D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge: World War II veteran interviews 11 hours WW2

Description: From D-Day to the Bulge From the beaches of Normandy to the battling bastards of Bastogne, these veterans' accounts bring the dramatic events of World War 2 to life. In 1994, historian Aaron Elson attended the annual "Nuts" dinner of the New York-New Jersey chapter of the 101st Airborne Division Association at West Point. The event memorializes the famous one-word reply of General Anthony McAuliffe when the Germans offered him the chance to surrender at Bastogne on Dec. 22, 1944. Before the dinner began, Elson sat in the lounge with four, and later five, veterans of the 101st and planted his tape recorder in the middle of the table. The men talked about what they wore, how they reacted during the incessant shelling, what the civilians were like, the weapons they had, the tanks they faced, the buddies who were killed, anything and everything a group of veterans talks about when they get together. Despite some unavoidable background noise, that recording is included in this set. Len Lebenson was a staff sergeant in the headquarters of the 82nd Airborne Division. He flew into Normandy on a glider which, as many gliders did in the early morning darkness of June 6, crashed into a shed. In this 1994 interview, Lebenson talks about his unique experiences in Sicily, England, Normandy, Holland and the Bulge. Pete DeVries served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and retired as a master sergeant. He jumped into Normandy with the 82nd Airborne Division, earned a Silver Star in Holland, and knocked out a tank with a bazooka in the Battle of the Bulge. Pete generally didn't tell war stories, because he felt the stories should be told about the men who didn't get to come home. Around the 50th anniversary of D-Day, Elson contacted Stephen Ambrose, who sent him a list of D-Day veterans in New Jersey who'd been interviewed by the Eisenhower Center in New Orleans. One of the names was circled with the notation "the guy who found the guns." That guy was Leonard Lomell, of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, who located and sabotaged five large pieces of coastal artillery that were supposed to be located on Pointe du Hoc but were instead situated inland. Elson's interview with Lomell, who was awarded a DSC, is included in this set. Valentine Miele landed on Omaha Beach with the famed 1st Infantry Division, the "Big Red One," and fought his way through the Huertgen Forest, where he was wounded. Maurice Tydor was a radio operator with the 101st Airborne's division artillery. While he was in England, his mother, who lived in New York City, sent him a salami from Katz's Delicatessen, whose motto was "Send a salami to your boy in the army." The salami didn't arrive until after D-Day, and it somehow got soaked before catching up to him in Normandy. So he hung it out on a tree to dry. While it was there a counterattack took place and his unit had to abandon its position, which it soon recaptured. Unfortunately, the salami was gone. A rare non-paratrooper in the 101st, Tydor arrived in Normandy by boat, in Holland by glider, and in Bastogne by truck. These, along with Samuel "Doc" Feiler, a dentist with the 101st, are the veterans you'll meet in this unique set of audio CDs. You may also want to check out the "D-Day Tapes," an 11-hour audiobook by Aaron Elson featuring seven other interviews with D-Day veterans. Other Oral History Audiobooks by Aaron Elson:

Price: 24.95 USD

Location: New York, New York

End Time: 2025-01-07T16:19:08.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD