I spent three years as an expatriate in Europe. Company HQ in Eindhoven (101st Airborne), I managed the Nijmegen site (82nd Airborne), and I lived in Rozendaal, just outside of Arnhem (the bridge too far). My first weekend an elderly gentleman came up at the town square and said I was the spitting image of General “Jumpin’ Jim” Gavin. I have never felt smaller in my life. The war was still fresh in peoples’ mind over there. I grew up a world away from the horrors my father experienced. I thank God for Rock and his Greatest Generation compatriots who kept our world safe at our time of need.
Thank you for your service Rock. So glad to have you still around, and as a great friend of my grandfather James Blue, who was in 508th A Company he spoke of at the start of the video. My grandfather spoke - A LOT - about the Nijemegen Bridge battle. I wish I would have recorded those stories
These men make you stop clear your mind and listen and hang on to every word spoken! Heroes and good men who have had a damned hard time in WWII and came through it.
Veterans are often content to talk about the horrors inflicted on themselves and their fellows but very reticent to talk about the horrors they inflicted on their enemies. Which we can safely assume we're at least as bad if not worse. IMO this is because the latter actually had a more profound and disturbing effect on them than the former. Dealing with the cognitive dissonance associated with being a victim of horror is easier, than being the perpetrator of it. The truth is that most soldiers have great difficulty killing other soldiers, so much so that many miss their targets on purpose and avoid coming into direct contact with the enemy if they possibly can. This has been an important factor of war since invented but has been a well-known phenomenon within the military especially since the invention of the personal firearm. It is estimated that something like 80% of shots fired during the American Civil War was fired deliberately over the heads of the enemy. Statistics show that as a general rule 97% of the killing is carried out by 3% of the combatants. 80% of American combat troops never fired a shot in anger during the entirety of the campaign, although I have little doubt they saw plenty of dead people.
I spent three years as an expatriate in Europe. Company HQ in Eindhoven (101st Airborne), I managed the Nijmegen site (82nd Airborne), and I lived in Rozendaal, just outside of Arnhem (the bridge too far). My first weekend an elderly gentleman came up at the town square and said I was the spitting image of General “Jumpin’ Jim” Gavin. I have never felt smaller in my life. The war was still fresh in peoples’ mind over there. I grew up a world away from the horrors my father experienced. I thank God for Rock and his Greatest Generation compatriots who kept our world safe at our time of need.
Thank you for your service Rock. So glad to have you still around, and as a great friend of my grandfather James Blue, who was in 508th A Company he spoke of at the start of the video. My grandfather spoke - A LOT - about the Nijemegen Bridge battle. I wish I would have recorded those stories
Thank You for your service, Sir... you honor us....
Thank you ❤️ for all your service 💕
Would love to hear more from this soldier.
What a great story!!!
These men make you stop clear your mind and listen and hang on to every word spoken! Heroes and good men who have had a damned hard time in WWII and came through it.
I served in A. Co 3/508th Inf 82nd Abn (in the 80's) - SALUTE BROTHER
Thank you very much for your service sir and for watching this video. Sincerely, Florent Plana
Did any one here know of a Edward J Muzichuck
Born 1925 died in 1959
And was from Farmington West Virginia
Veterans are often content to talk about the horrors inflicted on themselves and their fellows but very reticent to talk about the horrors they inflicted on their enemies. Which we can safely assume we're at least as bad if not worse. IMO this is because the latter actually had a more profound and disturbing effect on them than the former. Dealing with the cognitive dissonance associated with being a victim of horror is easier, than being the perpetrator of it.
The truth is that most soldiers have great difficulty killing other soldiers, so much so that many miss their targets on purpose and avoid coming into direct contact with the enemy if they possibly can. This has been an important factor of war since invented but has been a well-known phenomenon within the military especially since the invention of the personal firearm. It is estimated that something like 80% of shots fired during the American Civil War was fired deliberately over the heads of the enemy. Statistics show that as a general rule 97% of the killing is carried out by 3% of the combatants. 80% of American combat troops never fired a shot in anger during the entirety of the campaign, although I have little doubt they saw plenty of dead people.
Blah blah