs. Who brought that one up anyway?
This is serious actually. I need the measurements of your parents and sister’s urns from cemetery and a description of monument and colors. A photo would be nice is you could conceal whatever you want to.
What I am looking for is measurements and proportions so I can design cemetery memorials. I have a gracious plenty of silk flowers purchased, they can be any size and will be all around oval garden styles in pinks, lavenderso and creams, roses, hydrangeas, magnolias, garden flowers in garden club symmetry. Identical or complimentary?
Want to get this done and not leave until last minute.
I can certainly postpone my surgery since it is elective, something I was considering anyway. I have not been exercising as I should have nor eating right. When I get depressed I do things like that. Eat badly.
Frankly, I was one rushing surgery, not surgeon.
Have heard from Allstate representative who seems to think they are repairing Trigger who is down in Tupelo still. I need some local knowledge about Ford dealers and body shops in area. So, I am thinking I will drive down there to access situation. Still assuming uninsured driver and that my insurance will end up paying it, not hit and run culprit.
I just finished cooking an acorn squash in the microwave, and now it’s in the fridge. Tomorrow, I’m going to an open house with a BBQ, and I’m going to brush it with sesame oil, season it with pumpkin pie spice and put it on the grill to reheat and get some grill marks. Along with that I’m going to have a small steak seasoned with za’atar. I don’t think I’m going to need any sweets, and it’s a good thing.
Sounds really good. I bought two acorn squash to cook, along with a butternut. Did you cut and seed acorn and out in a steamer bag? Or just poke some holes and stuck in whole to seed later?
Good morning Villagers…..
Good grief, it’s a balmy 24 degrees out on my front porch!!!!
Jerry, made me smile…but Canada is colder than SIN, and with no fat on me I’d look like an icicle 🙂
Chocolate…I love me some dark chocolate. They say dark chocolate is actually healthy for you….will research and keep you posted
Thinking about knocking off some chicken poop, but that won’t happen until it warms up about noon…need to get at least a couple two or three hours in on Friday’s paycheck. Fortunately, it will be warming up into the sixties the next week….Amen.
Until then, I’ll go over to the ‘homestead’ and wash those windows on the French doors….wonder how cold it is in there.
Jackie….GET THAT SURGERY DONE….IF I HAVE TO, I WILL COME AND PLAY NANCY NURSE FOR YOU 🙂
GR 😉 funny that you should bring up Ronald Reagan. Watched a docu on him last night, interesting and learned a few things too. Didn’t realize he was married to Jayne Mansfield. Also, didn’t realize he made so many movies…and he was a pretty good actor.
Later….
GR 😉 have you been peeking in my son’s room 🙂
loved this man…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jtpf8N5IDE
http://cheezburger.com/8985867776
Good morning Villagers. I had a friend tighten down the fasteners on our tin roof, then paint it yesterday, and wouldn’t ya know Murphy’s Law we got a hard frost last night before it could dry properly. It still has to be better than it was.
…and #7 says it makes you “smarter”
https://authoritynutrition.com/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate/
Ursen…that would be called “freeze dried” 🙂
Today’s cartoon is a subtle masterpiece; cartooning at its pinnacle. Thanks JJ.
Ghost, didn’t Doc follow “Gunsmoke” on the radio?
Ok..I was wrong, RR was married to Jaye Wyman…oops
Smigz…follow Gunsmoke on TV land every day….ever watched when it originally aired. And he wears that same shirt in every episode….peach colored.
Boy, you almost had me checking wiki Debbe!
Don’t know why I bother with a night gown? I wake up and most of me isn’t in it. Wish I were skinny . If you quit hefting ten tons of eggs daily maybe you can gain a little.
Tried to copy my Abraham Lincoln and cats pmeost for Villagers not on Facebook. Until such time as we return to a happier state I am practicing cat-astropic therapy on my friends with non political posts of cats, inspiredo by Lincoln.
Uh, oh. We’ve lost another really good musician: http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/scene/offbeat/native-tulsan-and-renowned-rocker-leon-russell-has-died/article_032b6741-54ac-5139-a93f-bea23f379e83.html