Issue 10.12
I was recently speaking with my brother-in-law about my writing short articles about WW2.
I asked him many questions about his experiences in that war and he opened up to me.
Many times in the past we flew a few hanger missions together or took care of some engineering problems. He was in Patton’s third army, 61st Engineering Battalion, Company C and Officer in charge of 1st Platoon. Engineering sounds like a safe behind the lines building things job but let me explain. Throughout France and Germany, his outfit mostly cleared enemy minefields. This was done by taking his men out during the dark of night and with sword like pikes and metal detectors each enemy buried antipersonnel or anti- tank buried mine was located. A one fourth TNT charge was placed above each mine and then connected with wires. All of his men were then safely returned to their lines. At a pre-arranged time all the charges and the mines were blown up at one time. This was the signal for the infantry, tanks and artillery to advance against the German Army. He said his men were so good at their job that they could detect a hanging spider web.
German technology then advanced to remove all metal from their mines and replaced it with plastic. That made it much more difficult to locate and detonate but they still cleared the mine fields. The Germans then made a more deadly mine which the G. I.’s called “Bouncing Bettys”. This was an all plastic mine made up of two parts. When a soldier stepped on a “Bouncing Betty” A first charge would propel it into the air to a height of about four feet and the second larger charger would hurl deadly shards in all directions.
This was not a job for the faint of heart. I asked him if he was in that famous forced move by Patton’s third Army to get back to the Ardennes sector that beat the Germans back and relieved Bastogne. He said he was already there when the German offensive began. His company destroyed bridges and otherwise did things to slow the German advance.
We both agreed that there was a rumor at that time that said General Eisenhower planned to have the Germans expend their reserves in that battle and so would end the war sooner. It was true that he pulled two battle hardened divisions from that sector and replaced them with one green, untried division. This seemed like an invitation for trouble. I asked him if he ever built bridges. He said the only bridges he worked on was the pontoon bridge put across the Rhine River two miles from and two days before the famous capture of the Remagen bridge. Patton’s army fought it’s way clear across Germany to Dresden and then just sat there for two weeks because the Russians were given the privilege of taking Berlin.
When the war ended, the American Army units had to wait for their turn to board troop ships to take them back to America. At that time there was a point system for a soldier’s turn for discharge based on months in service, months over seas, number of dependents, decorations and designated battles. The priority for boarding a returning ship was for the lowest number of points to board first because these soldiers would go to the war in the Pacific against Japan. The soldiers with the most battle experience had to wait.
When he and I or any other vets who have taken part in sustained, day after day and month after month combat where both our side and the enemy had people killed, talked together, we had conversations that is different from other conversations. Other people may hear the words of the vets and understand the words but do not feel the words like we do. I liken this to a group of women discussing their experience of childbirth. Other people like guys may hear the words of their discussion but we don’t feel the words.
I would have liked to spell out my brother-in-law’s name but he requested that he not be identified by name so I respected his wishes.
San Wyrouck can be contacted at 801-707-2666.