It was on this day that my Dad began his visit to France and Germany, later to hook up with George Patton and his Third Army. He told me that he had never been so scared in his life. He never did get shot or wounded, and even came home with a Bronze Star for valor.
When I asked him what he did to get the medal he said, ” I got that medal for doing what if I didn’t do, they would have shot me as a coward.” According to him the only real Hero that he ever met was a guy named Kelly from Chicago.
He says, “Kelly and I got caught up in this church tower while we were laying wire for the Sound and Flash battalion when a whole bunch of Germans started coming around a corner down the street. Kelly was just as cool as a cucumber. He started shooting them as they rounded the corner. All I did was reload the M1’s and pass them to him. He must have shot twenty or thirty of them before we could get the hell out of there.”
Even at that young age I took note that my Dad was right there beside Kelly, standing his ground and doing his job.
Just two guys trying to save the world. And they did. Thanks Dad.
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