WEBVTT - Farming for the Front Lines

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<v Speaker 1>This episode re enacts scenes of war. Listener discretion advised,

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<v Speaker 1>ah ah. Every farmer in the land must realize fully

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<v Speaker 1>that his production is part of war production, and that

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<v Speaker 1>he is regarded by the nation as essential to victory.

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<v Speaker 1>The American people expect him to keep this production up

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<v Speaker 1>and even to increase it. We will use every effort

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<v Speaker 1>to help him to get labor. But at the same time,

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<v Speaker 1>he and the people of his community must use ingenuities

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<v Speaker 1>and co operative effort to produce props and livestock and

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<v Speaker 1>dairy products. Whereas the Great Depression created huge job shortages

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<v Speaker 1>and surpluses of farm food, it seems like we could

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<v Speaker 1>never grow enough. During World War two, food is a weapon.

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<v Speaker 1>Don't waste it. Warrned a government issued poster. One hundred

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<v Speaker 1>and forty million Americans had to be fed, and sixteen

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<v Speaker 1>million of them had to be fed in base camps,

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<v Speaker 1>on ships, and in small companies moving the front lines

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<v Speaker 1>forward all over the world. They brought rations up to

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<v Speaker 1>us all the time, the eyes and the jeep. Many

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<v Speaker 1>times the cooks are sent up to the fur line

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<v Speaker 1>with ammunition and food. Sometimes they get caught in the

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<v Speaker 1>broad All these people who are really reliant on us there.

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Service Stories of Hunger and War, a production

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<v Speaker 1>from My Heart Radio and Me your host, Jacqueline Reposo.

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<v Speaker 1>One thing that can't escape us this season is how

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<v Speaker 1>palpably the Great Depression shaped the early lives of our

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<v Speaker 1>World War Two veterans. We've heard them share stories about

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<v Speaker 1>saving trolley fair for a five cent hot dog, about

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<v Speaker 1>industrious parents cooking chicken feet and canning vegetables, and how

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<v Speaker 1>grateful they were to have food at all. And so.

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<v Speaker 1>Part of this fascinating historical puzzle is the shift from

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<v Speaker 1>the Great Depression to war production on the home front.

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<v Speaker 1>As we sent food overseas to our allies before joining

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<v Speaker 1>up in late nineteen forty one, farm production demands increased

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<v Speaker 1>by thirty two percent, while simultaneously around two million men

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<v Speaker 1>were leaving farm life, some to join the service and

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<v Speaker 1>some because they could make far greater money working in

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<v Speaker 1>other war production facilities. Such is the conundrum faced by

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<v Speaker 1>our veteran today. Harold bud Long grew up in upstate

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<v Speaker 1>New York, the third generation of a farming family. Growing

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<v Speaker 1>into adulthood at the start of the war, he walked

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<v Speaker 1>away from owning his family farm to instead work his

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<v Speaker 1>way up the production line at Curtis Wright, the largest

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<v Speaker 1>state side aircraft manufacturer during this time. In some ways,

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<v Speaker 1>farms flourished because of wartime needs, with the military a

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<v Speaker 1>major purchaser of flour, beef, butter, and the like. But then,

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<v Speaker 1>as we heard in our last episode with William Walker,

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<v Speaker 1>the Navy started reporting huge food shortages as if ferried

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<v Speaker 1>food around the world, and victory gardens were encouraged to

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<v Speaker 1>help light in the civilian food load. With iron, rubber

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<v Speaker 1>and steel waylaid for defense purposes, farmers couldn't get their

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<v Speaker 1>hands on new machinery, and even as they increased wages

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<v Speaker 1>from three dollars to five dollars to a whopping twelve

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<v Speaker 1>dollars a day, they couldn't compete for workers with companies

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<v Speaker 1>like Curtis. Bud remembers a starting salary of fifty cents

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<v Speaker 1>an hour and once a huge paycheck of one hundred

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<v Speaker 1>and thirty seven dollars for one week. Bud's working for

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<v Speaker 1>Curtis kept him denied by the Draft Board for a while.

