My name is jared frederick, i am an instructor of history at penn state, and i am a reenactor with the furious fourth World War Ii History group. We are here at the u. S. Army Heritage Education center in pennsylvania. It is a major complex on the Army Heritage trail. Ranging from the 17th century up to the present. My group is here this weekend to discuss the 75th anniversary of the normandy invasion, which is taking place this summer. We thought it certainly fitting to commemorate that event. Us putting on these old uniforms, wearing old equipment, it certainly gives us a better perspective and appreciation of what the greatest generation went through. If we can impart even a small inkling of that to the passersby, then we feel like we have done a good job. The unit we portray is the Fourth Infantry Division. It is a unit overshadowed in the World War Ii History. It was one of the spearhead units involved in the normandy invasion. It was some of the first amphibious troops who were ashore. They waded ashore on utah beach. Unbeknownst to many of them, they had landed on the wrong sector. They had landed half a mile off course. There was a little bit of uncertainty, perhaps hesitation as to exactly what they should do. Theodore roosevelt junior, son of the president , who is the oldest american participant in the invasion, said defiantly we are going to start the war right here. They carried the fight inland to the normandy countryside, where they really began to tally up casualties. The units fought all around mainland europe. They were the First American troops into germany. Unfortunately it inflicted a grim toll. The unit suffered about 250 casualties. There is a perpetual stream of wounded, killed, and then replacements, and their replacement after that were being wounded and killed. It was a devastating affair, but many of the men in the unit had the Firm Conviction they needed to do this because there was really no other choice, this was the price of stopping fascism and it spread. As many world war ii veterans say to this very day, it is something that had to be done. 75 years later, that is something they firmly believe in. Of course Theodore Roosevelt junior had a long military lineage in his family. His father stormed up San Juan Hill in 1898. Then a number of years later, Theodore Roosevelt expected all his sons to the expectations retheorization skids was that the woman would have children the men would go to war. Roosevelt really lived up to those expectations. He served in world war i. He was a political rival with cousin Franklin Roosevelt during the great depression. The two cousins put their differences aside. Theodore junior wanted to get into the military once again. He served as the first commander in the third infantry division. He served in the big red one, which is one of the big battle to go into normandy. Roosevelt did not gain a lot of acclaim or trust in the eyes of omar bradley or George Patton. Theodore roosevelt junior had a laidback persona that wasnt up to snuff with somebody who was spit and polish as George Patton was. Omar bradley thought he had gotten too comfortable and too cozy with some of the soldiers, and there wasnt that rigid discipline that makes a good soldier a good soldier. He was removed from command from the third infantry division. He landed a spot as Division Commander in the Fourth Infantry Division in the month prior to the normandy invasion. Roosevelt pleaded with his commander, general barton. He was unceasing. He wanted to go ashore with his men. Barton finally acquiesced and barton realized at that moment that this is probably going to be the end of his general his health was failing, he was suffering from chest pains, he had very bad arthritis. Nonetheless he went ashore with the fourth division. He had a cane in one hand, a revolver and a pistol in another. He stayed with his men through thick and thin. His poor health did catch up with him. He also becomes one of the highest ranking americans to be killed in france as the invasion was ongoing as well. Right next to the remains of his brother, who was killed in the first world war. We would like to walk you through the camp a little bit and offer perspective. Often when americans think of the second world war, they think of helmets, think of weapons, think of sherman tanks. It is the subtle small stuff, the everyday stuff that soldiers use on an everyday basis. These units of food that would come for breakfast and dinner and supper were really the staples of the g. I. Diet. There would be a small can of food inside, some crackers and bubblegum and some instances that would include cigarettes. If they were lucky they might be able to acquire a radio along the way. Folks look at this sort of stuff, it offers them a moment of empathy. When you look at Something Like tooth powder or a razor blade, these are the things we see on our fathers and grandfathers bathroom shelves. It is often everyday stuff that fascinates me. It fascinates visitors as well. We will head over here to our recreation of a rather small g. I. Encampment. Our members are having lunch, chowing down in an authentic way. And american soldiers about 22 years of age. He had gone through the great depression. It was used to sacrifice and be short on supplies. . onqthat hardship repared a lotf American Youth for the forthcoming struggles in this global war. Among some of the most iconic features of the american uniform is the helmet itself. It would be used not only for protection against raining fragments, shells rocks, what have you, it could be used for more things. This is an original helmet. I dont know who used it, but i carry it on in his analysts would manufacturers would do with these still pots. In order to diminish shine and enhance the camouflage up, they would actually mix sand within the green pen paint and that rough texture you see on the helmet would diminish the shine and offer some additional camouflage. There are a lot of other things that a soldier could do with this as well. He could use it as a digging tool. If he wanted to, he could take out the inside liner and he could use it as a pot. After all, it was a still pot. If you are lucky enough to find an egg you may be able to cook it inside of that. You could also use it as a wash basin. It could hold it right underneath you. You could shave your face. Use it as a chair. Use it as a pillow. One of the really notable phrases of the second world war, a really well known memoir is a helmet for my pillow. Finally, it could be used as storage in a way. Something that was really popular among the troops law or small compact books that were called Armed Service additions. American publishers gave these out by the tens