Incredible WWII Then & Now: Battle of Normandy - Trévières 

Sir, this is exactly why we produce these videos. Your dad was a hero and with these videos we hope to reach relatives of those men that served to liberate Europe.

My Father was in the 23rd, K company, 2nd ID.

Dear Dale Herd, thank you so much for this post. Please, can you tell us more about your father? Our project team tries to collect the stories and names of the men from the 2nd Infantry Division for our upcoming online database and website. We look forward to learning more about your father and his service in the famous 2nd Infantry Division. You can contact us on our e-mail address: indianhead.roster@gmail.com and maybe we can find some documents and reports related to your him in our project´s archive. Members of the 2nd Infantry Division helped to liberate our country Czechoslovakia at the end of war in May 1945 and we Czechs will never forget them! We look forward to hearing from you.

My father was in the 23rd Regiment, Company G, 2nd Infantry Division and landed on Omaha Beach on D+1. Silver Star recipient. When I was a child, I had great interest in his experiences, but every war story he told me had a humorous side - nothing really bad. I loved him dearly and felt blessed to be his son.

My pops pop was in the USAs 82nd A/B Div. S 508.PIR ! Jumped 6/6/44 ( DDAY) and later took part in the bloody hedgerow conflict in Frances "Bocage " country . He was a medic with Capt. s rank ! He took part in "Operation Market Garden " mid - 9/44 in Holland ! Almost a bloody failure planned by Field Marshall General Bernard Montgomery , where @ Arnhem the Brits Paratroopers were shot to pieces ! Pops pop suffered a leg wound , mid- 12 /44 in the Ardennes-, Belgium ( Battle Of The Bulge " )

We all thank him for his service!!

The Greatest generation mate. Never to be replaced or forgotten.

Paix à son âme. Tout mon respect.

@@peterhall728 k

👍

We are working on it brother. We shot tons of stuff this summer. It was a learning curve and we hope to improve every time.

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much!

Glad you enjoyed it

@@jeanproffitte201 Oh gosh, did they? For the sake of accuracy entire generations are not born (?) and died already, my father was a young boy when this was taking place and is still very much alive, what I don't know though is what your point is?

@@jeanproffitte201 My father was born in 1932 so not 'generations' as you state. How sad that you seem to think no one gives a damn as I'm sure your ancestors would have suffered but it's people like you that ensure that it will happen all over again because you don't give a damn. You are also arrogant that you think you speak for all current Europeans. Germans and French are no partners...wait and see. You make sweeping statements that have absolutely nothing to back them up, they are just your opinions. Stop what exactly? Stop remembering the horror that happened? I'm not disputing that things have changed what I said was don't forget what happened but you obviously can't manage to comprehend that. If you can stand at a spot where hundreds or even thousands of young men were slaughtered and not give a damn then that's all anyone needs to know about you. What a cossetted, entitled world you must live in.

Dear Peter Whitaker, thank you so much for sharing the info about Sgt. Manber and Corp. Rutledge! Please, we would like to learn more about them. Our project team tries to collect the stories and names of the men from the 2nd Infantry Division for our upcoming online database and website. You can contact us on our e-mail address: indianhead.roster@gmail.com and maybe we can find some documents and reports related to these brave men in our project´s archive. We look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you!

Same here. I bought the Brand of Brothers HBO mini series. I’ve watched it three times now. I’ve always had an interest in history but that show and the documentaries around it, has really piqued my interest in the subject. The fact that they tried to stay so close to the actual history of those men makes it all the more fascinating. Their courage is what I find so amazing. How do you get men to put themselves in such danger, to see that carnage, not just of strangers but of their friends, and then to continue on? It’s inspiring and humbling.

true...I even bought loads of Books about Wars...People say it is depressing to read but it is part of History that should bever be forgotten. I admit it each page of the book made me cry but it is the reality of what actually happened.

Thank you too!

They were all heroes! Was your uncle in a navy demo team or the army engineers? And what unit did your other uncle serve in? Is burried back in the States or in Margraten? And of course, would love to know which unit your dad was in. I visited Okinawa two years ago, a life-time experience.

@@SNAFUDOCS Uncle Paul served in the 317th company G. He was wounded many times, but never stayed in the aid station. He wanted to get back to his men. I learned a lot about his trip across France, to the Bulge and finally his second trip across the Rhine, as I found his commanding officer. The only time he was off the line was after the Battle of the Bulge, frozen feet. He retuned a few weeks later to lead his men. Jim Hayes told me he told anyone to go to this. He always said follow me boys. He was just a boy, but battle proven many times. Jim told he had no regard for his own life. He only cared about his men keeping alive doing what they had to do. He was standing up in the landing boat directing where he wanted to land and shot through the head. He had previously been shot through the side of his face, missing his teeth, but ripping his cheek open from the corner of his mouth to his ear. Hayes said he got stitch up and back that night to the unit. Some of his exploits are recorded in books about the 317th. He was first buried in Belgium and then returned to Pennsylvania. His parents were later buried next to him. At the end of the war in Austrian Hayes hosted a dinner for the original men of the 317th. Less then 20 men remained from the more than 3200 that crossed into France. Grim statistics! My Uncle Raymond was in the engineers. He told some interesting stories. One was about what he did later on June 6th. He related a story that he was told to dig a slit trench and push the line bodies into it and cover them with sand. That was told to me that 65 years ago. Earlier this year I watched a fellow relate he told one of his engineers to do exactly that. Uncle Raymond went on to win several awards, one from the French government. I do not remember his unit number off the top of my head. His records were brunt in the fire in the 1970’s. What I have are news paper clipping of some of his exploits. Unfortunately the war left him very messed up. He as an alcoholic who finally took his own life. What I remember was a great guy who old do anything for anybody. He just had demons. Dad served on the USS Alaska. They shell the carp out of Okinawa. His ship did a lot of shooting down of kamikazes while on picket duty.