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<v Speaker 1>His accumulated engineering knowledge then made him eligible for the

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<v Speaker 1>Air Corps, and, newly married, he tried to stay stateside

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<v Speaker 1>working as long as possible. But eventually he was sent

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<v Speaker 1>all over Europe, taking bomb sites out of planes and

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<v Speaker 1>laying emergency airstrips. But speeds us through legendary campaigns like

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<v Speaker 1>D Day, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Rhyan

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<v Speaker 1>Land in Germany. To keep him fed, it took farm hands, factories,

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<v Speaker 1>navy ships, army trucks, and so many foot soldiers all

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<v Speaker 1>along the way. And so now from Livingston County, New York,

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<v Speaker 1>let's slow and sit with Harold but Long. My name

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<v Speaker 1>is Harold B. Long. I was staff sergeant on an

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<v Speaker 1>Ice Air Force. Growing up. We had a farm about

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<v Speaker 1>five acres. We had two trackers and two teams of

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<v Speaker 1>horses's during a pressure we appreciate that. We never act

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<v Speaker 1>for food. We always had chickens. We had pigs, so

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<v Speaker 1>we always put your on pig a year. We always

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<v Speaker 1>put your on half heart, so had feet. I always

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<v Speaker 1>had a great big garden. We had a sager room.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I would you know you could run and

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<v Speaker 1>slide on that thing because its sucking slippery, and said

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<v Speaker 1>you got your chilk, slide around like that on there.

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<v Speaker 1>And I can remember get Lauren looking out one of

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<v Speaker 1>the seas the wagans lined up waiting to go see

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<v Speaker 1>the Saga Rong. I like the horses, but I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>have no patience for him being a kid. Everything. I

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<v Speaker 1>get ahold of the clip and I cut the tongue off,

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<v Speaker 1>but the tracked to run. Dad used to get a

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<v Speaker 1>technof and he said, you know that gas is expensive. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>but Dad, I got it done and a half the

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<v Speaker 1>time I had because I went to school. I'm a

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<v Speaker 1>big family, seventh of the family. Mother used to pack

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<v Speaker 1>a lunch for me. She always packed extra for that,

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<v Speaker 1>apples and stuff. It was microwave and old freezers. She

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<v Speaker 1>can the beef, beets, carrots. We made butter for a

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<v Speaker 1>while and that was a job. And making butter, I

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<v Speaker 1>always had plenty to eat. I was drafted with MPN

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<v Speaker 1>each side of me. I got down high school and

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<v Speaker 1>I was the only child. This is thirty eight or

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<v Speaker 1>you have no money in so many college. I work

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<v Speaker 1>the farm. You have the farm, said dad. You want

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<v Speaker 1>to work on daylight, the darkst noven days a week.

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<v Speaker 1>You don't know if you're gonna have enough to pay

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<v Speaker 1>the bills. Not for me. Was that a Sunday paper

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<v Speaker 1>hiring for Curtis so I worked on salvage, worked on

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<v Speaker 1>P forties until I was drafted. I was trained what

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<v Speaker 1>to call a m aircraft mechanics. I went to B

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<v Speaker 1>School Medium Bomber, so I flew in twenty six as

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<v Speaker 1>a flight engineer. They called that the little maker or

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<v Speaker 1>the flying coffin because they crashed so much. There are

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<v Speaker 1>a hot plane. You have to fly them in and

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<v Speaker 1>fly them out. No glide to him, well obvious was

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<v Speaker 1>I wouldn't going overseas. Are you gonna take every dinner

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<v Speaker 1>in school? And I get into him, you only told

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<v Speaker 1>run out of school. Went over in the Queen Mary

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<v Speaker 1>and three right at a Christmas time, seventeen thousand on board.

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<v Speaker 1>No escort. Made it across in five days the land

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<v Speaker 1>of the first thing Classgow, Scotland. From there what the

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<v Speaker 1>train took reading England and there I was stationed until

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<v Speaker 1>just before D Day when I landed Alma Beach. It

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<v Speaker 1>was a landing craft infantry held around two hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>some of us, how many engineers and some of candidates.

