Experience with death

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Houseman, Donelson "Don" 18 Months in Army Hospitals
Donelson Houseman experienced a terrible event after he was liberated. He went into town and could see the tanks [...
Szafran, Daniel 1948 Mission and Reunion in Hamburg
Daniel Szafran had only one friend killed in an offensive. [Annotator's Note: There is a break in the tape then starts...
Pierce, William "Bill" 37mm Anti-Tank Gun
William Pierce went to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina following his tour in Hingham, Massachusetts. Because he had been...
Blanckenburg, William "Bill" 3rd Division Battle Patrol
William Blanckenburg was met by a lieutenant colonel who knew that Blanckenburg was married and was an older fellow....
Zamperini, Louis 47 Day Adrift, 18 Months of Torture and Being Born Again
They [Annotator's Note: Louis Zamperini, his pilot and their tail gunner] spent 47 days fighting off sharks, the...
Killam, Arthur 7 December 1941
Arthur Killam was born in San Francisco and lived there until he was six years old when he moved to San Jose,...
Witmeyer, John "J.J." A Brotherhood Forged in Combat
John Witmeyer served in five armies of the US Army through six campaigns in the European Theater of World War 2. He had...
Winter, William A Common Bond
William Winter agrees with the interviewer's statement that many black veterans felt more freedom in the Army than they...
Burk, Jeannine A Family Reunited
Jeannine Burk was liberated in 1944. Her mother retrieved her and brought her home. [Annotator's Note: Burk, a Jewish...
Walter, Robert A few months in the hospital
[Annotators Note: Robert Walter was a platoon sergeant in Company L, 3rd Battalion, 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th...
Guarnere, William "Wild Bill" A kid from Philadelphia
[Annotators Note: The interview begins with Guarnere and the interviewer talking about previous interviews Guarnere has...
Mermelstein, Seymour "Cy" A Long Path to Germany
Seymour Mermelstein attended basic training in Miami Beach, Florida. He was then sent to automotive school. He went to...
Yusen, Jack A Lost Friend
Jack Yusen still frequently thinks about the men who died [Annotator's Note: when his ship, the USS Samuel B. Roberts (...
Witmeyer, John "J.J." A Pillbox in Cherbourg
During the assault on the port city of Cherbourg, France, John Witmeyer fought through to the end of town after door to...
Finkelstein, Ryfka A Polish Jew Flees the Nazis
Ryfka Finkelstein [Annotator's Note: unsure of spelling of her maiden name which is Sushka] was born in Poland in 1926...
Porche, Albert A Typical Day in Theater
Albert Porche began his typical day as a fighter armorer by having breakfast and then going to look on the board where...
Schilling, Ira A Very Dangerous Enemy
As the American advance through the Pacific moved closer and closer to the Japanese mainland, enemy resistance grew...
Henleben, Edwin A Week on Attu
Edwin Henlebin described the beachhead as glutted with supplies. The problem was getting the material from the beach to...
Pale, Vincent A Year in Captivity
After being captured, Vincent Pale was sent to Stalag XVII. The prisoners were assigned to bunks in a barracks. At...
Angier, John Across the Atlantic
John Angier first met his crew in the spring of 1944 and then went overseas in a brand-new, shiny, silver B-17 [...
Lightell, Harold Action in France
When Harold Lightell arrived off the beaches of Normandy, alarms sounded on his ship. The 600 troops on the ship were...
Pierce, Wayne Action in Normandy
Wayne Pierce and his battalion [Annotator's Note: 1st Battalion, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division...
Wessen, Theodore Action in the Pacific
Theodore Wessen and the USS Pirate (AM-275) went to Guam after that island had been recaptured by the United States....
Rosenzweig, Rollins Action Over Japan
Rollins Rosenzweig departed California aboard the carrier [Annotator's Note: Rosenzweig was a radioman and gunner on a...
Malta, Samuel Adjusting to Civilian Life
Samuel Malta and the men in combat were just kids who were 18 or 19 years old. The combat troops felt they were...
Yusen, Jack Adrift at Sea and Being Rescued
[Annotator's Note: Jack Yusen served in the Navy as a gunner aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413). The Samuel B....
Simpson, Joseph Advance Through Germany
Joseph Simpson advanced with his unit [Annotator's Note: Company C, 1st Battalion, 334th Infantry Regiment, 84th...
Moret, Calvin Advanced Flight Training
After ten weeks of flying the BT-13 [Annotator’s Note: Vultee BT-13 Valiant two seat trainer aircraft], Calvin Moret...
LaPook, Sidney Advancing Through Germany
From there [Annotator's Note: the area around Bastone, Belgium], Sidney LaPook and his unit [Annotator's Note: 193rd...
Nicholas, John Aerial Attack
John Nicholas first experienced an aerial attack on his ship [Annotator's Note: the USS Gayety (AM-239)] a few months...
Sgobbo, Dominick After Liberation
The Red Cross came in to the prison camp and Dominick Sgobbo was treated for dysentery. His buddies had been taking...
Pendleton, Arthur After the Tenaru River and Prisoner Snatches
Arthur Pendleton does not remember who was in the hole with him [Annotator's Note: during the Battle of the Tenaru...
Killam, Arthur After the war
[Annotators Note: Arthur Killam served in the US Navy as an Electricians Mate aboard submarines. After the war he was...
Franzky, Gerhard After the War
For many years, Gerhard Franzky put the war in the back of his mind. He was more concerned with building a future. He...
Long, Donald Aftermath of Pearl Harbor
Donald Long did not know what to make of the attack on Pearl Harbor and Hawaii. [Annotator's Note: The Japanese attack...
Broll, Walter Aftermath of the German Raid on Bari
Walter Broll became more cautious as a result of his experience at Bari, Italy with the German bomber attack on Allied...

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