Hello to all and thank you for allowing me to enter your forum.
I have a few questions, but first let me say something about myself and what I am about.
I was a soldier in the Infantry for 20 yrs. I am a very novice study of history. I spent 10 yrs plus with The 101st Abn Div. w/ the 1/502d Inf,1/501st TLAT, 1/506th Inf, and the 1st abd 3d Bn.'s of the 327th Inf.
I became an US Army drill Sergeant prior to leaving service.
I am part of team that is doing a documentary on a fallen soldier that died many yrs after his return to the US. He was a member of the 82nd Airborne, "I" Co., 504th and jumped the night before the actual D-Day Invasion with the 508th pathfinder group, chalk 17 to be exact.
I do not want to offend anyone nor do I want to accuse. All I want is information on a series of events that happened between the 9th of June 1944 and April 1945.
You see the Soldier I am using as a symbol of how Veterans suffered after the war, and it is going on now with the ones returning. I just want to educate people on actual events.
I will start out simple. There was a Germany unit at St. Mere Eglise at that time. I ask, because they captured an American Paratrooper there that did some pretty significant damage before he was captured.
I would like to know if anyone knows of a possible town where they might have put him before putting him on a bus with other POWs.
In his letters he mentions "Coffin" like cages, where would I find possible photos of them.
He mentions when he was taken to Paris. He was in the cage, there were photographers and film cameras present. Would I be able to find them or the film?
I know war is a terrible and dirty business ! I do not want to hurt or accuse anyone! I know this happens in war and that decent men did some horrific stuff to each other on both sides.
The soldier I am talking about wrote many times that he wondered many times about the people he had killed and their families, he was truly sorry. He did say many time also that he thought the basic German soldier was highly professional and he respected them. One soldier to another.
There is mention of a "Large Red headed Colonel, who was SS... they were paraded through the streets for the Parisian's to view.. can any one help me..??
One last thing.. How are Veterans treated in Germany, Italy, France, I guess off the world. I have found that in the north America area, there were not treated well behind the scenes. I know that Irish Vet's do not fair well either. Is there a place where Vets are honored?
thank you for you time.. Bob"
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SargeBob
http://www.eddiesplace.org