For those of you who have visited WWII battlefields, whether it be European or Pacific, which one evoked the most emotion from you?

I was stationed on Guam for over a year, but Saipan was the worst for me. Desolate, relic-strewn island. Marpi point was very emotional. During the battle, hundreds of civilians committed suicide at the point of a Japanese bayonet before the advancing Marines. There always seems to be white birds flying above this area, but nowhere else on the island. Legend has it this is the souls of the lost.

Anyone else?

Please I'd weep at any battlefield. That said, I can barely watch WWII movies set in the Pacific. All I can think about our tropical and subtropical climates, jungles, bugs, snakes, humidity, disease, heat, war, etc. All the things that just make me say eck. To think of our poor boys fighting a hardened enemy like the Japanese in that kind of environment just breaks my heart. And the nurses, like my second cousin, that were captured at the beginning of the war. They all had true grit.

But I know if I went to the Belgium Cemetery and saw Skip Muck's or Alex Penkala's graves or Dukeman's grave in Holland, I would cry like a baby. After watching a show like BOB, you connect with the soldiers and when they were killed, it broke your heart. I can only imagine what the veterans of "E" Company felt, relieving that experience.

When I went to Bastogne and saw Skip Muck and Alex Penkala's graves in the Luxembourg American Cemetery, I found that very emotional. Also to see the thousands of neatly marked crosses and stars in the cemetery had a great effect on me.

Anytime I see large panoramic shots of a military cemetery, I get verklempt. Can't help but think there lies a mother's son, a brother, a father. It's a brave woman who sends her son(s) off to war.

SB

Every battlefield is different and will be emotional in different ways. Battlefields are changing by time but stories don't so if you hear the stories at that particular battlefield, I think that's the most emorional part. It doesn't matter which battlefield you go, it's always emotional.

I went to Bastogne, Normandy and the Island. They are all different, all have other stories but they are all emotional.

Frank

I havent visited any european battle fields yet , i have that planned for this summer. I do have to say though i have tour a few U.S. Battlefields from the civil war and i must say Gettysburg was very emotional. Me and a few other guys got a private tour of the battlefield , which started around 6am one morning. The sun was rising over the trees that lined the battlefield and the fog had not yet dissapreared. It was so quite and peacefull. When the wind would blow the fog would roll around and beams of light would shine through the fog, it seemed like the spirits of the soldiers who did not leave that battlefield were roaming around looking for a way home. So quite that you could almost hear the roar of cannons and muskett fire, and screams of soldiers charging up the battlefield, yet the was nothing there but green grass, and trees. Even though the are horrific memorys of the terrible events that took place there, it was one of the most peacefull places i have ever seen. Most old battlefields give me that feeling.

I´ve only had the chance to visit 2 places

- Bridge of Remagen
http://www.bruecke-remagen.de/index_en.htm

- American War Cemetry in Margraten
http://www.margraten.nl/margraten?waxtrapp...sHkoOloOnHAiFbE


The war cementry had the bigger impact on me - seeing all those crosses, perfectly lined up, reading all those names on the walls and stones, reading how young most of these soldiers were, watching elder ladies and gentlemen visiting their sons, brothers, uncles, friends or comrades - the whole place simply made me speechless for hours. I was there for my own - but even if I had Frank or someone else in company, I think at that day, I wouldn´t have been able to describe with words what I felt.

It´s still difficult for me to find the right words even today, many months after I visitted this place.

If you want to make people understand what war is all about, show them places like Margraten - tell them the stories of the people who lost their life there, let them talk and listen to veterans who survived the war

Great responses all of you. In my initial post, I should have said the Japanese drove them at the point of the bayonet. I think you all got that, but attention to detail if very important to me.

Also, I have a dear relative buried in Arlington. He is in section 7A, with the likes of Lee Marvin, Pappy Boyington, Jimmy Doolittle, and some other very well known vets. From his stone, you can see General David Shoup's grave. He was awarded the MOH on Tarawa (Betio) and was subsequently the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

I always get a huge lump in my throat when I go there. I also make a point to visit the new section with the Iraq/Afghanistan fallen. There but for the grace of God go I...