of millions going to war. American soldiers love of reading and literacy that they would later use after the war to use the gru bill and obtain Higher Education was really instilled during that time. They catch of books in here. But what they did most as they would put photographs inside. This is actually a photo of my grandmother girl truth. Thats what she looked like during the World War Two years. Like many Young American women she married a world war ii veteran. When he came home from the service big. I carry it not only an honor of her but also the man she married at the end of the war. It is my way of paying a small tribute to some of my family history. If i could have this, please. I will show them not. Thank you. This was the primary weapon than an american soldier that was fighting in europe. This could be slipped back likeness. You could put an eighth round block their within the rifle. General paton said that this was essentially the weapon that would help win the second world war. It is quite hefty and quite heavy, all things considered. It really made a major contribution to the american war effort. Indeed it was used on through the korean war and even in some circumstances, the vietnam war. There are some militaries to this very day that have surplus of these in the act of military and still use them. Thank you very much. As we brows the camp here and look at all of the equipment, it really gives us a sense of the things that the soldiers carried. When some of the first initial waves of the normandy invasion took place, a lot of these american combatants had 70, 80, sometimes even 90 pounds of gear on them. The code name for the operation that they were participating in was operation overlord. In my view, though, it could have been may well then named operation overload. These guys were packed like meals. When i talk about that this in the classroom when young family comes in and we dress up in a kit to give them a sense of the war, so to speak. It really weighs down on them both physically and psychologically. To think that they were wearing 80 pounds of gear. They were being heaved off the Landing Craft into seven feet of water. People were shooting at them. They needed to wattle up several hundred yards of beach that has line land mines and obstacles all throughout it. When you take that into consideration it really gives you a humbling perspective on what the dday experience was. Not only for americans, but also for the british, french and canadian troops that stormed the shorts that day as well. We are well to consider this wheat of war and the things they carried as we think about it 75 years later. And the american tense that usgs used was in many ways it symbolized the notion of teamwork, the very essence of camaraderie. There would be one half of a tenth. Each soldier would have won half of a tenth. You needed to team up with a battle buddy so he could bring his other half. There were a lot of different variations on this and how they used the tense when far as creativity goes. Sometimes they would get six or eight of them together to make really big tense. Then you could pile eight guys into it, and if you are in the fall or winter, all of those additional people inside the tent will offer additional body heat. It might keep you a little bit warmer. Unfortunately, for a lot of guys, they moved so frequently and so quickly that a lot of times they did not even have the opportunity to set up a tenth or an encampment perhaps like we have here today. The advance into europe was monotonous and strenuous. It brought about some of the most enduring hardships that could be imagined. There is one story of an american lieutenant that we often like to share with visitors and students. The Fourth Infantry Division by the name of george wilson. He wore the same pair of socks for five months. He never once had the opportunity to take off his shoes and washes feet. Come spring of 1945, when he finally had an opportunity to bathe, he went to take off his socks and it peeled the skin off of his feet. When we think of world war ii, we think of combat. We think of big planes. We think of tanks. But really, its small Human Interest stories like that that illustrate the gee i experienced more than anything else. They were short on supplies, and they would go into winter time combat without proper clothing and equipment. It was certainly no vacation. The story of artifacts is nothing without the story of people. When visitors come into our various displays we like to reflect on Human Element as well. Here on this board, we have a few tangible reminders of all of that. Perhaps most notably are copies of a d day diary that was kept by the lieutenant of the Fourth Infantry Division. The gentleman pictured here on the right. His name was sydney months. He and his men operated and 81 millimeter mortar. Well show this in a moment, as they landed on utah beach. Some of the words that he has to offer about his experiences are quite profound. He talks about his men and his comrades falling to his left and right. Scavenging the beach and looking for lose pieces of ammunition and equipment that he could pick up because he knows he will need it later along the way. Once more, that personal element that really helps bring history to life. That is really one of the fundamental reasons of why we are out here, to impart this knowledge toger generations that may never have the opportunity to talk to a world war ii veteran. We see ourselves as an important conduit of sorts in transferring on this knowledge to other people. Another note that we see on here, is another lieutenant of the Fourth Infantry Division. His name was bill chapman. Like sydney monts he operated, like he and his men with an m1 m81 millimeter mortar. Later on in the war, the Fourth Infantry Division served in a place that was called the hurricaneforce. They called it the death factory, for those who survived it. It was a perpetual Conveyor Belt almost heedlessly. Mr. Chapman was one of the lucky survivors of that carnage. As a lot of the Service Members were working their way across the european continents, some things that add gave some added information or inspiration was things like this. This is a reproduction of stars and stripes, which was the official Army Newspaper and it is still in publication to this very day. This issue is a copy from june 7th, 1944. There were two big events that happened there in the first week of june. One of them is a bit overshadowed, because just two days before the invasion of normandy took place, the city of rome was also liberated. There was a mad dash for the headlines for who would grab the most attention and who would grab the most news. Unfortunately for