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<v Speaker 1>They're shooting us. My buddy and I were in the

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<v Speaker 1>back of the ship and the guys ranches to get off.

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<v Speaker 1>They're up on the front when we hit the beach

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<v Speaker 1>a hundre of yards and shore. We had a sandbar.

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<v Speaker 1>They went right over the rail equipment and everything hel

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<v Speaker 1>must fly on. They dropped the ramps. One was twenty

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<v Speaker 1>deep for in the hunter yards and they see me,

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<v Speaker 1>see we're having trouble, and they shot a cable out

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<v Speaker 1>for us. And he went hand over hand because fifth

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<v Speaker 1>going down and at the tops of machine going at

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<v Speaker 1>hundred fifty two rounds, the animal across my back has

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<v Speaker 1>throw that. All struggles and got off gas match that one.

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<v Speaker 1>My shirt went off, my shoes went off, so we

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<v Speaker 1>got the shore all they had their pants on. My

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<v Speaker 1>buddy and I stand on the beach look at HR

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<v Speaker 1>and said, what a hell of way to fight a war.

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<v Speaker 1>And the object was the common engineers. On D Day,

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<v Speaker 1>we're going to make an airstrip where across the top

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<v Speaker 1>of the beach, and he plans he couldn't make it

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<v Speaker 1>back across the channel. We're going to be serviced by us.

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<v Speaker 1>When we landed, they weren't even off the beach shut

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<v Speaker 1>so never materialized. We stayed on the beach most of

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<v Speaker 1>the day and that night we got back in far

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<v Speaker 1>enough to get to a hedgeroll and that was that.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm then on maintaining emergency strip and I went from

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<v Speaker 1>forty seven airstrips across strel five miles off the beach,

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<v Speaker 1>or called the German truck. Germans, they left. We didn't

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<v Speaker 1>have nothing like that yet. Positive traction, Oh vote, that

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<v Speaker 1>truck would started kind of above zero. They always tell

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<v Speaker 1>you to watch your bully tracks. First shot. Will we

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<v Speaker 1>come to a guy Rice from Kentucky. There's a radio

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<v Speaker 1>sitting on the show. He grabs the radio, glows his

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<v Speaker 1>arm right off, And that was, of course the last

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<v Speaker 1>we saw him. That was before we found the German truck.

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<v Speaker 1>So we got up there in the four five US.

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<v Speaker 1>Now what will we do. We've got a big chain

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<v Speaker 1>with a half track and hook on it and pull

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<v Speaker 1>that thing our own up field. Aminted something to explode,

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<v Speaker 1>and nothing happened. Now, who wants to open the door.

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<v Speaker 1>We're gonna throw up and tie on the latch. Nothing happened, Now,

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<v Speaker 1>who wants to try the hood? We poured some gas

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<v Speaker 1>and that we'll figure the combination on start up. When

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<v Speaker 1>we kept that truck all through Europe and were was it?

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<v Speaker 1>The parks struck thrown back from parts to the real Ashland,

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<v Speaker 1>the m peace towys. Why don't you keep it to

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<v Speaker 1>the front. You wanted to tell you you're getting near

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<v Speaker 1>the back of the MPAs to get chicken and they

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<v Speaker 1>will start to pick it up. Most of the time

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<v Speaker 1>it was hectic. Stuff was born and coming, moving all

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<v Speaker 1>the time. With Pattent, we always had his protection ahead

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<v Speaker 1>of us. Like what happens if the front line breaks down?

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<v Speaker 1>One time as a battle of balls are luction were

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<v Speaker 1>the first wave we went in and we lost seventy

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<v Speaker 1>some planes. We always want to pull the bomb side

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<v Speaker 1>over the first thing. They said they wanted to film

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<v Speaker 1>and they wanted any information they could get off of it.

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<v Speaker 1>Dewey and I had left to take the bomb side off.

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<v Speaker 1>We got there and the snow's up there here, we said.

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<v Speaker 1>We went in the warning. We had a l g

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<v Speaker 1>I store. We pick it in the farmhouse. Half we

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<v Speaker 1>brewed up, start a fire and trying to keep warm.

