WW2 Vet Recalls Tank Column Destroyed by Germans | Conversations With a Veteran 

Is there a channel foucous on the other side?Would like to know the perspectives on both side.

His father was a wise man. He knew the horrors of war.

This was my great grandfather, a great man, a warrior. He passed recently but man did he have stories

This guy's 97? Wow he looks amazing and is sharp as a tack!

My neighbor, 99 year old Richard Lawrence. He was a ball gunner in a b52 shot down over Hungary. He spent 18 months in a pow camp and was force marched 500 miles on foot through the winter. Said they ate tree bark and what grass they could find. The greatest honor in my life is counting him among my dearest of friends. There's 60 years between us, but I consider him my best friend. Love these guys.

I spoke to a WW2 veteran a while ago who lives next to my grandparents. If I recall correctly he was drafted, and was sent to the Pacific as a radioman. He took part in the retaking of the Philippines, and the landings on Okinawa. He didn't talk much of what he did during those actions, but he did talk about how awful the Okinawa landings were, and how some guys would slip in between the landing craft and the ship while boarding and get crushed that way. The radio equipment was very heavy, and he was told to only carry his pistol, but he said to hell with that and got his hands on a Thompson as soon as he could. He was shot 3 times on Okinawa, presumably by a machinegun, and I believe he was sent home after that, earning a few medals for his actions. He's around 99 now, and doing okay. He got sick a few months ago during the pandemic but he's better now. He's usually outside fixing lawnmowers or working on his truck, which is incredible for him to be doing at his age. It was an honor to speak with him, and I'll always remember our time together.

May you tell the next veteran I said thank you for your service please

my granduncle was 96 when he died he died witrhin a few weeks of interviewing him for my school exams he was a luftwaffe mechanic and was captured by the russians in the end before he avoided capture 6 times ! in the end his group was the first germans to be released by the russians

Hats off to James Feezel for sharing that. As a Geriatric care nurse in the 80's I met a lot of WWII veterans. A few WWI veterans too. They most often change the subject when you ask about their wartime experiences. A veteran British Paratrooper before dying got a few wild complex wartime issue's off his chest once as though I were his priest God rest his soul & that's about all I got. From literal dozens of veterans. They don't care to dwell on it all, they've struggled for decades to put it all behind them.

I remember my grandma telling us stories in world war 2. She tell us stories about the Japanese in Bataan Death March here in Philippines. She save a couple of Americans and Filipino soldiers who’s on that march, they hide under women’s long dress 👗 and my grandma saves 6 American and 10 Filipino soldiers. And in her time there was a Japanese soldier confessing with her then he slaps the Japanese soldier and the soldier spits her out then leaves. My grandma tells she’s not afraid to die if I die you die to she says. My grandma is a little bit of a badass luckily the soldier didn’t fuck her up. When I go in our old house she always tell ww2 stories sadly she died in December of 2010 she’s 89 yrs old. She’s a lovely woman I miss my grandma 🥲

Call every nursing home every hospital etc etc and ask if there are any vets from WWII or Korea who want to be interviewed! I would do the same but I don't have any of the abilities you do sir and I would hate to see these veterans stories get lost to time. This is our one chance to make sure these great heros and their miraculous stories are never forgotten! Thank you so much for EVERYTHING you do and keep these videos coming! I thank you good sir and more importantly grateful future generations will thank you as well!

You guys are doing a great service not only to these great men and women, but also to the rest of the world. So that no one ever forgets.

The saddest part of these videos is knowing that not much more than a decade from now, maybe less these men will all be gone. And we’ll be left with what we have, never to learn more.

I wish till my dying breath I would have been born earlier so I could have met my great grandparents and heard the stories of their service in ww2. These men served in Halsey's and Patton's armies respectively. One took pictures of ships that didn't survive the war and if memory serves me right one is the Arizona and the Oregon. The stories are these men worked with their hand's building houses that still stand strong to this day. I thank this channel for doing what I could never do and putting their stories into writing so that history will not be lost one piece at a time.

Love what you guys are doing keeping these men encounters alive and documented for many to see and learn

I'm so happy that there still in this world tell there stories

My great grandp recently died. He served on the uss Curtis av

These are incredible documents of the brave.

