Haviland Gerald - WWII Veteran Interview
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 11 дек 2023
- WWII Veteran, Gerald Haviland, was interviewed on February 27, 2016 in Caryville, Florida. MSG Haviland served with the Headquarters Company, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division in Africa, Sicily, Normandy, North France, Ardennes, and the Rhineland during World War II. @MakingHistoryProject
Summary
Haviland Gerald, born on October 2, 1916, grew up in Howell, Michigan, before moving to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He worked various jobs, including in the automotive industry, before being drafted into the military in 1941, just before the U.S. entered World War II.
Gerald married just before receiving his draft notice, under the belief that being married or over 25 would exempt him from the draft, a belief that proved incorrect when he was inducted into the military on November 21, 1941, shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
During his service, Gerald faced numerous challenges, including a confrontation with a superior that nearly led to a court-martial, and innovative problem-solving in his roles, which ranged from radio operator to utility man in the automotive industry. His quick thinking and adaptability were highlighted in several anecdotes, including setting up communication lines under difficult circumstances.
Gerald's military career was marked by close encounters with the enemy, including a moment when he and his unit were nearly overrun by German forces. His experiences spanned various theaters of the war, including North Africa and Europe, where he engaged in battles and strategic operations that contributed to the Allied victory.
After the war, Gerald returned to civilian life, reflecting on his experiences with a mix of pride and solemnity. His story is a testament to the varied roles and challenges faced by soldiers during World War II, as well as the personal growth and resilience that came from those experiences.
Brilliant…many thx
Thank you for watching and your comment
Great stuff
Thank you for watching and your feedback
Geez I could have listened another hour
Thank you for watching. That was already a pretty long interview.
Thank you for the sacrifice you made for us sir.
Thank you for watching and your kind comment
thanks, from Ukraine....
How quickly generational vernaculars change. That question about what a goldbricker is was as revealing as when they were asking that Kraut Spy about Li’l Abner, if in fact the interviewer really did not know. I realize that for the benefit of future Generation’s these question’s are necessary and the meaning’s fully explained. I was born in 1957 a second Generation American exposed to the slang / vernacular of much older relatives many of whom often used terms and nicknames from their native Italian , Portuguese, Slavonian and German. Anyone who grew up watching old films like A Walk in the Sun , Guadalcanal Diary and many more of those classic’s or watched The Three Stooges and Bowery Boy’s will have a pretty good understanding. By the time Of the Sponge Bob Generation many of those old terms are lost on them. Terms like Sponge, leech or Let Me Bum a Smoke off Ya. Strega in Italian means witch but was often used to label a girl of low moral virtue also synonymous with Gold Digger, slut, high stepper or other’s who use men for personal advancement. A guy like the officer who coveted Haviland’s Wife would be called a limberdick or referred to as thinking He was God’s gift to women , some kinda Adonis , can’t keep it in his pants , a succor for the women aka mufa for the women or mufarata ( terms not found in Italian dictionaries. There are so many more. You can easily say that anyone not familiar with them was “ still sitting behind their daddy’s nuts “ when those terms were in popular usage.
Thank you for watching, your feedback, and the extra context.
Casablanca!!! Humphrey Bogart
Nss
This guy was TERRIFIC!!