LOL, you must be a snowflake , vid editing/pic blending sucked, . New level my arse.

@@markholroyde9412 ha, someone gives a compliment, and you shoot them down. It's an amatuer you tube vid, what did you want, an nbc documentary?

Glad you like them!

I concur.

Hey man, those are great suggestions. It's definitely something we would love to set up. The "After the Battle" Magazin is truly amazing. We have all editions.

Me (Joey) and Florent are very thankful for you taking the time to watch and comment. It means a lot!!

Thanks buddy!

Thank you so much man!

Rump may be our next tyrant

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you kindly!

Wow amazing! What unit did your dad serve in?

@@SNAFUDOCS Arrived in France at Le Havre end of December 1945, the 666th Battery was assigned to General Collins' VII Corps, 18th Field Artillery. Then to 18th Airborne Corps, 211st FA Group un General Ridgway. Then to the 9th Army, 19 Corps, 258th FA Group, under Gen. Ray McLain. They went through Aywaille, Bra, Manhay, Lierneux, Hebronval, Petite Langlir, Nieder-Emmerls-Hiede, Meyerode, Niedermerz, then into the Rhineland: Werth, Aachen, Opherton, Elfgen, Buttger-Wald

We would all love to see such videos. please post pics and videos on this forum.

I took no videos, only photos of me and my Dad. Sorry. If I ever digitalize these maybe I'll upload them.

Thank you! Cheers!

And thank YOU for watching. A new video will be up tomorrow!

Thank you so much Karl!

Merci from all of us!

Glad it helped. Feel free to contact us for research matters any time!

Like so many of his generation. He was a hero!

Yes! Thank you, I'm glad you experienced it this way!

Don't be so sure. Many locals know what happened here. On another hand, these events happened almost a century ago, you know. Since, entire generations of Europeans are born, and already dead..

Absolutely! And, thank you so much!

Awesome!

The places are truly fascinating and sometime strange. We do our best to pay tribute to this generation and keep their memory alive. Thank you for watching!

Thanks buddy! Making those comparissons is a whole different experience

Thank you so much!

Thanks for watching!

Thank you so much dude!

Thank you!

Brilliant piece of family history ❤ . My grandfather Ronald loomes fought in the navy a big gunship during the war , I'll have to ask my father what it was called as he has all the photos of him serving

@PepeSnow That would be great for you because then you can actually search to see what battles both the ship and your Grandfather was in too..thank you for your lovely reply.. I was indeed lucky..l had a wonderful upbringing by two wonderful parents..it was only when l went to secondary school that l realised not all my friends were as lucky as me..l do get a bit huffy if people are slagging off their parents because they set rules and disciplines they don't like..don't get me wrong l wasn't a great teenager especially to my mom..both very stubborn 😀..but l lost my wonderful dad when l was 18..l was the youngest of 3 girls and was most definitely a daddy's girl..a right tomboy..wherever my dad was so was l..it stood me on good stead because I've been able to lay 50 ft cement paths including edging stones..a 20 x 20 patio with 2 x 2 slabs..wallpaper my homes..fix bathroom and kitchen wall tiles..l could go on !! 🤣 my wonderful mom taught me homemade.. cooking and baking..knitting..crochet..making clothes..gardening too.. they both taught me good manners and common sense..how to treat people and not judge anyone..to look beyond what a person shows to see the individual underneath all the flummery.. losing my dad at 18 devastated 💔 me.. it took me years to come to terms with it..l can't say get over it because aged 64 I'm still not Over it..but god it made me appreciate what l had..but a hard lesson from God..l moved back in with my mom as l was in halls doing my nurse training..l could hear my mom crying at night..trying to hide her absolute pain and sadness from me.. in 1996 mom was diagnosed with Alzheimers so l went part time..l was still at home..was engaged twice..but that another story and you're probably asleep already🙈.. in 98 l gave up working as mom was not safe to be on her own..not a choice she was my mom I loved her and she'd looked after me all my life..both my sisters had husbands and children and not in a place where they could do it..l did that until she passed in 2002.. l say l lost her twice..once to the disease and once to God..they are together again now..and l know l will see them and my sister again..she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2002 and l looked after her too before she passed in 2004.. l do suffer from depression since l lost my dad which is when it all started..but I get up every day even on the 💩 ones and do what l can..I've had a full and mostly happy life..I've been so very lucky compared to a lot of people and l appreciate that..there you are..a bit more of my family history🤣🇬🇧❤️👍

Thanks!

We will work on it brother!

So nice of you! Thanks you!

Thank you so much 😀