Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
2:31 | His pack strap stopped a piece of shrapnel, but Marcie Dover had a hidden injury, his hearing. During an assault, he was close to a battery of 155mm howitzers. As the war was winding down, he had a standoff with a German soldier and the way he gained the upper hand took a lot of nerve.
Keywords : Marcie Dover injury shrapnel ears hearing Germany German standoff Leipzig Dresden Czechoslovakia
In basic training, Marcie Dover was told that if what they taught him kept him alive for even fifteen minutes, it was worth it. After that sobering assessment, he shipped out as a replacement and went into Normandy after the invasion had progressed inland. His first firefight nearly wiped out his whole squad.
During the advance across France, Marcie Dover was made assistant squad leader, but not much changed. He was positioned at the back of the squad, but they were still shooting at him. They fought at Brest, which was reduced to rubble, then it was on to Belgium where they were in a holding position very close to the German line.
Marcie Dover's unit was relieved by the 106th Infantry Division and he was selected to remain and show them the ropes. The day after he left, the green outfit was overrun by the Germans in the initial phase of the Battle of the Bulge. Soon after, at the battle of Heartbreak Crossroads, he nearly suffered the same fate. Then there was the friendly fire.
