Merritt Kenneth Rock - WWII Veteran (First Interview)
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- Опубликовано: 10 апр 2017
- WWII Veteran Kenneth Rock Merritt was interviewed in La Fiere, Normandy, France on June 5, 2014. Sergeant Rock Merritt is an American Paratrooper from the 508 P.I.R. of the 82nd Airborne who jumped into Normandy during WWII for the D-Day invasion. Rock commanded a heavy machine gun squad during WWII and also jumped for Operation Market Garden. Rock became the honorary Command Sergeant Major for the 82nd Airborne. @MakingHistoryProject
God Bless you Sir! Thank you for your service and all your efforts. Let us never forget Freedom is not free! All gave some an some gave all! God Bless all Veterans in active duty and Vets retired.
Thank you Sir for my freedom.
Much respect to this man, and all of the men of the Allied Forces that fought in WW2. On June 6, 2004 I was in Normandy for the 60th Anniversary of D-Day, and walked all of the landing beaches, visited the American cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach, and later visited the La Fiere bridge on my way to the Battle of the Bulge sites in Belgium, and the Northern shoulder of the Bulge where the 2nd Infantry Div. and the 99th Inf. Div. and held up the advance of the 12th SS Panzer Div, along the Elsenborne Ridge, west of Krinkelt-Rocherath Belgium in December 1944, and later the Hurtgen Forest in Germany. Near the La Fiere bridge is the Iron Mike paratrooper statue and the fox hole of Gen.James Gavin. According to some of the men that fought here, not much had changed since they had fought here in June 1944. I visited Timmes Orchard as well and had the great fortune to meet many of the men of the 82nd airborne and the 101st airborne during my time in Normandy. You couldn't ask for a better living history lesson told from the men that fought in Normandy. Many of the guy's that I had spoken with, that were visiting the areas where they had once fought, told me that because of the airborne troops being scattered all over the place in Normandy, worked to the American's advantage because it caused confusion with the German's. I later ran into a few of the same 82nd and 101st airborne veterans in and around Bastogne Belgium, the famed Bois Jaque Woods, as well as north in Trois Ponts Belgium, where the 82nd fought during the Battle of The Bulge against the 1st SS Panzer Div. 2 weeks in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany wasn't enough to see all that I had wanted to see. I was in awe an honored to be able to visit these places and to have met and shook the hands of the men, American, Canadian,
British, Australian, French, Dutch and Belgian's that fought to liberate Europe. Hopefully in 2020 I can return but the chances of meeting anyone that fought in WW2 will no longer be with us.
THESE MEN ARE IRREPLACABLE. ROCK WAS ACES. I WILL BE ATTENDING HIS FUNERAL THURSDAY 18 MARCH. An incredible man who I was honored to be with at the 70th Anniversary of D-Day and as a friend for 24 years.
Thanks Gene.
Amazing. Thank you for your service, and for taking the time to do this interview!
It's gonna be a sad day when all these guys are gone
Dylan Parker Precisely. That is why I do what I do.
Rock was a legend, and a hero! RIP Sergeant Major!
This is one smart man with a great memory!
Glad he was on our side! Thank you sir! 🪖🇺🇲✈️🎖️
Thank you for watching and your wonderful comment for Rock!
I served in A. Co. 2 and 3/508th PIR (in the 80's) - SALUTE BROTHER
Let me know if you are ever interested in telling your story and preserving it.
Rest In Peace and love, Mr Merritt.
Thank you for watching and for your thoughts as to the passing of Rock Merritt.
Thank You for your service sir
A true American Hero!!
Agreed! Thanks for watching.
PTSD drugs are only temporary!!!
Bless this brave soldier, hope the guy who shot the 16 yo prisoner rots in hell tho.
Thank you for watching and your comments.
What a terrible sound for such a good interview :/
Daniel, what you might not know is that this interview was conducted on the fly at a picnic table in Normandy with no access to a room or electricity. You take these interviews as you can get them and you do your best with what you have under the circumstances. Better to have this than not.
@@MakingHistoryProject I agree on that. If anything else wasnt possible, obviously it's amazing.
I'd recommend editing the audio. I adjusted my headset to filtering out the frequencies of the birds and deep sounds. Helped really much.
Thanks for your effort, anyway. Very nice interview.