Okay, kiddos, story time. Not my story (like most cold warriors I don't have great stories.) The Story of how my Dad got awarded a Bronze Star in WWII.
1/
1/
My Dad dropped out of University of Kentucky along with his best friend to join the Army ‘before the war was over.’ They were both taking engineering so the Army, in one of those rare moments of intelligence, made them engineers.
1/
1/
After training they were shipped to England with a rear-area strategic ‘camouflage’ company. They thought that was boring so on a three day pass they hiked across England to try to join the 101st. No luck, you had to have trained up in the States.
2/
2/
So they went back to their boring unit.
He landed in Normandy three weeks after the invasion. I asked him one time if he’d ever done hydrographic survey.
3/
He landed in Normandy three weeks after the invasion. I asked him one time if he’d ever done hydrographic survey.
3/
‘Oh, hundreds of times,’ he said. (We were sailing in FL at the time.) ‘But the first one I ever did was on Normandy beach clearing obstacles. Damn the water was cold.’
4/
4/
His unit had been tasked with clearing mines in a big damn forest in November of 1944. Three months of cold rain, shit chow and digging up mines by hand. They didn’t just blow them in place. They had to disarm them then remove. Some of them were trapped.
5/
5/
There were mines in the forest from WWI and WWII. German, French, British, every kind. Some old Nitro dynamite that were unstable as hell.
His Brigade commander was an inter-war officer and believed in holding onto every damned thing. Total packrat.
6/
His Brigade commander was an inter-war officer and believed in holding onto every damned thing. Total packrat.
6/
7/
So they had to COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLE the mines and remove all the (stableish) explosives. Then they’d put them in potato sacks. Since no ammo officer in his RIGHT MIND would allow that shit in the dumps, they were stacked in a wooden barn.
So they had to COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLE the mines and remove all the (stableish) explosives. Then they’d put them in potato sacks. Since no ammo officer in his RIGHT MIND would allow that shit in the dumps, they were stacked in a wooden barn.
8/
Think about a wood barn stacked to the rafters with potato sacks filled with possibly unstable explosives.
The WWII guys just DNGAF about safety. That shit was for lesser breeds.
Think about a wood barn stacked to the rafters with potato sacks filled with possibly unstable explosives.
The WWII guys just DNGAF about safety. That shit was for lesser breeds.
9/
After three months of that they were done and the forest officially ‘cleared’. At least all the roads and trails. His company commander came back from a visit to battalion and announced they had been given a THREE DAY PASS. (That was a huge thing back then.)
After three months of that they were done and the forest officially ‘cleared’. At least all the roads and trails. His company commander came back from a visit to battalion and announced they had been given a THREE DAY PASS. (That was a huge thing back then.)
10/
Dad and Miller (buddy) were two days into the three day pass when the Germans attacked. Through the Ardennes Forest. The one they’d just gotten done clearing of mines.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤦
Dad and Miller (buddy) were two days into the three day pass when the Germans attacked. Through the Ardennes Forest. The one they’d just gotten done clearing of mines.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤦
11/
(Historical note: One has to wonder if that was what they were waiting for. I’ve never seen that mentioned in the histories.)
(Historical note: One has to wonder if that was what they were waiting for. I’ve never seen that mentioned in the histories.)
12/
Shit was getting real in the small village where they were R&R. People running around panicking. Dad and Miller ran out to see what was happening, each carrying a wine bottle.
‘The Nazis are coming! The Nazis are coming! They’ve broken through!’
Shit was getting real in the small village where they were R&R. People running around panicking. Dad and Miller ran out to see what was happening, each carrying a wine bottle.
‘The Nazis are coming! The Nazis are coming! They’ve broken through!’
13/
A master sergeant grabbed the two privates.
‘What are you? What do you do?’
‘We’re engineers, Sergeant!’
‘Go over there to that staff sergeant. STAY WITH HIM. THAT’S AN ORDER!’
So they ran over to the staff sergeant, bottles in hand.
A master sergeant grabbed the two privates.
‘What are you? What do you do?’
‘We’re engineers, Sergeant!’
‘Go over there to that staff sergeant. STAY WITH HIM. THAT’S AN ORDER!’