“Quite a day” what a descriptive phrase and the memories it holds. Thank you for continuing to help these men to tell their memories.

Thank you Mr. Feezel for your service, your patriotism, your bravery and your sacrifices for our freedom. May God bless you.

Hurlach Lager IV, between Landsberg and Kaufering. Was a sub camp in the Dachau system that was used for quarantine cases. Got a uniform from a man in the 12th's 493rd Armored Field Artillery Battalion that was there that day.

I love what your mission is in preserving these stories for future generations. Thank you all for what you do!

I hope the veterans see how much it means to us to hear their stories. They truely are inspiring

Thank you for your service and sacrifice mr james 🫡🫡

My grandad was in the RAF a bright man. By the time the Americans joined the war he'd already won the battle of Britain after having escaped from Dunkirk. He came home 2 weeks after everyone else in a french barge boat with all his equipment and all his men. He then went to Malta which was bombed to hell and then finally to North Africa. I wish he was here to do a RU-vid video because he sounded nothing like this man. He had the highest respect for the Germans and their professional attitude. He even stole a BMW bike and said it was incredible.

The Germans were pretty good about stopping columns of tanks and trucks. My fathers searchlight battalion was stopped cold at a viaduct, every truck and half track was destroyed. Very few made it out alive. My father freed Buchenwald. He never really wanted to talk about the war, and never had a love for firearms and never endorsed joining the service. He was a great Dad, may he Rest In Peace.

This man called the German pilot he missed one of 'Hitlers Henchmen'. Yet, James himself was drafted. He fought a noble fight against hitler but many good german men like him had to be killed in the process. Thank you James for your service. You have carried a burden your entire life. The least we can do is know about it so as not to repeat it.

I love hearing these old ww2 vets, so brave.

My grandfather was a tail gunner on a B-24 Liberator. Unfortunately he didn't like to talk about his service so I never got the chance to have an in-depth conversation about it with him.

Thank you for doing this. I don't think I've made it through any of the features with dry eyes. So poignant, so valuable. Such sacrifice and so much horror. I truly believe we owe these folks our freedom.

My beloved 12th Armored Division...

I love these. I wish they also were able to get Veterans from Germany and Russia. those guys would also have some wild stories

my salute you sir! thank you for your service

Thank God there were good people on both sides of the war. The fact that he wasn't shot as a prisoner and medical care was given to wounded Americans is heart warming..

I didn't expect to get another video so early but i love it

Keeping doing what you guys are doing. One of my biggest failures was not recording my great uncle's stories. Sadly due to family politics, his son moved him to a different assisted living facility, and required that all visitors be screened by him beforehand. Sadly my great uncle passed away a few years later, just as the restrictions for his visitors was finally resolved after a lawsuit.

Thank you Sir for your service. We are free because of you and other brave men like you. God bless you.

Good to know these stories will live on for others to hear, for many years to come 👍

I’m so glad we still have some ww2 soldiers

This man is a national treasure. God bless him and his family. I really think today america could not produce a million men like him.

It really feels like I’m having a conversation with him

I go out of my way to thank and talk with any man wearing veteran hats. These guys were just amazing and I am honored just listening to this Also everytime you guys see a Vietnam Veteran go and welcome them home. Seriously they were not welcomed home after the war, they will be so happy. I have had three of them tell me with tears in their eyes that they feel so happy to have someone appreciate their servicr. GOD BLESS

This made my Day two episodes this month

This is the best RU-vid channel in the world, and I love the new edit!

It has always been interesting talking to vets for sure, I had 2 uncle's that served in the army during WW2 in which one was on the beaches of Normandy and was shot up by a machine gun nest and survived but suffered greatly from that while the other was a scout and did some amazing things during WW2 and Korea and also was one of the guards during the Nuremberg trials as well, after that uncle told me a few of his memories my dad confirmed that he killed a lot of men during those 2 conflicts.

Thanks for recording these memories so that they are saved. Brave men one and all. Thx

Thank you so much for showing his photo of when he was so young. Thank you Mr. Feezel for your stories and your service.💖

My uncle was a Marine who served on the USS Hornet. Before he passed away at 90 in 2013, the local news did an interview with him at his home on his WW2 experience.

