Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans

SEARCH RESULTS

my selections

10,283
Videos
49
Photos
148
Docs

Search Again

advanced search

Charles Shepherd

WWII | K Company, 3rd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division

Crossing the Rhine at Remagen, Charles Shepherd's unit advanced on the town of Siegen. They encountered a German flakwagen, a tracked, anti-aircraft vehicle which the enemy had lowered to fire at the Americans on the ground. The standoff lasted overnight. (5:24)
Before they moved out for the day, platoon leader Charles Shepherd made a startling prediction to his men. As they advanced, he broke with protocol and moved to the front of the column. Soon, they were under German fire and ordered to pull back to make way for an artillery barrage. He started a peel-back maneuver to get everyone back to shelter in a ditch, but when it was his turn, there was no one left to cover him. This action led to him receiving the Silver Star, which he describes in another clip. (7:11)
The second time he was wounded, Charles Shepherd returned very quickly to his unit. He got lost driving around in Germany and then, suddenly, the war in Europe was over. Masses of German soldiers were surrendering to the Americans to avoid Russian captivity. Soon, the division was back in the States for a 30 day leave and then, the Pacific. (6:41)
Charles Shepherd needed five points to be discharged at the end of the war. He pointed out to his commander that the decoration he had been recommended for was worth five points. All he had to do was round up some of the guys to confirm the story. This led to him receiving the Silver Star for a previous action. (3:05)
Charles Smith

WWII | Reconnaissance Company, 66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division

Assigned to a recon company, Charles Smith came ashore at Omaha Beach shortly after D-Day and pushed inland. His first major encounter was the Battle of Saint-Lo. "Sometimes it seems like it was all a bad dream." (5:41)
When his armored car was hit and his comrades retreated, Charles Smith provided covering fire and then spent a tense night alone in the vehicle, not aware of what had happened to everyone. He was awarded the Silver Star and French decorations as well. (13:27)
Charles Smith spent his first Christmas away from home in the snow and ice of the Battle of the Bulge. He "did not think of death. It was almost like going to work." He remembers a scary night left alone on guard duty next to a graveyard. (7:37)
The points system that determined your discharge date was unfair in the eyes of recon company member Charles Smith, so he stayed on when he was eligible to be discharged. Looking back on his experiences, he urges all veterans to record their memories. (3:55)
After the Battle of the Bulge, Charles Smith had a pleasant interlude quartered with a Belgian family in the village of Trooz. Then, as he neared Berlin, he befriended a Russian soldier only fourteen years old, whose rifle was as long as he was tall. (4:24)
Just a farm boy from Tennessee, Charles Smith thought his basic training was a great experience. As a lefty, he was switched from a carbine to a machine gun because the spent shells kept hitting him in the face. Then, he "did not have to do much aiming." (5:15)