About 15 years ago, I took my Dad on trip to Europe. He always wanted to go back and revisit the sites of his war. Dad was a TSgt with the 50th PIR, 82nd Airborne. He and his comrades jumped into Normandy on the night of June 5/6, 1944. Their objective was the village of Ste. Marie Eglise. Unfortunately like so many sticks, his unit was spread all over hell and half of Texas. He, two from his company, his company commander landed about 5 km off their drop zone. He told me that when the 4 of them met up he asked his LT, where they were, to which is LT replied, "Don't know but it doesn't matter, the war starts here."

We traveled through out Normandy and up into the BENLUX countries covering ground from the initial invasion through the battle for the Bocage region, Market Garden operation and ended up in a little town in Belgium named Ste. Merde (sp). They were billeted in this town in what was supposed to be a quiet sector of the front. Walking through the town he pointed out where they were billeted, the house where they liberated the wine cellar, etc. It brought back a lot of lighter memories for him. However, as we reached the edge of the village he stopped at the road crossing. It seemed as if for him, time turned backwards. Suddenly he strode across the road, across the ditch and into a farmers field. He walked as though years of age had been taken back. I asked him where he was going, he just continued to walk with resolute attention toward a copse of trees on the far corner of the field. Upon reaching the tree line he ducked down and pushed through the branches, looking around as if he had lost something and was trying to locate where it was. He walked a short distance further and paused, pointing down at the ground and said " You see that depression there? I dug that fighting hole on December 16, 1944." It was the first day of the Battle of the Bulge. As I type this, I look at the rusty Granand enbloc clip I picked up that day from his foxhole and and offer thanks for being the son of one of the Greeatest Generation.

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If you wait by the river bank long enough, you will see the bodies of your enemies float by...

Tiocfaidh A'r La'

Holy cow...
Tell him thanks from me, and thanks to you, as well; for sharing.

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Bubba really ticks me off...
and I sure wish he would give me the OEM stock for my 7mm Spanish Mauser...

Thanks for sharing, that is awesome. I am so grateful to all who served.

That's a great post. Thanks for sharing that.

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So many guns, so little time

So happy you got to make that trip with your father. Mine passed before we had the chance, although he traveled the Rhine with my mother and aunt before he died. Tell him that the son of a 12 AGP veteran wishes him well, and thanks him for giving so much up for all of us.

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Sako M-39,'43, Mauser K98k,'44;Turk '93, '96;Swede'96,long infantry rifle,'03; NPM M-1Carbine;SA M-1 Garand '43;LE No 4 ,'54;Walther PP(vet bringback);Izzy91/30, '42; "11" M-44, '52,in the white;Vz 52; Tula PTG 1891 MN
Rom'69 trainer,'70.

That's pretty neat. It's great that you were able to take the trip with him. Thanks to both of you for sharing it.

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Only dead fish go with the flow.

Thanks for posting this. We, as a nation, owe your Dad and all his brothers in arms all that we have today. This world would be a much different place if the Allies had not won.

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"There is nothing so exhilarating as to be shot at without result." Winston Churchill
Member: Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America, American Legion, Society of the 5th Infantry Division