It is our duty to never forget.

Thank you for your service and sacrifices for our Freedom. I pray today's generation of American soldiers and local patriots do not let your services slip away.

What an absolute legend! Brave man

I've heard about giving those who are starving too many calories or too much food that is high in fat could be deadly to them. Some sort of shock to the system. To be so far gone that overindulging could be fatal is just mind-blowingly sad.

Thank you for sharing this.

Thank You. GOD Bless All who Serve & served and their families and friends. May we all have Peace & Health

What a man

Good story

God Bless this man and others who sacrifice their youth to answer the call to serve our country. 🇺🇸

first man through the gates of Dachau! An incredible testimony. Thank you for sharing this veteran's invaluable recollections of the war.

Will you ever interview a german soldier again? That would be so cool and interesting

The things he saw, witnessed, and experienced are not within our comprehension. What is it to be machine gunned. He rolled into and witnessed DACHAU. As driver, he smashes his tank through and over the barbed wire fence of DACHAU to set his eyes upon *stacked* *Human* *bodies* We cannot comprehend this. It's impossible.

My grandmother and grandfather were in the war. I wish I had asked them more about it when they were alive. Thank you for these. People will be watching them long after we're gone

This was extremely powerful. Thank you guys for doing these videos.

You can still hear the Pain in his voice, talking about what he had witnessed.

Hearing how he describes being captured and the German-AA-officer-turned-anti-tank, just being like "you're my prisoners", and next morning it reversed, that perfectly describes the chaos of war.

My Father..John Samuel Kerr (went as "Sam") was in the 12th Armored division in France and Germany. He was in 1st platoon, company C, 119th armored engineer battalion. He was drafted and entered service in September 1942. He was 22yrs old. His initial training was at Camp Campbell KY. He was then assigned to the 12th and trained with them at Camp Barkley TX. He was a buck sergeant when they shipped overseas, was promoted to staff sgt after his platoon sergeant was killed. He later received a battlefield commission to 2nd lt. I'm not sure whether he commanded a different platoon, or his Lt was either promoted and transferred or maybe killed. Dad was wounded twice but returned to his unit before fully healed. At wars end he was sent stateside to a military hospital at camp Atterbury Indiana, where he underwent a number of surgeries on his arm. He was finally granted a 30% permanent disability. He returned to his civilian career as a plumber, married and built his own house In Ann Arbor Mi. and had only lived in it a month when he was recalled to active duty in July of 1950 and sent to Korea (how he was recalled when on the permanent disability list is a long complex story). After Korea he opted to remain in service and retired in 1969 after a tour in Vietnam. I so wish he would have been interviewed like this. He died in 2008 and left me with a head full of stories he either volunteered to tell or which I drug out of him over the years. I have the actual medals that he got as well as ribbons from some he never got the hard medal for. We also have a carbon flimsy of a memo sent to the commander of the 119th from the 43rd tank battalion relating how Dad along with some members of the 92cav recon squadron determined the pattern and clear passage of a German minefield while under fire. They completed the mission and Dad and a 92nd sergeant drug one of their wounded to safety. Dad then volunteered to go back out under fire to determine if a man left out in the minefield was actually dead as believed or still alive as one member of the patrol thought. Dad got to the guy, but unfortunately he was positively dead. To my knowledge, Dad never received an award for this action, though I believe he deserved one. Wonderful to see this fellow comrade of Dad's alive and well....can't be many left...Dad was 87 when he passed in 2008.

Thank you for bringing us these amazing stories. Grateful for your project and the service members who share such difficult experiences with us.

God bless you...thank you for telling us what happened...bless you...thank you.🇩🇪 No words.

MAN, THIS WAS AWESOME. THANKS FOR SHARING.

What an outstanding gentleman. 😔

I want to thank you guys for putting together this most excellent presentation of our veterans God bless all of you for making this possible for us to see and hear these great men talk about their role in history God bless you all and God bless our veterans on all sides

Thank you for posting these! Think you guys can chat with Clarence Smoyer in PA?