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<v Speaker 1>He looks out, he says, every going their own way.

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<v Speaker 1>They're coming back and say, hey, what's going on? Guys?

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<v Speaker 1>You have better get hot or the crow through one

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<v Speaker 1>a mile behind us. Great, we guys going couple fake

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<v Speaker 1>and the others We already, get taught, will be shocked,

0:11:13.080 --> 0:11:16.559
<v Speaker 1>combat and empty go go, never stopped your checking off

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<v Speaker 1>and there get out of here, Get out of here.

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<v Speaker 1>After the break and ended up, the kids didn't have

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<v Speaker 1>not much to eat. We found him in the morning

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<v Speaker 1>and what we call ten of one rashes. Stay with us.

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to service stories of hunger and war from

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<v Speaker 1>my heart radio. I'm Jacqueline Proposo, and we're here with

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<v Speaker 1>Harold but Long of the U. S. Army Air Corps

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<v Speaker 1>as he moves to through Europe. About forty minutes into

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<v Speaker 1>the movie saving Private Ryan, we're thrust into a rainy

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<v Speaker 1>hill fire of combat and chaos. Looking closely, we can

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<v Speaker 1>spot Vin Diesel as Private Caparso, picking apples from the

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<v Speaker 1>ground and chomping them down while bullets stream over his head.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a poignant moment of humanity, this reaching, gnashing, dropping,

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<v Speaker 1>reaching again, and then jumping into the fray. It says

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<v Speaker 1>a lot about the last time this soldier got his

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<v Speaker 1>hands on a fresh apple. We're similarly following Bud on

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<v Speaker 1>foot through France. Now there were a few major players

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<v Speaker 1>when it comes to top command in the European Theater,

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<v Speaker 1>and Bud's general Patton was one of them, and a

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<v Speaker 1>few episodes we'll hear another perspective of eating on the

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<v Speaker 1>front lines with laws and chirosa Kai as he moves

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<v Speaker 1>with General Dahlquist's divisions what's most important when facing active

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<v Speaker 1>fire and finding food at the front. Let's return to

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<v Speaker 1>late nineteen forty four and following along. August sixteen, we

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<v Speaker 1>come in Paris with a free French. We couldn't hold it,

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<v Speaker 1>so we went in to see what was going on.

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<v Speaker 1>It's amazing, went right down the sham de leis from

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<v Speaker 1>the arc when the soul. You weren't see a bicycle nothing.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know where these people did. Finally August little

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<v Speaker 1>of Paris September October one pack of Paris on three

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<v Speaker 1>days pass. There was nothing like it. We seeen Cares

0:13:37.360 --> 0:13:40.920
<v Speaker 1>when we went in first jam with bicycles and they

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<v Speaker 1>all wanted a cigarette Gui cigarette. No little kids like

0:13:44.800 --> 0:13:48.679
<v Speaker 1>that cigarette. Papa. We give tig bars we called boop

0:13:48.760 --> 0:13:51.679
<v Speaker 1>bars at KM one rations. But once while you get

0:13:51.720 --> 0:13:54.960
<v Speaker 1>some dumb ra ka rations. I lived in k Rations

0:13:55.040 --> 0:13:59.000
<v Speaker 1>and Sea Rations kay Rations had biscuits. Of them had

0:13:59.160 --> 0:14:02.079
<v Speaker 1>four cigarettes morning when at the fig bar and them

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<v Speaker 1>and trying eggs, mixed water with it either like that

0:14:06.720 --> 0:14:10.080
<v Speaker 1>sea ragins were in cans corned beef seventy five years.

0:14:10.120 --> 0:14:12.480
<v Speaker 1>I couldn't send us smell it, and they got better.

