Tell me the story about when your tank was disabled and you were out there trying to help 'em get the track back on it. Tell us that story.

What is it called?

The track, you were saying that the track was off of the tank.

Yeah.

And you were trying to get it back, and there were some German soldiers watching you.

Uh... The German soldiers- the Germans was over there watching us. And that's what you want me to talk about.

Yeah. Yeah. Tell us that.

Well, we were uh... when this happened uh... they were up there, my track had got the track shot off that evening, got it broke. And we had to put it back on. And we were up there working on it that night, recov- retrieving it and everything. And uh... we kept noticing and we noticed there's a- the Germans over there in the bushes. But we didn't- we didn't pay 'em no mind. We made out like we didn't even know they was there. As long as they were there, they- we knew they wouldn't shell us and all. So we were working on our track, they were fine, putting that back on and watching them and laughing and- and carrying on. And working on this uh... the track. Then finally we got the uh... track fixed and everything. And uh... started to- to back out and when we backed uh... backed out we just backed it out and left them sitting over in there, and come on back out just like nothing had happened.

Where was this? Was this in Italy or was this in France?

Huh?

Was this Italy or France?

It was in- it was in uh... France, down there in the Colmar [ph?] part, right there where we got wounded at that night.

Tell us about how were you wounded? Where were you wounded?

I was wounded in the right arm. It went in by the- down below on my arm, and went up to my shoulder blade. If it'd a went just a little bit more it'd have blocked a joint.

Where'd you get treated then?

Huh?

Was there a hospital they took you to? How did you get treated?

Yeah. They took me. They took me to the hospital. Now I'll tell you the funny part about getting to the hospital. After I got doing everything I did down there and got everything to where I uh... felt like I could leave, and all, and they got a- and they- they sent me on up there to the rest of 'em were back there, and they all up stirring around. They sent me back on up there to the first aid station. Said, "Go in there," and said, "He'll clean your back as soon as he can get a chance, and all." I said, "Well, I can lay down and go to sleep." So I laid down and went to sleep. And the next thing I remember was next morning I had been in camp. Had on clean clothes. Had had a bath, and everything. Who give it to me, I don't know. Now I don't even remember going- uh... leaving- leaving there- this place of thing. Now I went to sleep. They carried me in. They dressed me. They gave- put me on clean clothes and everything. The next morning they were getting me up to take me over there to perform- to operate on to take a piece of metal out.

Were you in pain?

Huh?

Did it hurt?

No, it didn't hurt then.

Hurt later though. [laughs]

It didn't hurt too bad, did it? You didn't- you- you didn't think of a little pain too much in there, 'cause you're- you're not old. There's a funny way things went, though.

Was this in the wintertime in Colmar?

Huh?

Was this winter?

It were wintertime and it was cold. And the snow was on the ground and everything, and ice. That's what- that's what made it so rough with that snow and ice down there.

Was it hard fighting?

Huh?

Was it vicious fighting? Was the fighting hard?

No, the fighting weren't too hard right along in there, 'cause you see, we were on the truck coming back. We were riding that there on the [inaudible].

No, I mean, the other infantry. The Germans and the Americans, was there continuous heavy fighting back and forth?

Yeah. What we were doing then mostly was when uh... they come up and they uh... they gonna take a town, they- most of the time they'd have to have two tanks. And uh... and uh... no company didn't have but one tank. So the other company had to go in with them to help take it. And that's what we were doing up there that time, helping 'em take that tank, you know. Take that town there. When we got uh... wounded and got strafed in there and all, and they- they- they uh... they just uh... they just didn't uh... it just weren't our time to go, not in there, because uh... that's when that gun wouldn't fire. And if it had fired, we- they- they'd have got us. But it's funny how things won't- don't- won't work like that sometime. The Lord looking out for you.

You were also at Casino, right?

Huh?

You were at Casino?

No. We- we were down there in that uh... Colmar pocket.

O.k. I thought that the tank battalion was in Casino, too. But that might have been earlier.

Casino.

Uh huh.

No. That was- that was- the Casinos down there is where we went after we got- before we got- before we've talk about what we we're talking about now.

Right. I think this is a picture of Casino, the monastery.

Yeah. I went up on the monastery.

Did you?

Right up there, that building- that- that- the place right there. Then I- I- I- uh... that's where we saw all those MPs that day.

O.k.

