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Missouri_Rebel -> RE: KG's Top 5 Essential WWII Movies (1/16/2012 11:01:03 PM)
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Speaking of the Hurtgen, my old neighbor was a platoon leader in the 60th reg. of the 9th division. He never spoke of it until he had me over one day to look at some tile work in his basement bathroom and I saw a bunch of plaques(sp?) on the wall commemorating his service through the war. I reluctantly asked him a few questions and he asked me to come to the kitchen table to talk a bit about it. His wife stood behind him as well as if she had never really heard him speak of it. Man I was naive and just a teen because the man told me some things and it was VERY hurtful to him to do so. After just a few questions I broke off the conversation. The thing that bothered him the most was seeing all the dead being pushed around on the beach still and the fear he had during the Hurtgen Forest battle. After the HF they fell back as reserves because they were so mauled but were then caught up in the Battle of the Bulge. Here he was a bazooka man. I asked him what that was like and that is when his wife gave me a rather sad look so I said, 'Mr. Sampson, I appreciate your service and don't want to bring anymore feeling back up'. I think he was glad that I did not ask any more. Back then I was a silly boy who wanted to know about his experiences and couldn't fathom at the time the emotions I had dredged up. I never asked him about it again and he never brought it up to me. It pains me to think what I did to the man in pressing for information. A stupid silly boy.
Of course my Grandpappy served in the 1st Marines and fought his way across the Pacific. Those stories for another day.
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