The most emotional place I think I've been was standing in a dugout foxhole on the Kall River Trail in the Hurtgen Forest which i had documented proof served as an US GI aid station and my Dutch guide reminded me that many men died in 'that hole' I was standing in all the while other men gave it all they had to try to save the lives of those who were lost. The Kall River Trail is not very wide. The position of this particular foxhole is well documented. What went on there in 1944 was very serious business.

The first time I saw the sun come up over the English Channel sitting on the bluff at the American Military Cemetery in Normandy overlooking Omaha Beach was pretty close. It was 60 years later minus a few days as I was pondering just what it was like that morning in 19944.

And I think that climbing down into and sitting in the bottom of Hackett's Hollow, re-reading the account of what happened there and surveying the terrain and realizing the severity of the situation and the depth of the courage is up there as well.

I'd add my visit to Auschwitz to the list as well. As we were walking around the grounds it started to snow and I commented to my friends that it 'snowed' in 1944 in Auschwitz as well, except the 'snowflakes' were human ashes coming from the crematorium. Standing at the top of the steps to the crematorium where millions entered and never left was also pretty emotional.

Visiting the Anne Frank House, looking out the front window on the street and remembering some of Anne Frank's thoughts on the same view were pretty emotional as well. Very insignificant thoughts in the grand scheme of things, but very important because they were real and we remember them.

Just a few of mine....

What is your relative's name?

I've always said that Section 7A is the most overlooked section in Arlington National Cemetery. The path to the unknown soldier runs right by it and millions of people each year trudge by never knowing the depth of military service they pass by. O

On our last trip when we met as a WBG group we stoppewd at 7A and I gave a few words about the section and we walked around the and visited some of those folks and a few people who were not part of our group who overhead us talking went with us and took some pictures.

There was a man and his wife who was sitting on a bench within in 10 feet of Lee Marvin's grave and never knew it because they were on the path to the unkown soldier. When we stopped and I gave my little talk, he heard, went around, and payed respects of his own.

Even the Arlington guides don't mention much about section 7A outside of Joe Louis.

America's 'other most decorated soldier of WWII' who actually has more combat awards than Audie Murphy rests in section 7A too. Bonus points too anyone who can name him. He was in the 9th ID. The same division our very own Apell8 served with.

There are lots of famous people buried in Arlington. I think in many cases its the un-famous people whose stories are more intersting. Apell8's father, whpo was a LT in the infantry in WWII rests at Arlington and will be a part of every tour I ever give in Arlington. He was the 'first ace' in the infantry after all.

If you have or know of a good personal story about your relative i'd like to know. It's important to point out Joe louis and Lee Marvin. It's also important to point every other one of them as well.

Good thread!

-Robbie!!!

Robbie, thanks again for your attention to my father's war. Much appreciated.

Responding to your cue, here's the wikipedia on Matt Urban:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Urban

Long before Col. Urban was awarded the MOH, I knew of him because he shared a photo in my father's memoir with Lt. Squires. The photo was taken in Winchester in 1944, during the run-up to the invasion, before Dad joined the 9th Div. as a replacement Lt. in July, '44.

The ironic part of it is that, when Dad joined up with the 3rd battalion of the 47th Infantry of the 9th Division, everyone around him treated Lt. Squires as the legend-to-be. Squires was magnetic and heroic; the story was that in the assault on Cherbourg, he climbed up on a German tank and dropped grenades down the turret. No one knew Audie Murphy yet, but it was assumed in the 47th infantry that Lt. Squires would fill that role. Dad imprinted on Squires as the officer he wanted to be. In the photo with Lt. Urban, Squires is movie-star -- Major Winters-- handsome.

Lt. Squires was killed a few days later, in the COBRA short bombing by US B-17s.

Dad quit imprinting, or forming attachments of any kind that he could avoid, about that time. And started developing the chip on his shoulder about flyboys that the Colonel knows well (and I hasten to add that he expressly exempted the Colonel, whose writings and service he admired).

The irony: that Lt. Urban would end up being compared to Audie Murphy, while Lt. Squires, who shared in that photo, is largely lost to history. But not to my father, and to the others in the 9th who knew him.