those serving in italy, general mark clark, theyre Commanding Officer among them was a bit jealous by the level of headlines that the normandy invasion wrapped. Indeed, there were about 150,000 troops involved in those opening theres so many fragmentary reports here in this early addition, talking about the invasion. Periodicals like this really underscore the bigger point about why americans believed they were fighting this war. They saw a freedom of speech, the freedom of the press and really, the sanctity of journalism and literacy as a fundamental element of why they were fighting this war. Their access to information their access to books. They truly believe that was part of the democratic notion that represent their country. In some ways, those notions are outlined in the speech that general eisenhower issued to his troops on the eve of the day. It is a very short, concise address. This was issued by the tens of thousands and leaflet forms to the troops. He also delivered a radio address where he outlined this as well. In many ways it could be considered the 1944 equivalent of the gettysburg address. Eisenhower saying we have a fight to continue. It is a horrible fight, but it must go on, because the consequences of not doing so or losing it are almost too horrific to even take it into comprehension. Much like slavery needed to be destroyed, fascism and in the form of slavery that came with it was something that needed to be defeated. His men took this message to heart. Eisenhower developed a really strong esprit de corps with american soldiers. He cared about them and they knew. That was one reason why they fought so hard and so diligently on his behalf. Of course, as well, the hearted they fight the war, the sooner the war will be over. Another element that i would like to show you is a weapon that we have over here. This is an 81 millimeter mortar. I mentioned this a little bit in our top prior to this. My good friend mike and andy are going to tell us a little bit about that. Hello everybody. Im here to talk to you about the 81 millimeter mortar. This was actually designed by the french in the thirties. The u. S. Army got a hold of it. They really like the idea, because up until that point, they could not really move around the battlefield. Once they got to a place they kind of sat there. It was a lot more stagnant than world war ii, so the mortars could sit there. It was not a big deal. In the future, they wanted to have a more mobile way and this filled the bill. The germans had a similar weapon. They fired an eight seven meter mortar. When millimeter smaller than ours. We could fire their rounds out of hours they couldnt fire our rounds out of theirs. Three men would carry this in different pieces. You have the barrel, the by pod, and the base pleat down here. Each piece weighs about 43 pounds. When guy would carry each piece and that guy would have to carry the animal. The smaller rounds here. Can you hold this for me, andy. This is waterproofed. Semi waterproofed. This round could go about 3300 yards. It was used for anti personnel, anti like vehicle. This is pretty much the workhorse of the motor rounds that accrue like this would use. You have increment charges in the end. That is what produces the blast that propels the mortar round with a super quick the second it touches anything it will explode once it leaves the tube. The bigger round we have here this bigger round we have here is the am 56. The m56. It had a deleted fuse. And that is good for shooting out buildings, bunkers and fortified structure that the germans might have been an. It enters through the roof and its a millisecond before it explodes inside the building. They also had a similar round. It was called and m57 it was a White Phosphorus to obscure the vision of the enemy. Once the White Phosphorus hits the air, it just burns and burns. They use it to create casualties as well. You might see on this round here, we have a life belt inflated. When the troops landed on the day, they would put some of these on their packages of animal, so if they dropped the ammo, when the channel it would float and they could retrieve it easily. A gun like this will be used in all kinds of operations, battalion commanders and infantry regiments. They would call this the hip hop hip pocket artillery. They could go anywhere in the battlefield and shoot when everything needed it. At times they would consolidate many groups together for a lot of density of fire. At other times they would dispatch one or more battlegrounds themselves with one or more units. This Weapon System was carried by an eight man squad. You had your gunner, to assistant gunners and a squad leader. The rest all carried ammunition. 18 rounds a minute was the maximum they could afford to fire before it overheated. We hope we hope that offers a bit of insider perspective on the daily trials and tragedies and triumphs that American World war ii soldiers went through. As we have been talking here on a number of world war ii veterans theyve actually come into our camp. They are the reason why we are out. Here we are here to hear their stories firsthand and import them to other generations. We certainly encourage used to do much of the same. Thing thank you for coming to visit our camp today. We want to get a picture here what regiment were you in . 26. 26th this is our reenactment group. Don was on the destroyer, and he saw the raising of the flag. I am dick donald. I was a first class our ship was damaged the night before the kamikaze attack. The last Aircraft Carrier in the war some alongside our ship. We had to limp in two yellow beach. Watching those marines with those flame throwers mopping up those tunnels the navy in the marines never did get along well during the war. It was always a fight. I learned to love the marines on that day. Suddenly, the brightest sons up those that flak on i was 19 at the time. And for the first time, my fifth invasion, it hit me why we kids were willing to die for that magnificent flag. And we did. Two thirds of us never left the island. Two thirds. Only two guys of the flag really raising walked off that island. Thank, you gentlemen. Thank you for coming to visit us today. Tonight at eight eastern a look at korean war oral histories. Veteran carl house recount his part in the amphibious landing, a victory for un forces which turned the tide early in the war. He also talks about the surprise chinese counterattack, and intense combat at the battle of chosen reservoir where he was captured. Watch korean war oral histories tonight beginning at eight eastern on cspan three. Enjoy American History tv this week and every weekend on cspan three
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