As a frontline telephone wireman in the 89th Infantry Division under Gen. George Patton’s Third Army in Germany, we were waiting on the edge of a forest waiting for the frontline troops to clear the enemy from the next grove of trees about a half-mile across an open, hilly countryside.
The chaplain spread the word for a quick service, being it was Easter Sunday. We could look out and see our troops dashing from low spot to low spot, a few at a time, up the low hillside with enemy fire slowing their advance. The chaplain read a few lines regarding the Easter story, and then announced a period of prayer. At the end of the prayer, he was quoting the words “Peace on Earth, good will toward men.” Just as he pronounced the words “good will to men” the enemy fire hit one of our troops as he advanced forward. His arms and rifle flew up and he collapsed. We moved soon after and we did not get to know if he lived or died.
My thoughts at the time were, “What are we humans doing to each other and for what?”
As an added note, everyone should write a military service person. It will lift his morale as it did for me while I was in the service to my country during World War II.
Elwood Barker
Arlington
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