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From S/Sgt Vincent J. Valente.
Vincent was the radio operator for battalion command and a machine gun gunner.While we were going through Europe, I heard Col. McDonald tell Major Robinson that he would like to fire a German cannon into the German lines. We were in the town of Landremont France Where myself ,T/5 Dave Whitlinger, Pfc John Brown, And T/4 Crockett Byars came across two German Cannons, One with a burned out barrel and the other with a damaged carriage. With tools borrowed from the motor pool, we transferred the good barrel to the good carriage. We rounded up 21 shells, hooked the cannon to our half track and towed it to a position not far from the German lines. A Major General from Headquarters came to observe. We fired all 21 shells and the General said that they would be firing back at us and he left . We made our way back to the halftrack and prepared to go back to our base. We got underway, and sure enough, we could see German mortars following us down the road. Luckily, we made back safely.
Another story sent to us by Vin Valente
Inside Germany, Col. McDonald, Myself, Dave Whitlinger And Jack Brown came upon a dairy Farm. We saw a bunch of chickens running loose. I said to Col McDonald that the chickens looked mighty good. He replied that we were not allowed to catch any livestock.A while later I said that that drumstick would taste great. He replied " What did I just tell you Valente? We can't touch them. A few minutes later, I said "Boy, I can just taste the chicken Wings." It didn't take him long to say "Go get them. " Well that night we had the best meal in a long time in addition to the eggs we collected."
This is a short but powerful memory:
We farmed in South Dakota, we froze in Watersmeet; In'44 we bunked in a barn, this included Christmas Eve. We "busted" through the Ziegfried Line and picked-up more supplies. We had the Germans on the run, and then we crossed the Rhine. Soon the war was over following one HORRIFIC sight. That's when we knew what we had done was absolutely right. MSG Millard "Crow" Brewer, U.S.Army (Ret)Ray Followell was comfortable telling his daughters this story
Did you know passwords were required for entrance into a military
camps during WWII? And that failure to provide said password was cause
for the men at the gate to "shoot to kill"?
They were.
Even cattle were expected to know that password.
However, the one undocumented incidence of a cow attempting to enter
camp without knowing the password can not be proved.
There were, however, full plates for everyone that night.
Dad never did say who was on duty asking that cow the password or how many times the cow was warned to back away before shots were fired.
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