Keeping History Alive

I just interviewed soon-to-be 101-year-old World War II “Bloody Bucket” veteran Mr. Pete, and amazingly, this was the first interview he’s ever given.

Mr. Pete was born in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, in August 1925. He was one of three veteran brothers, the son of a World War I veteran, and one of seven siblings in the family. His father worked in the automotive repair business, but like many families during the Great Depression, times were still tough.

Pete remembered hearing about Pearl Harbor at school on a Monday morning. His two older brothers joined the military soon after, and Pete wanted to go too, but his family asked him to stay home and help run the family car shop. Still, when he turned 18, he registered for the draft and was officially drafted on October 12, 1943.

When asked what branch he wanted, Pete said the Army Air Forces, but because he was colorblind, same with the navy, he was rejected. The Army gladly accepted him instead.

Pete was sent to Fort Sill OK for basic and artillery training, where he trained for 17 weeks before heading to Fort Meade and then on to New York to board a troop transport ship. After an eight-day convoy trip across the Atlantic, he arrived in England in May 1944.

On June 15, 1944 — just nine days after D-Day — Pete landed on Omaha Beach. He was assigned to the 190th Field Artillery Battalion, A Battery, attached to the 28th Infantry Division.

Pete served as a forward observer for four 155mm howitzer guns in his battery. His first combat experience came during the brutal fighting in Saint-Lô, and he remembered the city being completely flattened.

From there, Pete fought across France and Belgium, surviving several close calls along the way. While attached to the 28th Infantry Division, he was also among the American soldiers who marched through Paris during its liberation.

But the battle Pete remembered most was the Hürtgen Forest. He talked about the constant tree bursts exploding all around him. The fighting near Schmidt especially stuck with him because he and another GI were sent ahead to observe a German position and ended up hiding inside a house full of German soldiers.

Pete also remembered the heavy fighting in Göttingen and Leipzig, saying those towns were especially rough as well.

Even after fighting from Normandy all the way through Germany, Pete’s unit was selected for transfer to the Pacific Theater after Germany surrendered. But before they could deploy, Japan surrendered and the war finally came to an end.

When Pete finally came home, he took a cab straight to his father’s car shop to surprise his family.

Pete said he’s proud of his service, and if he had to do it all over again, he would. His story is truly incredible.

KeepingHistoryAlive.org