Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
Leo Goldner's experiences in Ft. Benning dealing with a tough tactical officer and teaching judo to a Colonel.
Mr. Goldner becomes the assistant to the Lieutenant in charge of entertainment for the troops, and has many interesting experiences with the entertainers including an attack during a performance.
During duty looking for Japanese combatants in the Philippine jungles after the Japanese surrender, Leo Goldner almost accidentally orders the destruction of huts occupied by hiding Jews.
Mr. Goldner describes a trip when he was supposed to return home, but instead, his ship was re-routed to the Aleutian Islands to help another ship. The exposure to cold weather caused many of the men to get sick, but Goldner nursed them back to health.
Leo Goldner is working in an Army Replacement Depot when he disobeys regulations resulting in an interesting move to the Pentagon.
Mr. Goldner relates his culture shock upon arriving in New Guinea and then the Philippines, and a time when he lived with a Chinese family to avoid the awful living quarters in a bombed out building.
Humorous incidents from Leo Goldner's assignment of being in charge of catching cheaters at cards and dice among the troops, and almost getting in trouble for accidentally cheating himself.
SSG Leo McLaverty discusses his time as part of the 66th Infantry Division (Black Panthers) during WWII, which included combat across Europe in harsh conditions, and nearly being one of the crew members of the ill-fated SS Leopoldville.
Leonard Ploeckelman's unit descended upon Omaha Beach at 7am on June 6, 1944 amid German machine gun fire, & had to break through barbed wire defenses with a Bangalore torpedo. This document contains 2 articles about Leonard Ploeckelman's role on D-Day.
Letters written home by Lester E. Folkenson, Jr. from 6/43-2/46. In them, he describes the living conditions, training, food, and time spent in various Pacific Theater locations. (Transcribed by John U. Rees)
