European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 10, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Visiting vets Praise Armor equipment Bydonnie Dickey stuff writer Aschaffenbur of Germany the handful of world War ii veterans who had Faugh across Pur pc Wilh Gen. George s. Palton s ,1rd army around an my Abrams Lank and a Radu v t Iii Luivie vehicle. If we had had one of these busies in the old Days we d have been in Berlin in 10 Days said Conrad Mueller a retired major As he got a look inside anagrams seven members of the 4th army big had resumed to Germany to Trace the route they first walked 42years ago during the final Days of the Wiir. The veterans were headed for he site of the milk Heim Railroad Bridge where the 10-Day Batlle of a Schaffenburg began. They shared their Battle experiences White checking out the latest equipment of today s Armor Soldier. Don Kay a former infantry sergeant who Rode half track during the War said improvisation was the greatest asset in the fare of Battle. You use your own judgment in the Field you Havel he said. We were very Lucky during our Batik Here because of our ability to improvise memories of the fight had not dimmed Over the years. James a Csc Roberts of Ardon n.c., was a heavy weapons gunner and a Relief Driver on the com Mand half track used As Point for the tanks thai rum bled ahead of the army. It was the afternoon of March 25, 1945, when we got in he Edge of Aschaffenbur he said. I remember digging in and being in a holding position when All of a sudden we were firing at the germans and they we re firing at us. The ground was shaking artillery was Hilling everywhere and i remember looking up in the sky and seeing a German bomber so close i could Sec thepilot"1 de Rohr of Palatine 111., had different memories. He was wounded in the Battle during a raid at Ham Melbur to free Allied prisoners of War. We were going to liberate the prisoners he , half of us were captured saturday october 10. 1987 the stars and stripes Page 9 d of blk Latda Hoster Wii Veteran Conrad Mueller inspects an my tank at the Ullh in 66lh Armor molar Pool no ready Cavern. He and the other pos were loaded into boxcars and taken to Nuernberg where they marched to stalag 7a. They were liberated three weeks later. The veterans on their third european Jour tracing routes and Battles praised today s Armor equipment such As the Abrams. But the former soldiers had High Praise As Well for an Abrams of their own. It. Col. Creighton Abrams was the kind of Leader that never asked the soldiers to go or do anything he would t do Kay said of inc commander under Pat ton who went on to become army chief of staff and for whom the tank is named. I just loved him so much Ihil 1 still Tarry his Pic Ture in my sex Wii foes enjoy peace at reunions by Wendy 3ourland staff writer Wiesbaden they faced each other on the Battlefield and tried to kill die another More than 40 years ago but veterans from the american 70th inf div and the German 6th Mountain div have made their peace. For the past 12 years members of the two world War ii units have paid annual visits 10 each other in either Germany or America this year 32 former soldiers their wives and friends spent three weeks touring Germany and visiting towns near Isaac Bruecken and Kaiser Slauick. La waste same terrain Over which soldiers fought and died during the War. The yearly gathering of former ene Mies grew from a Chance meeting in1968 when Wilhelm Gotlin stroller a Veteran of the 6th, was driving through Buchholz Germany. James Lassitor who was serving Wilh the army in Germany at the Lime noticed a Small 6lh Mountain div Flag Fly ing from s car Antenna. He stopped the German and the iwo began to talk about the units. His brother was in the 70th he was killed in action Wilhelm said. After that meeting other veterans of the units found each Colht f. They held heir first reunion in Toledo Ohio in 1976. The second reunion the first one i Germany brought together one Ameri can and the German who shot him said Floyd Freeman 62, of Cerritos Calif. During ilm Lour two busloads of vet Erans and their wives drove through a town where the two infantry units had fought. One of inc Guys said tip never forget this town cause this is where i got shot at " Floyd recalled. The Man. An american recognized the building where he had been shot. Heaven pinpointed the window where he had been standing when he was hit. Floyd a Iid the Man then pulled up his sleeve displaying a scar where a Bullet had Gra cd his upper Arm. A German Man on the bus also Mccog is f. Nala to a Jar d 3 o former German officer Hans Hupp left latin with his one time foe Floyd Freeman. In cd la window he d fired into it. He said i thought i killed you Floyd said. They embraced each other and 67-year-old Josic Hays of Middle town md., visiting Germany meant Sec ing things she d Only heard about from her husband. As the group wrapped up their visit inthe Headquarters building of the Wiesbaden military Community tuesday Josie and husband Joe 69, talked about the building. It was this building she said that his company occupied for about two weeks during the end of the War. He had t had a Bali in so Long and he smelted like something Josie recited faithfully. La d been weeks Joe add j. A whole company bathed in he he had been in a foxhole. When he look a hath Here he Felt Tike he was i heaven Josie said. At thai time the White House Asil is called today was a City government building. Joe said his favorite memory of his stay in inc building is the Gold grand would play in dirty hands and he said. Their hands Are clean now. The men and women Chauth amiably As they wandered through the High Chi Lingcod rooms of the White House. A gathering a friends like any other gather ing of friends Lizul for Wjt Nelm Laurns Tracu a in arc is a wider View. We made our experiences in the War he said. We think it s very important for former enemies to come together Anil work for paix and
