I met a WW2 veteran the other day in a barbershop. He had just had his hair cut and was waiting on his son or son in law to get his cut. The old man was from West Virginia. He is 90 years old. He told me he had been shot twice in WW2. Once in the leg and the other in the thigh. He was in the battle in the Hurtgen Forest in Germany. One of the worse battles in WW2. J.D. Salinger was in that battle. And it was the main reason he was so shell shocked during and after the war.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hurtgen_Forest
This guy told me that the forest was dark and full of trees. The shells hit the branches and the branches would fall on you. He carried a machine gun.
The guy next to him said he was scared. He told him we are all scared.
Shortly he looked over and the guy was bleeding from his neck. The bullet went in the top of his head and came out of his neck. Dead.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Battle_of_H%C3%BCrtgen_Forest
After the war was over in Europe they were scheduled to go to the war in the Far East. But then the bomb was dropped and the war was over and they didnt have to go.
Very nice old man. He had some really good stories.
Such as he said he fought alongside the Brits and at tea time they would stop the war and have tea.
I guess they really were "The Greatest Generation".
http://bellsouthpwp2.net/e/a/ea_herr/HuertgenForest.html