So they ran over to the staff sergeant, bottles in hand.
14/
‘What are you?’
‘Engineers!’
‘We’re waiting on the lieutenant. IF YOU RUN, YOU’LL BE SHOT!’
‘We’re not going to run!’
They passed the bottles around until they ran out. The LT got back.
‘What are you?’
‘Engineers!’
‘We’re waiting on the lieutenant. IF YOU RUN, YOU’LL BE SHOT!’
‘We’re not going to run!’
They passed the bottles around until they ran out. The LT got back.
15/
‘Okay, we’re tasked to blow up some bridges to slow the Nazis down. We’ve got jeeps, blasting caps, wire, fuse… we’re just trying to find some explosives.’
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤔
(And you thought that thing about the explosives was just filler!)
‘Okay, we’re tasked to blow up some bridges to slow the Nazis down. We’ve got jeeps, blasting caps, wire, fuse… we’re just trying to find some explosives.’
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤔
(And you thought that thing about the explosives was just filler!)
16/
(Insert)
It was Miller who raised his hand.
‘Sir, I know where there are some explosives, free for the taking.’
If you were to fit this into a movie, you’d have to have the LT standing in the barn with his hands on his hips, shaking his head. ‘This’ll do.’
(Insert)
It was Miller who raised his hand.
‘Sir, I know where there are some explosives, free for the taking.’
If you were to fit this into a movie, you’d have to have the LT standing in the barn with his hands on his hips, shaking his head. ‘This’ll do.’
17/
They loaded up the jeeps and headed out to go give Jerry what for.
The plan was simple. There were four bridges to blow. They were in a curve of the river. The best way to get to all four of them, however, was on the German side of the river.
They loaded up the jeeps and headed out to go give Jerry what for.
The plan was simple. There were four bridges to blow. They were in a curve of the river. The best way to get to all four of them, however, was on the German side of the river.
18/
The lieutenant took the furthest bridge with the Staff Sergeant at the nearest. The order was to prep the bridge but don’t blow it until the lieutenant got back. He’d blow his bridge then go to each in turn, make sure they were blown, pick up the team and continue on.
The lieutenant took the furthest bridge with the Staff Sergeant at the nearest. The order was to prep the bridge but don’t blow it until the lieutenant got back. He’d blow his bridge then go to each in turn, make sure they were blown, pick up the team and continue on.
19/
All on the German side.
My dad was with the Lieutenant. (Driving) Miller was with one of the other teams.
They drove to bridge four, rigged it and blew it. All good. Headed back.
All on the German side.
My dad was with the Lieutenant. (Driving) Miller was with one of the other teams.
They drove to bridge four, rigged it and blew it. All good. Headed back.
20/
When they got to bridge three it was blown, the team was gone.
Bridge two they SAW blow up as they approached. Team was gone.
That only left one bridge they could cross. They could already hear German tanks and infantry.
When they got to bridge three it was blown, the team was gone.
Bridge two they SAW blow up as they approached. Team was gone.
That only left one bridge they could cross. They could already hear German tanks and infantry.
21/
Bridge one was still up but the team was gone. So were all the electrical detonation gear and they’d used up their electrical detonators on ‘their’ bridge. The only choice was to use fuse and they were already under direct fire.
Bridge one was still up but the team was gone. So were all the electrical detonation gear and they’d used up their electrical detonators on ‘their’ bridge. The only choice was to use fuse and they were already under direct fire.
22/
‘I’m going to set a fuse and blow this bridge,’ the LT said. “But I need somebody to cover me and I need somebody who can REALLY SHOOT.'
My dad raised his hand:
"I’m from Kentucky, sir.”
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
(This whole story was told to me on the subject of 'never volunteer'.
‘I’m going to set a fuse and blow this bridge,’ the LT said. “But I need somebody to cover me and I need somebody who can REALLY SHOOT.'
My dad raised his hand:
"I’m from Kentucky, sir.”
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
(This whole story was told to me on the subject of 'never volunteer'.
23/
The other two were to drive the jeep out of sight and WAIT, DAMNIT!
So my dad started banging away at German Panzergrenadiers from behind a tree while the LT low crawled forward, set and lit the fuse by hand.