We come out there. The MPs was after us so they- we run, jumped up on the trolley car and went up on the mountain, on- on- on top of the volcano up there. That's when we were walking on it and- and uh... like I told 'em, I said, I said, "My- my feet are getting hot. I smell rubber burning." He said, "Well look back there where we just come"-

Lava.

And you could see the lava moving along, where we had just walked through. He said, I said, "How are we going to get back?" He said, "We'll find a way back." You had. But, and all. And it weren't too long after that before the volcano uh... erupted.

Right. There's a picture. I don't have it with me, but there's a picture of my dad standing in front of that volcano erupting. This is a picture of my father getting his bronze star. And I don't know who that officer is there.

That there?

Uh huh. This is my daddy.

Yeah. That's the armed force right there.

Uh huh.

Well, now what uh... he was a sergeant.

Yes. Mmm hmm.

Well most all of 'em in the- in that crew was sergeants I think.

Uh huh. Uh huh.

Because they had a right good job to do, you know. That's what a- a gunner was, a sergeant. But I traded mine off when I said I'd come home. I wished I had not done it now.

Yeah. Here's a bunch of the guys. I don't know if you- I guess those must have been in Service Company II.

No. I don't.

Don't know any of those guys?

I don't know. I don't know any of 'em by name. But I see some faces that I- I saw.

Recognize?

That one- the second one right there. I saw his face a lot more. And he worked with us a lot.

I don't know where this one's taken. What kind of- if that's in- somewhere around Naples, or if it's somewhere else. I don't know.

Oh, I'm trying to think where that tall thing was at. It was made right there. I have seen- I- I- I- I could uh...

You've been there, right?

Well, I've been there and all. But it's- I know.

I don't know who this. I think that's one got a name on the back of it, so I don't know.

That's one that uh... climbed poles.

Climbed poles.

Poles, you know.

Uh huh.

'Cause you see he's got uh... things on his feet to climb with.

Oh, yeah. I didn't notice that. Mmm hmm. What's it say?

This said "truck driver."

Oh, yeah, with supplies. He couldn't- daddy couldn't remember his name, but he knew he was a supply truck driver. And I don't know where that was taken. It's a regular city. Looks like pretty big city.

Uh... I don't remember where we taken that now either. A lot of these I could have told you back then, but I don't recall.

Right. I wished daddy had written more information on the backs of 'em.

Well, I can't do it. Now uh... I'm afraid I'll give you the wrong information.

Yeah, that's alright. This one says "Captured Gerry guns."

Captured Gerry guns.

Yeah.

Yeah. That's a Gerry's gun out there. Don't you see that long barrel on it?

Yes.

The Germans had twice the lengths barrels on theirs than we had.

Oh.

That's a- that's one there. They have a SP gun on the ground. You see they can fire the same thing we- when our big gun was fired.

Right. With that little mobile unit.

And- and- and they got, well they were going well in that. So that's what he was firing that night uh... it's a- he fired it and then he hit that. And then he knew he hit metal.

Right.

That's why I say just that night when it didn't go off.

Here's a tank retriever. I don't know if that's the one my dad was on, but.

I don't know. I don't know about that either.

Mmm hmm.

But you see they're pulling this other tank out here.

Right. And I don't know where that is or what kind of contraption that is. This might be a longer shot. This might be easier to see.

That's the place where they were making the-

See this one? It looks like a long shot of that closeup. I don't know what that is.

Just a bunch of wrecked stuff what is tore up.

Oh, o.k.

That's a railroad track there.

Uh huh.

Well, you got in there and see the railroad tracks. There were tracks everywhere.

Uh huh. That's Rome, right? Were you in Rome? Did you go through Rome? Do you remember that?

Yeah, but I don't remember just where it was.

Did you-

There was a lot of these. I- I've- I've seen 'em. But I can't tell you where they come from.

When you went through Rome, were you there for any length of time, or just right through?

Where? Where? What's uh... where?

Rome? Did you go through Rome?

Yeah, Rome. We went to Rome. The funny part about it, we were up there. Yeah, we have medals. It was kind of funny in a way. I come in that night and the girl was crying. And she said, "You all are gonna leave tomorrow." I said, "No we're not. We're gonna- we're gonna stay here till after Christmas." She said, "Yeah?" I said, "How did you find out?" She said, "The FFI." She said, "You all are leaving tomorrow."