SALUTE!!!!! FOR YOUR SERVICE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!! YOUR SACRIFICE SHALL NOT BE IN VAIN!!!!🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

“That had been quite a day for us,” has to be the biggest understatement I’ve ever heard. The young adults of the early 1940’s were brave like no other generation.

Thank you for your service; God bless.

What a great interview with Mr. Feezel. So articulate and understated for what he saw and experienced! God bless him and all those who've sacrificed so much, including life and limb, so that others could be free of tyranny.

WE Will NEVER FORGET YOU VETERANS THANK YOU FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY!!!

Wow that gave me goose bumps . Those men had HONOR AND INTEGRITY two things missing in society now days.I have nothing but respect and a soft spot for everyone of them . God bless those guys for their sacrifice

thank you for your heroic job 🙏 🤍

If I understand correctly, the 12th armored division was linked up with the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion, as well as the 117th Recon. as they liberated Dachau. My late grandfather was a medic with the 117th from Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, crossing the Rhine, and liberating Dachau as told here and right to Hitler's Eagle's nest. He was one of those medics, possibly the medic as told here. I can't imagine what he saw. His name is Emil Bongiovanni. Memoirs of WWII had him scheduled for an interview, but largely due to my personal schedule, there was a delay/mix-up. He passed away shortly afterward. I feel terrible about the loss of history.

So incredible to see a man of his age so healthy and sharp. Thank you Sir for your service. From Canada 🇨🇦

These recordings and videos need to be made safe! These are time capsules just the way we are amazed at shots and scenes of lets say the 'Civil' war .. WW1 etc. This Sir is amazing and bless him! 🙏😢

It is so sad that we are losing the greatest generation that America has ever known. I'm grateful that I had my grandpa his twin brother and my great great grandmother's husband who also served in World War II to look up to.

My dad was a tanker. He was in the M-3 CDL (gizmo) and transitioned to the M-4 when they crossed the Rhine. He was in the 748 battalion. I really miss him.

As a German I have to say: Thank you for freeing my country from this horror. It means a lot to me. My Children are rising in a free country. They never saw war and so did Im not. May God help that we never will. May you be blessed by him. Best regards from the bottom of my heart!

Thank you for these memoirs.

Another incredible video!

Keep up the good work

Thank you for your service, James Feezel!

James Feezel is a remarkable human being. Hard to imagine, that anyone could survive such horrific experiences & return back home to live a normal life. I honor him for his devotion to his country.

How fortunate we are too still have survivors of WWII... Am more than certain that they know what true tyranny looks like and aren't blind to what is happening internationally today...

I am so eager for the next release!! I have watched these videos so many times I could probably quote each one! Keep posting em! Dont ever stop!

My Dad was an Air Corps Flier in the European Theater. 3 of my Uncles were Fliers and one was an Army foot soldier. All miraculously came home....one was shot down, grievously wounded and taken as a POW. He was part of a "wounded prisoner exchange", came home in Feb. 1945 and discharged after 3 more months in a hospital. After surviving against all odds he died in a motorcycle accident in August 1945.

thanks for documenting living history witnesses. the truth will always be there so long as there are videos like this.

You are doing a wonderful service! 1st, you recognize/honor these men & women and let them know they are APPRECIATED (some of whom their war stories may not have even been known by their work associates, neighbors, family members, etc. [case in point, me & my Uncle Harry Lager, who was part of the Band of Brothers --and is mentioned in the book-- and I wasn't aware of this until he had passed away, so I never thanked him for his service]) Even 50+ years later, saying THANK YOU is still important. 2nd, the MEMOIRS of WWII staff produce such excellent video documentations. I look forward at the beginning of each new month for MWWII's next tribute.

Thank you heather. God bless you youre channel. And the last surviving members of the the greatest generation. God bless.

I think it’s great you do that. Spread the word to the young so they know.

Awesome video

Thank You Sir for your service. My father was 30 when he joined the Navy in WW2. Went to the Pacific. All of the Greatest Generation are who made this country great, and we have the responsibility to protect it for they sacrificed much.

Fantastic job as always guys. These first hand stories will soon be gone forever. Both my grandfathers fought in WWII and they touch my heart. Love what your doing and couldn't think of a more noble cause on RU-vid.

Thank you for sitting these guys down and asking about their experiences... priceless