The other two were to drive the jeep out of sight and WAIT, DAMNIT!
So my dad started banging away at German Panzergrenadiers from behind a tree while the LT low crawled forward, set and lit the fuse by hand.
24/
The LT was about ten, fifteen yards away when 1000 pounds of fairly unstable TNT and whatever else went KABOOM!
Dad was knocked ass over tea kettle and he was fairly distant. But he got up, shook his head and ran to check on the LT.
The LT was about ten, fifteen yards away when 1000 pounds of fairly unstable TNT and whatever else went KABOOM!
Dad was knocked ass over tea kettle and he was fairly distant. But he got up, shook his head and ran to check on the LT.
25/
(Historical note: This was the last bridge tasked to be taken by Joachim Pieper. It was THAT CLOSE.)
The LT was unconscious and bleeding from his nose and ears.
(Historical note: This was the last bridge tasked to be taken by Joachim Pieper. It was THAT CLOSE.)
The LT was unconscious and bleeding from his nose and ears.
26/
Dad dragged him back into cover then got him conscious and helped him back to the jeep. Which had, in fact, waited.
After that they headed back to a rendezvous. Miller was there, his team was gone. ‘I tried to get them to wait but they weren’t sticking around.’
Dad dragged him back into cover then got him conscious and helped him back to the jeep. Which had, in fact, waited.
After that they headed back to a rendezvous. Miller was there, his team was gone. ‘I tried to get them to wait but they weren’t sticking around.’
27/
Miller and Dad stayed with the LT for about a month doing general ‘engineer stuff’ in the Battle. Blowing bridges (nothing as spectacular as the above), fixing roads, building bridges they’d already blown up, etc.
Miller and Dad stayed with the LT for about a month doing general ‘engineer stuff’ in the Battle. Blowing bridges (nothing as spectacular as the above), fixing roads, building bridges they’d already blown up, etc.
28/
But Dad and miller were from a different ARMY GROUP than the LT. So after a month they got sent back to repple in Le Havre then finally, back to their company.
Where they were under charges of desertion.
🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦
But Dad and miller were from a different ARMY GROUP than the LT. So after a month they got sent back to repple in Le Havre then finally, back to their company.
Where they were under charges of desertion.
🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦
29/
They’d been AWOL and with all the people who HAD run, the company had just charged them with desertion.
‘But we were blowing up bridges and doing engineer stuff…!’
‘Get to work you useless cowards! We’ll court martial you later!’
They’d been AWOL and with all the people who HAD run, the company had just charged them with desertion.
‘But we were blowing up bridges and doing engineer stuff…!’
‘Get to work you useless cowards! We’ll court martial you later!’
30/
They were approaching the day they were to stand court martial when they were called into their company commander’s office.
“I’ve got a recommendation for a bronze star here,” their CO said, very puzzled. “So… what exactly WERE you doing when you were AWOL?”
They were approaching the day they were to stand court martial when they were called into their company commander’s office.
“I’ve got a recommendation for a bronze star here,” their CO said, very puzzled. “So… what exactly WERE you doing when you were AWOL?”
31/
After they were done telling the story the company commander reached into his desk and pulled out some paperwork.
“This… is your court martial paperwork…” he said, ceremoniously tearing it up and placing it in file thirteen.
After they were done telling the story the company commander reached into his desk and pulled out some paperwork.
“This… is your court martial paperwork…” he said, ceremoniously tearing it up and placing it in file thirteen.
32/
Miller also got a bronze star and they were both shipped off to a quicky (six days!) OCS. Which is how my dad became an officer and later met my Mom who was a Red Cross girl.
Miller also got a bronze star and they were both shipped off to a quicky (six days!) OCS. Which is how my dad became an officer and later met my Mom who was a Red Cross girl.
33/
(‘Four thousand men, two women and my dad married the better looking one,’ as my brother Bob is wont to point out.)
And that is how your favorite author eventually came to be.
They were iron men.
/finis
(‘Four thousand men, two women and my dad married the better looking one,’ as my brother Bob is wont to point out.)
And that is how your favorite author eventually came to be.
They were iron men.
/finis
@threadreaderapp unroll please
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
