D Day

In memory of D-Day (June 6, 1944):

I was 16 when Dad told me of his experiences in WW2. We were sitting at the dining room table and Dad just started talking about the war. I was fascinated and afraid. Dad’s story was war with a capital W. Even at 16, I felt Dad’s pain. I knew that Dad had been in the war. I had no idea he had seen so much action. Ten years later, more than 25 years after the war, Dad was awarded the Bronze Star for his gallantry. He already had his 2 Purple Hearts. I wondered then if I could or would have to ever face such terror. How would I act? Would I be brave like Dad? I hoped so.

134th Infantry Regiment

In August of 1940 . . . the United States Congress
authorized President Roosevelt to mobilize the National Guard.

On December 23rd, 1940, the Nebraska National Guard,
134th Infantry Regiment, was inducted into federal service
and attached to the 35th Infantry Division.

On May 11th, 1944, after intensive training and state side service in California,
the 134th was sent to the European Theater-of-Operations.

After nearly a year-and-a-half of distinguished and decorated service
the Regiment was inactivated on November 20th, 1945.

Travel and Combat Dates:

En route to Europe........................ 11 May 44
Omaha Beach.................................. 5 July 44

Saint Lo......................................... 13 July 44

Mortain.......................................... 7 Aug 44

Montargis/Joignay...................... 22 Aug 44

Nancy............................................ 15 Sept 44

Attack against Saar.......................... 8 Nov 44

Battle of Ardennes........................... 28 Dec 44

Roer River................................... 26 Mar 45

Ruhr Pocket................................ 26 Mar 45

Advance to Elb River................... 13 Apr 45

Occupation Hannover................. 27 Apr 45

Occupation Koblenz................... 1 June 45

Camp Norfolk............................. 12 July 45

En route to US.............................. 5 Sept 45

Decorations:

Battle Stars................................................... 5
Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland,
Ardennes and Central Europe

Congressional Medal-of-Honor..................... 1

Distinguished Service Cross........................... 8

Silver Star................................................. 159

Legion of Merit............................................ 3

Soldiers Medal............................................... 6

Bronze Star............................................... 738

Casualties/Replacements

10,000(300%)

“It isn’t the cost of belonging.
It’s the price you paid to be eligible.”

Dad’s 134th Regiment-Company M, all from Nebraska, was shipped from California to North Carolina in the sprint of 1943 where they prepared for the European invasion. On May 11, 1944 Dad boarded a ship for England. Less than one month later, June 7, 1944, Dad was in the 2nd wave landing on Omaha Beach. How fitting, the Nebraska battalion lands at Omaha. Dad took comfort in the fact his best friend, Pete from home, was in his boat as they waited for the landing craft to come to rest on a French beach. It was apparent that it was going to be simply fate if they could get out of this hell-hole. Shells going off all around -- men screaming – bullets buzzing over their heads -- chaos everywhere – landing craft sunk into the shallows smoking and burning.

The front of the landing craft drops and Dad and his platoon hit the water. As they struggle to the beach, the first impression is that the beach is covered with debris. It’s not debris. It’s dead GI’s. It’s Dad’s friends. It could be Dad in a minute or two. Dad has his BAR. He is crawling across the beach with bullets flying overhead when he turns to tell Pete to keep his head down. Only then did Dad notice that Pete’s head was slumped over to one side. Aside from the glassy-eyed stare that saw nothing, only a small bright red dimple square in the middle of Pete’s forehead betrayed his fate. Pete would never be afraid of snakes again. Though Dad was to see many other men die that day, that one particular loss struck Dad to his heart. Dad rolled Pete over and covered him with his poncho. He crawled on.

Dad cried at the dining-room table in that kitchen in Bettendorf, Iowa fifteen years after he had lost his best friend. It had only taken minutes after landing on the shores of France and Dad’s life had changed forever.

At that moment, Dad realized that no matter how good he was or how hard they had trained when “the Fate” decided that a man’s time was up, there was nothing he could do to stop it. Dad never said it, but upon reflection, this one instance changed my Dad’s life vision. Dad was no boy, wet behind the ears, when he road that landing craft to France. He was 27 years old. He was an old man compared to the vast majority of kids around him. He was married. He had a son. He had experienced life. He had adventures. This was different. This wasn’t life. This was death.

