A 2001 recollection from a tank crewman who served with a distant relative who was killed in action in WWII - it speaks for itself.
Yes! almost sixty years ago, young men like your "Judge" and I were on our way to becoming soldiers, members of a Tank Company that would eventually serve in Europe.
After completing our Basc training, where we learned to right face, left face, about face, together with proper Military etiquette, we began to become knowledgeable about the weapons we would be using if we ever went into combat.
In the fall of 1943, we left Camp Cambell and spent three months on Maneuvers in Tennessee. Following this the Armored Divisions were reorganized and Armored Regiments were broken up into
Tank Battalions and we became the 714th Tank Battalion and left the 12th Armored Division and went to Fort Jackson SC as a separate Tank Battalion.
After about three months we were recalled to the 12th at Camp Barkeley Texas to replace the 44th Tank Battalion which was sent to the Pacific.
So, we were once again members of the Hellcat Division and went to England, then to France and into Combat.
It's been over fifty five years now but those of us who were there will never forget those days in combat.
One of our first objectives was a town of Bettviller, France. I was the gunner in the Company Commander's tank and went with him, Capt. Charles Clayton, into a pillbox that was part of the French Maginot Line, to discuss, with the infantry their plans to scout out the town ahead.
They, the infantry, went into Bettviller and brought back one prisoner, a young German soldier who claimed that he was on his way back to his unit from a pass and had become lost.
The next day we took Bettviller without much resistance, however we began to receive heavy Artillery fire as well as mortar fire.
Ferrel was in a tank with Sargent White and Jones Woods, I do not recall at this time who the other members of the five man crew were.
You would have to realize that all of the country that we were passing through was well mapped by the Germans, who had occupied these areas for many years. They knew every cross road, every building, every landmark, and had them pinpointed to the foot.
It was Jones Woods, the bow gunner/assistant driver who came running to our tank to report to Capt Clayton that their tank had been hit by a mortar shell. The Germans apparently had this area so well covered that they were able to hit a rather small target, a tank, so effectively. As I remember, Jones Woods was the only survivor of that tank. These were the first combat casualties of Charlie Company.
I know that there is little that can be said to console for the loss of someone who is near and dear. It has been a long long time since those days of Combat in the early 1940s. When I think back to those days and remember the GREAT people I served with names like Ferrel Blackard, Neble Johnson, George Gray and Bob Blackham and, Oh so many others come to my mind, and I turn to God and offer my prayers of Thanksgiving to Him, for the Blessings that these people were as a part of my life.
John, I'm going to close now with this, My heart grows heavy when I think of the good men, some were only boys, who gave so much to preserve our way of life, Try to remember the songs, probably Hymns that Ferrel sang when he was home with the people he loved.
I look forward to the time when all good men, all good people, who believe in God, will be together in the home that He has promised us.
