Foreword - WWII Experiences

We veterans, after returning from the war, wanted only to put the war behind us. We had no interest in reliving it. Besides, who wanted to hear of the horrors of war? The entire country had seen and heard enough of it.

So, we found jobs, went to college, got married, started families and in general got our lives restarted.

The years go by fast when you are going to work every day and spending weekends with wife and children. Before you know it, the children are all grown up and have started families of their own.

Now that we veterans of WWII are getting into our twilight years, we find that people seem to be showing a genuine interest in our stories. In every issue of "The Watch on the Rhine", my Division's newspaper, are printed letters from relatives of the men who served in the Division. They are all seeking information about their fathers, uncles and grandfathers who have died without sharing their military lives and experiences with them.

I have tried to help these people when I can. In a few cases I have known the person for whom information was sought. In those cases I have been able to be very helpful. In other cases I have been able to find some helpful information from the two histories I possess. One is the history of my regiment in WWII and the other is the history of my division in WWII.

The letters from these people tell me that, someday, one of my children or grandchildren may want to know about my war experiences and me. With that as a possibility, I have decided to put some of my experiences in writing while I am still able to do so. Recent prodding, and much support from my wife and other family members, is no less of an incentive.

So, for what they are worth, if anything, and with this as a foreword, anyone that might be interested can find my stories filed under "My WWII Experiences", in my computer.

I have tried to be selective in my choices of stories. I have no desire to dwell too much on the daily gore of combat. I have tried to select experiences that I think have some interesting point to them. I have tried to also mix in a bit of humor here and there.

I want to especially thank my darling wife and best friend, Jo Ann. She not only encouraged me to write these stories. She was my very diligent proofreader. Many errors are missing from these pages because of her sharp eye.

Al

Albert S. Brown |  Infantrymen |  Dull Day |  Foreword |  Do Something, ...
Anzio |  Southern France |  Colmar |  Germany |  Epilogue