Would you tell us what is the FFI?

Huh?

What is the FFI?

French Rev- French uh...

The Free French.

Oh, Mmm hmm.

And uh... they were the FFR. And I said, "No, we're not. We're gonna be here till after Christmas." She said, "Yes, you are." Said they tell- told- told we were- you were. And we went- I went out there and told the lieutenant.

Oh, ha ha.

The lieutenant called in, told, "No. You all gonna be there till after Christmas." And she- I come in and told her that. She shook her head and said no. She- "You're wrong. You don't know." And I told him. Went back and told him. I said, "She said you're wrong. You don't know." He said, "Well I just called headquarter. And if they don't know where we're gonna be at, I don't, and all." And so we were in there that day, sittin' over there doing nothing. And all of a sudden the phone rang. They said, "Get ready." Said, "You're moving out in so many- you got 30 minutes to move out."

Where were you stationed when you got the order to move?

We was stationed right there on the Rhine River up near Casino.

And where did you get- where did you have to go to?

We got pulled back. Come back down to lower on the- the beach.

I don't know what. This is a group of sewing machines, women with sewing machines. It looks like it's outdoors.

I don't know where that come from.

Isn't that odd? Yeah. And there's a picture here of a cemetery.

Well, up in there was some- uh... there- there was sewing class I reckon.

Ha ha ha. Isn't that funny?

They made clothes. They- they did sewings and stuff.

Mmm hmm. This is a picture of a- looks like a German cemetery.

Yeah, that's a crost on it.

Mmm hmm. Yeah. Most of these other pictures are just countryside so.

It's hard to remember all this stuff.

Yeah. Yeah.

You're doing a great job.

Yeah. So where were you at the end of the war?

Hum?

Where were you at the end of the war?

At the end of the war, I was at uh... Salzburg, Austria.

Right. That's what I remember my father saying, too.

We were at Salzburg, Austria. And I wished I'd a never uh... I started to change one time. I'd a never- I'd a never- I'd a never left my outfit, 'cause I give up sergeant rating and took a corporal rating to come on and get out. And, hell, I didn't get out a bit earlier than I would if I'd have stayed in, because I told the lieutenant that other night, one night. I said, "I have a good mind to stay." He said, "No. Why don't you- you go ahead and get out. You got a good chance to get out now. And they ain't gonna keep you, and you could get locked in here. 'Cause by- your own outfit is going home and takes 30 days furlough, and then they are going to uh... going to the Pacific." And I said, "Well, I don't know the Pacific. But I don't think it'll ever go to the Pacific." I said, "I've had a dream that this war was gonna end." I said I don't know why. I don't know how. I don't know when. And I don't know all, but I got a how [ph?] that my outfit never will go to the-

Pacific.

Pacific. That if something were going to happen, blew up the whole world just about. And now I didn't know nothing about the atomic bomb. We didn't know they were trying to get that. If we'd a known that, we'd a known what was going on. I would- I would've stayed with the outfit, then I'd a come home, and I'd a had my sergeant rating. And I'd have been better off. And I would have been with my outfit.

How did you come back, by ship? Did you come back by ship then?

Mmm hmm.

Where did you sail from?

I did. I come back uh... I landed at uh... Camp Patrick Henry when we come back.

I'm sorry. Where did you come? Where did you come in the United States?

I don't know exactly where it was.

No. What port did you come in?

I came in up there at Camp Patrick Henry.

That's in Newport News?

Hum?

Where is that? What city?

Uh... Newport News.

Newport News. So you came into the same port you sailed out of?

Yeah.

Mmm hmm. What port in Europe?

And I got in there. I picked up the telephone home. Picked up the telephone and called and told 'em I'd be in Pepper [ph?] bar nothing tomorrow night, and all over there. And uh... when we got over there, it was flooded. Pepper [ph?] was flooded. We went down and looked at the bridge and it was about waist deep with water. They said I was boring [ph?] myself there from clear- I was laughing. We said, well, if we get out of the army tomorrow, we're going to wade that river. We'll call and tell 'em to meet us on the other side.

So is that what you did?

