“We’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it’s cold outside we’ve got the month of May”! This month and especially this week, the weather makes Massillon a perfectly beautiful place to live. It really doesn’t get much better than this for me and I’m sure most of you feel the same. We’re all looking forward to summer and the upcoming fall football season but first, we as Americans and fellow Massillonians have been well taught. A day will be observed to honor our fallen soldiers.

Memorial Day will be observed early this year on May 25th. Memorial Day (or Decoration Day) began in 1864 when women from Boalsburg PA put flowers on the graves of many of the Civil War dead at Gettysburg. The Civil War estimates that 618,000 soldiers lost their lives. Some estimates go as high as 700,000. On May 5th 1866 the first formal Memorial Day was observed in Waterloo, New York. In 1868 it was an unknown soldier from Ohio that wrote and suggested a parade honoring the Civil War dead. It was then that congressman James A Garfield spoke at the formal observance May 30th at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1873, New York recognized it as a holiday, soon to be followed by Ohio and other states. The Memorial Day parade downtown will again march through Massillon to close out the beautiful month of May. The parade begins at 9:30am Monday. For those young and old that have grown up here, the sense of duty to honor our fallen soldiers lives on without fail.

For this writer, collecting information for a story, I became overwhelmed with emotion. As I stood before the Massillon memorials in our own Duncan Plaza, I have to admit I welled up with tears. There were the names of my high school friends that gave their lives in Vietnam. I thought of the turbulent times at home and abroad, much like today. My emotions led me to think of all the surviving veterans of Nam and the effect war had on their lives. Then at the next memorial were the names of my uncles of WWII. They are called the “greatest generation”. I don’t think that is overstated. With the aging of our greatest generation and their dwindling numbers, my story will tell the true story of a family and the sacrifices they endured.

I’m sure each person reading this has family and friends with stories of equal merit, honor and bravery. With all due respect to our most current fallen heroes, this is just one true American story of which I am compelled to share. I encourage helping me and sharing your memories by posting on this site.

But first enjoy this...

Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.

"You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked sarcastically.

Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously... "Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."

The American said, "The last time I was here, I didn't have to show It."

"Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!"

The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look...Then he quietly explained.

"Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in '44 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a Single Frenchmen to show a passport…

…You could have heard a pin drop…

A Massillon Experience; Memorial Day 2009

Massillon Washington High School Veterans

“Bub and Bo” were close brothers born about three years apart. Born in the “Roaring Twenties” and surviving the “Great Depression” the two brothers were inseparable. They learned to hunt fish and trap by the direction of their Father and older brothers. They stood up for each other when a bully would test their courage at the old schoolhouse on the corner of Wooster Rd. and Alabama Ave. They taught their younger brother, “Balboa”, the art of fighting as to defend himself against the rivals of “Bodil”. The brothers had fun too and told stories of their adventures on the outskirts of Massillon known as East Greenville. One morning while checking for their gatherings, a skunk was caught in one of the traps they had set. Before Bub could shoot the animal, the skunk lifted its tail and sprayed Bub so badly it blinded him. Bo had to grab the rifle, shoot the animal and guide his stinking brother back home. There was no hero’s welcome from Mom. She proceeded to march Bub to clean up via a tomato juice bath!

Bub went on to work at Grissom-Russell after school, the other brothers worked at Republic steel and the “brickyard” west of East Greenville. There were the 4 of eight brothers serving their country in WWII. The first of the family’s eight sons had jobs that deferred them. Although he was the best marksman of the boys, “Shank” the oldest was deferred because his job at Republic Steel was determined to be an important part of the War effort. The number 4 son, “Arlie” was also deferred because of his work at GM making Pershing Tanks in Michigan. The four WWII Vets were sons 2, 3, 6, 7. “Whimps” (#2) served in Iran as part of the signal Corp. The other three served in France and later Austria.

Just recently, the History channel has aired “Patton 360”. Watching the episodes motivated me to research what actually happened to my Uncles at “The Lorraine Campaign”.

In the fall of 1944, the allied forces had liberated most of France and were moving toward Germany near Lorraine, France closing in on the German stronghold of Metz. “Bub” (son number three) belonged to the 3rd Army; Company “D”, 379th Battalion of the 95th Infantry Division. He was a Machine gunner. In a letter sent from Fort Swift Texas while training Bub stated, “The training is pretty tough here but I’ve done ok”. “Today we had target practice and my shoulder has been pretty sore for a couple days”. “These Machine guns really have a kick too and will cut a man in half”. Bub then asked about one of the girls back home and if she was knocked up yet! The 95th infantry was a unit in General George Patton's third army. They are remembered for liberating Metz, France and were given the title "the iron men of Metz”. The heavily fortified city had withstood all attacks by military forces since 451 A.D., and the Germans planned to keep that record intact.

“Bo”, (the sixth son), served as an infantryman in the 7th Army 44th Infantry division, they arrived in France from the south rather than the Normandy area. Their Army boundary abutted General Patton's 3rd Army in the area just south of Nancy, France. The 945th FAB, being assigned to the 3rd Army's XII Corps, was in that area south of Nancy where the two Army boundaries were located.