Robbie, continued thanks. y.o.s, Doug

I wonder why Urban only was awarded the MOH in 1980? You'd think they would have recognized his bravery long before then.

Vee

I think it was 7A that also has the Navy Band members killed in a plane crash on tour in S. America in 1960.
http://www.navyband.navy.mil/pdfs/washpostart.pdf
http://www.navyband.navy.mil/alumni_inmemoriam.shtml

My connection is through a former colleague of mine in the National Symphony, Bill Arsers, who had gotten into the symphony out of the band just before that tour and knew those who had perished. He lived a full life and is now buried with his Navy friends. He played horn for 20 years in the band and 35 years in the symphony!

Urban was recommended for the MoH in 1945 by his Sgt. The recommendation sent to higher command was lost in military channels but a copy did end up in Urban's personal file. Urban requested his file in 1978 and found a copy of the recommendation. This was brought to the attention of the Army by a friend of Urban's and the MoH investigation process was begun some 33 years later. Urban was awarded the MoH in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter.

Interesting story about Lt. Squires. Tragic that he was killed, but especially by friendly fire.

Also, for those that were left scratching their heads.... Above, when I wrote....



It was supposed to read.... "the same division our very own Appell8's father served with"....

His name is Paul Cleveland Miller, and he was a Captain with the Army in WWII. Severely wounded and captured in Italy, he was awarded the Silver Star, and a couple of Bronze stars with "V" for valor. He was a career Army officer, spending the later portions of his career in the Military District of Washington (MDW). After retiring from the military, he went on to be Director of Ceremonies and Special Events at MDW, planning such events as both Kennedy's funerals, the funerals of Eisenhower, Pershing, etc. He also sat on every inagural committee from Eisenhower's second term through both of Ronald Reagan's. The amount of memorabilia he has is staggering. Signed pictures of him and General Eisenhower, General Marshall, General Bradley, Presidents Bush, Reagan, Kennedy, Carter, Ford, Johnson, etc. When he retired he was given a document of thanks signed by all four living ex-presidents (at the time), and is one of the only known documents like that in existence.

You would never know all of this if you talked to him, he was one of the most low-key and humble people I ever knew.

7A is a very historic section.

I had tears in the eyes in many places, but most emotional for me was whilst speeching at the Bastogne City Hall in 2004 for Bill and Babe.
If my speech would have had a sentence more to speak I wouldn't have made it till the end. When I said 'God Bless You' these were the last words that came out of my troath for a couple of minutes.

I have been to only Gettysburg and it really makes you think. However, the very first time I stepped foot into Arlington It was a tough pill to swallow. I never imagined I would step foot in there 2 more times for funerals of friends and comrads of mine.

1Lt. Mark H. Dooley a friend of mine from highschool and fellow Police Officer is burried in Section 60, Site 8640. Here is a link to his information. Lt. Mark Dooley

SFC Jon Tessar. I had the sad but proud honor of doing his police escort from Dulles Airport to his final resting place. Here is his information: He is in Section 60 Site 8293, SFC Jon Tessar

2Lt. Leonard Cowherd was a graduate of the USMA and he is burried in Section 6, Site 7983. Here is some information about him: 2Lt. Leonard Cowherd

Many possibilities. But one stands out. On the 2002 BOB tour, at the Colleville cemetery, listening to Bill Guarnere free associate about various topics. From the fee the priest charged to marry him in spring, 1945-- just months after losing his leg ("Twenty five bucks, can you believe dat?") -- to his men buried at Colleville. "You won't believe dis. But I can hear dese guys talking to me, Sarge. And I'm sayin' 'It's all right. Ole Gonorrhea is here to take care of ya. It's gonna be all right.'"

Chills. Unforgettable chills.

Tears and chills. What a man. How he can go back there amazes me. It is a testament to Wild Bill's character and his goodness. And no, I can't believe the priest charged him $25. A Baptist minister yes , but I thought Priests took vows of poverty or maybe just some do. Speaking as a Protestant, of course, I am not familiar with these things. Remember in his memoir. Bill said he and Frannie didn't have a dime to their name when they got married. Now we know why.