Battle of the Bulge

[jim armstroong]

 

Roque:-

 

Here's a photo for you - it will warm your heart - or freeze your arz!!

 

 

I still get cold when I look at this picture!! How we did it, I don't know looking back.

 

Sgtleo

[Walt's Daughter]

Easy to look at it as I lay in bed with flannel sheets and a big warm comforter and two pillows with central heating. Can't imagine sleeping, working, fighting, eating and peeing in that for weeks on end. Brrrrrr!

[twobisquit]

I cannot imaginehow tough that was

 

I thought I was seeing double when I looked out the window...what an eerie feeling

[Sgtleo]

 

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

[Walt's Daughter]

Sarge:

 

Gosh, I thank you for being graphic and honest. What do people learn by mincing words? Nothing. This is a World War II forum and therefore I want the truth about how things were, not some comic book illustrations and captions.

 

I am looking for these kinds of things for my book. Saying it was cold, does nothing for one's imagination. Describing what you have makes the point.

 

If anyone is offended then they need not visit my site or forum from now on. We state things as they are here.

 

I have posted a few vets' memoirs on the main site and some contain fowl language. Not for the sake of swearing but because this is exactly what they said at that point in time. It was part of the story as it happened.

 

I also have some Patton speeches and I have chosen not to delete or substitute the words. What would be the point. Patton didn't stand in front of his men and say, "Oh golly gee willikers men, let's get those Germans!"

 

So say it as it is. The truth is always welcome here!

 

Oh before I close I found a site a couple of years ago that would blot out words such as NAZI! I am not joking. It got to be ludicrous so I stopped posting and visiting that site.

[Sgtleo]

 

I have been taken to task a couple of times over on the Military.com Forums because I called the Germans "Krauts". That is what we called them and I don't intend to have some half a***d amateur historian take exception to that word. I will tell like it was unless or until I am stopped by a banning or by direction of a Moderator.

 

I truly feel with some of the German "user names" they have been using indicates to me that they are very sympathetic to the Krauts and we weren't "making nice". That's why I am so glad j3rdinf(Joe) clued me about your forums.

 

One of my sons-in-law travels to Germany for the Space Industry and he has said that there is a growing sub-culture,especially in Southern Germany and Austria(home of the little corporal(Hitler) to the extent that certain groups have been banned from the radio. Also he has been warned about places unsafe for an American!!

 

"Nough said

 

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

 

Sgtleo

[Walt's Daughter]

The only reason I would ever ban someone is if they just started swearing or yelling for the sake of swearing or yelling. That is not appreciated. But if we are talking in context then how can you alter someone's words? I consider myself an historian, so I will portray things accurately. I do not beleive in revisionism, period! And I certainly can't relate to a 30 year old telling me how things were in WWII! You guys were there, he was not! Nuff said!

 

Now little boys and girls who can't handle the truth; go home, brush your teeth and take a nap!

[Sgtleo]

 

 

Holy Mother of God if you know how to use an aspirate "h" and correctly use the word "Revisionism" I'm ready to shout "Kamerade und Ich habe mein Hand Hoch!!"

 

Bitte nichts schiessen!! Der Kreig is alles

 

You are correct about Gen. Patton that guy could singe your hair from 50 yards away and if you censored his speeches and/or communiques he would have had little to say!!

 

Uberfeldwebel Leo

[Walt's Daughter]

Thank you for the compliment. What can I say, I was on the honor roll in grade school. High School, well we won't talk about the first two years because I was just goofin' off. I was on the Dean's list for 4 years at EMU. I liked school!

 

I better have my act together because I'm writing my book. Hopefully my editor will have an easy job and I won't keep him up nights with bottles of aspirin and boxes of red pens!

 

As far as Gen Patton... I didn't wan't his ghost coming back to haunt me. He'd make the Ghost of Christmas Past seem angelic!

 

[Dogdaddy]

Recently I was watching an episode of "Shoot Out" on THC. One of the Vets being interviewed mentioned having diarhea during the Battle of the Bulge, and he said he didn't mind...in fact it was the only warmth in his body at the time. That's real life, and does not offend me at all, nor do period expressions for the enemy that are used by these men. For cryin' out loud, they were trained to try and kill each other!

 

 

Jim