Bo searched out where his brother was located. The brothers, “Bub and Bo” meeting at the paths where the two armies crossed, embraced each other at their reunion. They caught up on what the other had experienced and wondered about the folks back home. In a letter from “Bub” he comically stated that “it seems that the girls like me here” and “I’ve had a few arguments but no good fights yet”! “Bub and Bo” slept together one night in the tent near the German border.

The commitment of the 95th into battle was that of a holding action with its mission to only maintain pressure on the Germans. The main attack on Metz was to be done by two other Divisions of Patton’s Third Army, which action was to encircle Metz. However, the 95th Division led the attack and captured the fortified city of Metz. Prior to the main attack on Metz, 2 Battalions of the 95th Division, who were in reserve, were committed into action by the XX Corps commander, General Walker. The first mission was to be a faked crossing of the Moselle River at Uckange, as a diversionary action only. But because of the ensuing flood, this action ended up as a most difficult mission in enemy entrenched territory. The second mission involved the commitment of the 378th men to establish a bridgehead north of Uckange, an area outside the 95th Division’s original assigned zone of operation. This successful action by the 2nd Battalion 378th also helped rescue the stranded men who crossed at Uckange.These forces then combine to form a task force that drives towards Metz along the east side of the Moselle River. The battle for Metz, on the west side of the Moselle River, has many episodes of men in battle under difficult conditions. One of those actions is the attack on a fortified stronghold, such as Chateau Brieux. The first attempt was an aborted attack at night across a mine field followed by a successful day-light attack. The Germans counterattacked. The arrival of the replacements learned of the stark reality of war.

The 379th’s actions include their attack across the infamous Mance Ravine searching for the Two
Lost Battalions. Their experiences included Combat Scouts taking a large Bunker. This action laid astride a road that leads to the supplying and rescuing of the Two Lost Battalions.

On 3 October, the battle-scarred Division mounted an ill-advised attack on Fort Driant, one of the fortress complexes protecting Metz from the south and west. With the support of 23 artillery battalions, 1 rifle battalion reinforced by tanks and tank destroyers managed to occupy Driant's surface, but the American infantrymen were unable to penetrate the underground galleries. American artillery was disappointingly ineffective against Driant's five batteries. An American 8-inch gun scored eight direct hits on one of Driant's artillery turrets, silencing the German piece for 15 minutes, after which it resumed operation. Following weeks of fighting in which 50 percent of the assaulting infantry were killed or wounded, American forces withdrew from Fort Driant. The American forces gained victory eventually as the ugly fall weather turned to winter.

Bo told me the stories first hand about the war. A week after the brothers found each other “Bub” was killed by a mortar shell that blew his leg off. “Bub”, bled to death as the medics worked frantically to save him during the German counter-attack. He said rescuing the Two Lost battalions is where Bub lost his life, in October 1944. “It’s not anything like you see in the movies it’s something you never want to go through unless you have to”. “War is ugly, it’s a mess, and at 86, “I still think about my brother”. “We both received Purple Hearts but Bub had to give his life for his Purple Heart”. He said we liberated France and half of the people there didn’t care for us being in there country. Bo was wounded in a battle later and one of only seven that returned from his battalion.

When the family heard Bub was killed in action they were devastated. My Grandmother never fully recovered. In 1945, “Balboa”, was deployed by the Army, vowing to avenge his brothers’ death. These were my uncles and my Dad, they always joked about him being the 7th son with mystical powers. Later the Uncle’s would joke that the Germans saw Balboa coming and surrendered. “Bo” told stories about Dad standing up for him and beating up guys much older. Maybe the Germans did see him coming; maybe he was the 7th son. There was no hero’s welcome home, no brother leading the other home, after a stinking skunk encounter, just quiet solemn gratitude to be home. My Dad and Uncles were part of the greatest generation. Bo went on to work at Point Mugu, CA as a civilian electronics engineer. Bo helped Point Mugu turn out ICBM’s for the military.

My Father-in-law lied about his age and entered the Navy at 16 years old. He saw action at Guadalcanal fighting the Japanese occupation. He also battled a case of Malaria. He received the Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Medal 2-Stars, American Area Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal 1-Star (V-12). Uncle Don on my mothers’ side severed in the Korean conflict as a paratrooper. Also, the youngest of my Dad’s brothers served in the occupied sectors of Berlin in 1959-60.

...For the Navy...

A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, "whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English." He then asked, "Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?"

Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied, "Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German."

...You could have heard a pin drop…

...For current Times...

When in England, at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of "empire building" by George Bush.

He answered by saying, "Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return."

…You could have heard a pin drop…

Above is a picture of The Memorial at Lorraine France. This is the largest American Cemetery in Europe. Ten thousand five hundred American men and women are buried there.

Dedicated: to my Dad and Uncle Bo, one story of the greatest Generation.

To my buddies that severed in Vietnam and current fallen Massillon veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Thanks to the Ohio Military Museum in Massillon for their assistance, the Veterans Service Commission, the US Army.gov and thanks to the Gold Star Mothers.

And my sincere thanks to the men and women that have served and that serve today, to make this the greatest country on Earth.

I hope all the readers view this story as appropriate. These memories sincerely remind me that “I‘ve got sunshine and the month of May”. (And I don’t have to speak German, Japanese, Russian or French). So, before we enjoy the oncoming summer....

Please Remember...