After struggling off that deadly beach, Dad formed up with his platoon and slowly started moving to the east. As his unit approached the outskirts of St. Lo, a mortar round exploded next to him. When he regained consciousness, he could not hear. He was bleeding from a wound to his forearm. His ears were bleeding. He was disoriented and absolutely alone. Where to go? Which way were the guys? As he wondered around the landscape, he came across two officers who were also lost. It seems the Americans had been pushed back toward the coast. As the band of three moved northwest, they heard machine gun fire ahead of them coming from a German bunker. They literally walked up to the back door and kicked it opened. Dad rushed in with his BAR firing. Dad said he thought it lasted 5 minutes, but realized it was only a few seconds and all within this bunker were dead. It seems that this bunker was stopping the entire move toward St. Lo. As a result of this action, Dad was recommended for a Silver Star. He was given a field promotion to Sergeant and sent back to England to recover from his wound. The rest and recovery (R&R) in England was of more importance to Dad than the commendation.

A newspaper article that Mom had in a scrapbook tells about one of the decoration ceremonies held after this battle. “A handful of American soldiers, several of them Nebraskans who fought through one of the most vicious battles in the allied break-through from the Normandy beach head, stood in a rain swept square in a little French town a few days ago to receive decorations of a grateful government. Altogether there were only 21 Yanks present out of the 120 in the outfit cited for valor in the savage battle of Saint Lo,” according to Marcell Wallenstein, war correspondent for the Kansas City Star.

“They were the only ones of the 120 able to stand on their feet. The others were in hospitals, or dead.”

“No better crowd ever took up arms”, Wallenstein cabled. “The 21 stood in sodden raincoats and steel helmets, most of which have been pierced by enemy bullets, and as such, most valuable pieces of headgear to the owners.” He described the St. Lo contest “as savage a combat as any in American history.”

After recovering from the wound, Dad was sent back to his unit. Upon joining his unit, he found that he was the last living member of his original platoon. His life was again in jeopardy as his unit prepared for the Battle of Nancy. Dad didn’t have much to say of this Battle other than he was in it.

Dad spent the rest of September and October trekking north through France. In mid-October, Patton’s column passes Dad’s doughboys. They strip Dad’s unit of their winter gear using the logic that they are outrunning their supply lines to get to the Rhine and Dad’s unit would be able to resupply as they moved forward. This was not to happen.

From December 16, 1944 to January 28, 1945 the “Battle of the Bulge”, the Ardennes Offensive, is waged. Dad’s unit -- with summer clothing only -- fight an enemy that is desperate for a win. Dad’s squad is caught in a creek bed up to their ankles in freezing water. They are fighting an enemy that seems to be all around them. For four days, they hold their own. By the time they are relieved, Company M has fought in another savage battle with heavy losses. Dad survived, but his feet were frozen. The war was over for Dad. He was shipped to England and then to Galesburg, IL where the doctors fought to save his feet. They were successful, but Dad’s feet would bother him the rest of his life.

In 1973, Nancy and I traveled with Mom and Dad to Dad’s 30-year reunion of the 134th Regiment. Dad was awarded the Bronze Medal at this reunion. It was only 29 years late and one level down from the commendation. It seems that with time your award diminishes. This is the Army. Dad was not bothered by this “demotion”. He was proud that they finally recognized him. That was Dad.

In 1984, on the 40th anniversary of D-Day, I offered to fly both mom and dad to the D-day celebration in Normandy. Dad's response was -- simply Dad. He said, "Why would I want to go there. I've been there. Don't need to go again." As President Reagan was speaking on that cold, overcast day (much like it was in 1944), my girls called Dad -- excited about the TV coverage and that their Grandpa had been there. They wanted to know all about it. For the next 3 hours Dad told the girls his war experience. I've never heard my dad speak for more than 15 minutes and here he was talking for hours about this event. It was meaningful to my girls and cathartic for my Dad.

I believe that this celebration and President Reagan's words pulled the veil from many of those that fought, suffered, and endured the events of 1944. It did my Dad.

Dad’s Medals:
1) Bronze Star Medal
2) Purple Heart with Cluster
3) Good Conduct Medal
4) American Defense Service Medal
5) American Campaign Medal
6) European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal & Bronze Star Attachment
7) World War II Victory Medal
8) Combat Infantry Badge 1st Award
9) Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII
10) Expert Badge; Machine Gun Bar
11) Sharpshooter Badge; Rifle Bar