Don't even know how to describe what happened.. I shall attempt to keep this contained.
Have always had an interest in WWII and the Holocaust- Both of my grandfathers fought, one in the navy, other in army.
My Pop pop was an amazing man, he deteriorated via dementia/alzheimer's, and departed at 97… I now live in my grandparents house, which was left to me. So it’s pretty normal for me to remember good times and think of them.
So my Pop pop was one of the first on the scene at Dachau, his company invaded and took control.. He drove tank destroyers- Fighting valiantly, receiving a star as well as a Purple Heart. He took photographs of Dachau, and as a child I always knew they existed, and it was something I knew I should be older to witness.
When my grandparents passed, my father acquired much of the memorabilia, including the photo album. I asked to borrow it, to finally see what my pop pop saw. He gave it to me, and it sat for months, waiting for the right time to look.
A few nights ago it was hurricaning, lightning and thunder crashing, fierce winds, and it felt right, I took the opportunity and went through it slowly, analyzing each photograph.
There was a little booklet, a message from his commander, I can only explain it as reverse propaganda.. Don’t talk/associate with Germans, ‘Defeat German efforts to poison my thoughts or influence my attitude.’ And at the bottom it was signed by Jacob L Devers, Lieutenant General.
So I Wikipedia Jacob Devers, and I’m skimming through.. there was a list of his battles, and I recognized the one my Pop Pop belonged to. When I hit the link, it took me to another page, the Tank Destroyer Battalion. There is an emblem, this is their symbol:

So the storm passes and the next day my friend puts on Honey I Shrunk the Kids. I was drawing but happened to glance over, the kid in the movie was wearing a vest- he happened to turn around and there was the Tank Destroyer Battalion emblem. He wears it the entire movie.

If I hadn’t muscled up the nerve to look at that album, I would have had no idea what that symbol was. When it happened, I would normally be super freaked but I felt a soft, comforting warmth, something familiar.
That’s my story! LMK if anyone is interested in the pamphlet/ reverse propaganda, can put up a pic.
Anyone else have war heros they are proud of?
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From all I may be, or have been before, To mingle with the Universe, and feel What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.
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