Them people looked at us like we was standing down there. Said, "You all will wade that river." They said, "Yeah." Said, "We're going across it tomorrow night if we're- we're still here." And we got in. We got there so. But what had happened they put somebody's name on the list that had this- hadn't been on there. And we had enough men over there with us. They weren't there. They- they sent a bunch of men through that day. We didn't see none of the mess. They didn't show you nothing. All this sickness and stuff you could get, ve- ve- venereal disease and this and that. We didn't have to look at that. We come in there, and we went through. And they were supposed to have us discharged by midnight. And that night I remember at 12 o'clock we went in- in Fayetteville. You know, argued with the bus driver. Now we wanted to go through- we wanted a trip through Clinton [ph?]. And the bus driver, and he told me he couldn't go through there. And he said, the bus driver said, "What are you all worried about?" He said anybody that wanted the truck, your bus, to go through Clinton. And I told him it didn't go through Clinton. He said, "It is supposed to go through Clinton." One of 'em did it. He said, uh... he said, "They just got out of the army." He said, "That bus will go through Clinton tonight. I don't know what time we'll get there, but we'll get there tonight. It will go through Corona before it goes on to camp some, and all." And he carried us all up around Raleigh up there, and come back. Come back and when we come in, we come in and come in the Durham highway. And we got out of there, and when we- when we got in Clinton we got out and hollered just as loud as we could holler that we were home.

Home.

They were home and uh... Frank hailed a taxi. I said, "You come- I can call home and they'll come get me." I said, "You call- you call now." And it was that day we come in there, and we come on out. And we went somewhere. They come by and pick me up and we went on up to Newton Grove to- to our family reunion thing up there they were having, and all.

They were glad to see you, weren't they?

Yeah. They didn't- they were surprised to see me.

Yeah. I'll bet.

But it was- it was right funny. They- they did- but they didn't think that- their people didn't think we would wade that river. We told 'em we done worse than that.

So after what you'd been through, you'd wade the river.

I said that ain't no- that ain't no bother. They said that bridge should wash out. I said, they'll catch it down to- they'll catch it down at- at the end of the creek.

So how long were you in the-

In the army?

The army.

About three years.

Three years. Mmm hmm.

I think it was three years and a month or two.

Yeah. My father knew how many years, months and days. He could recite it. [laughs]

Well, I could have told you back then, but I can't now.

Mr. Davis, what did you learn from all of that? What has stuck with you in your mind? You went through combat. You went to foreign countries. You met strange people. You were hungry and cold.

Yeah. I have learned one thing.

What's that?

I reckon I shouldn't say it. But I learned that the country don't really care too much for you. It's what they can get from you. Now they could have done us a little different in the army. I don't say they couldn't. We had it in there. We had the soldiers coming in. I was out there on that guard place. We were guarding 10,000 uh... soldiers. I- I didn't have nothing but a- a tent, a engineer tent down beside the river, that we were in the creek. We didn't have no soldiers trying to come out. They weren't trying to get out. But I said I'll tell you one thing we saw us all one night. They got in there. They got to hollering and carrying on in there. They had caught somebody stealing something. One of the German men ti- stealing. And they run him through the belt line. And I'm gonna tell you buddy, when you hit that belt line, they picked him up. Every li- every one of 'em would- would hit him with that belt thing, and pick him up. His feet didn't clear the ground, but they were carrying him through there. But I bet- I bet he didn't steal nothing else.

Does war ever settle anything?

Well, it's hard to say. No. I don't believe we're a bit further in there- there now than we were then. They sent a lad for the moon, but that's all.

Anything else?

I really appreciate your talking to us. Enjoyed hearing your stories. We learned a lot today.

As a postscript to the tape, we've been mentioning Colmar. Colmar is a town in the Province of Alsace. Alsace is bordered by Germany and Switzerland, a kind of a triangular area, but Colmar, a population of maybe 30, 40 thousand. The German- part of the Alsatian area is very, very mountainous, very steep, sharp mountains, excellent for defense. The Germans put up a very spirited defense fighting from one hillock and one ravine to another on the basis that they were told by German forces in Germany, if they surrendered their families would be killed. A tank, an American tank, World War Two vintage, still exists outside of the military cemetery located outside of Colmar. It is scrubbed and polished and looks like it's ready to go on sale. All of the Americans, 45th Division being the primary one, there were Free French and there were some English and there were some Polish, are buried on the west side of a hill called The Balloon, and all of the graves face home, which would be to the east. All of the Germans are buried on the east side of the hill, and they are looking east towards what would be home. The French, by the way, send the Germans a request for payment every year to maintain the German graveyard. Thank you.