0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:16.400
<v Speaker 1>Finally put hamburgs and baked beans and they can and

0:14:16.520 --> 0:14:19.720
<v Speaker 1>they started mixing up better towards the end. Another thing

0:14:19.880 --> 0:14:23.320
<v Speaker 1>was orange marmelade had pieces of orange peel and it

0:14:23.440 --> 0:14:26.360
<v Speaker 1>was sitner in August and wast so bad. You used

0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:27.920
<v Speaker 1>to take the bad net and cut the can open,

0:14:28.000 --> 0:14:29.920
<v Speaker 1>room it open and pour it on the ground all

0:14:30.080 --> 0:14:33.080
<v Speaker 1>around where we're gonna eat. They swarmed her there and

0:14:33.240 --> 0:14:35.880
<v Speaker 1>leave us all and I still can't eat it for

0:14:36.000 --> 0:14:44.600
<v Speaker 1>this day. Orange marter relade got them the November and

0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:48.160
<v Speaker 1>apper day, we're in a field, seven guys to attend

0:14:48.800 --> 0:14:53.840
<v Speaker 1>mud freezing cold snow, and couldn't keep warm for nothing. Lieutenants,

0:14:53.880 --> 0:14:56.160
<v Speaker 1>you know it's the town up ahead of us, head

0:14:56.200 --> 0:14:59.240
<v Speaker 1>of school, head of the town hall, head of theater,

0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:03.080
<v Speaker 1>head of hotel, and the school shot right down. When

0:15:03.160 --> 0:15:05.880
<v Speaker 1>they had no coal and there was water in the basement.

0:15:06.000 --> 0:15:07.960
<v Speaker 1>They get no pumps the pump water out because they

0:15:08.000 --> 0:15:10.600
<v Speaker 1>didn't have any electric. And I had six rooms and

0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:13.200
<v Speaker 1>had a good sized kitchen on it, and he said,

0:15:13.280 --> 0:15:15.960
<v Speaker 1>what if we pumped the basement, I'll get the furness going.

0:15:16.240 --> 0:15:18.720
<v Speaker 1>We'll take three rooms. We'll get three rooms. Scare kids

0:15:18.760 --> 0:15:20.960
<v Speaker 1>to go to school. And they bought it. Why not?

0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:23.760
<v Speaker 1>And they ended up the kids didn't have not much

0:15:23.800 --> 0:15:25.600
<v Speaker 1>to eat. We fed them in the morning and what

0:15:25.680 --> 0:15:28.480
<v Speaker 1>we call ten of one rashes. There was enough rations

0:15:28.520 --> 0:15:31.280
<v Speaker 1>in the case for ten guys for one day. And

0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:33.360
<v Speaker 1>then the farmers didn't bring some eggs to make some

0:15:33.480 --> 0:15:35.400
<v Speaker 1>eggs with it. Once in a while, the kids we

0:15:35.400 --> 0:15:37.520
<v Speaker 1>bring milk and from the farm, but there was all

0:15:37.600 --> 0:15:39.840
<v Speaker 1>raw milk to when I was dragon, but their kids

0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:42.360
<v Speaker 1>would drink that. And they left around one or thirty

0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:44.200
<v Speaker 1>or two in the afternoon, and they always give them

0:15:44.280 --> 0:15:46.440
<v Speaker 1>a box of ki or ten of rashers to take

0:15:46.480 --> 0:15:48.640
<v Speaker 1>home with them, because he said, mom, pod got nothing

0:15:48.640 --> 0:15:54.480
<v Speaker 1>to eat, doesn't eat when we're there. From November until February, Mets,

0:15:54.600 --> 0:15:57.240
<v Speaker 1>Germany was right across the river from us, and that

0:15:57.400 --> 0:16:00.520
<v Speaker 1>was to speak west point for the Germans. They shell

0:16:00.640 --> 0:16:03.680
<v Speaker 1>us every once in a while, but couldn't miss our children.

0:16:03.800 --> 0:16:06.600
<v Speaker 1>And if you all around us the airfield and protecting

0:16:06.680 --> 0:16:09.520
<v Speaker 1>this area was a railroad terminal in this town too.

0:16:12.560 --> 0:16:14.160
<v Speaker 1>We want her up tower to one night just to

0:16:14.280 --> 0:16:15.880
<v Speaker 1>see what it was going on and have a drink.

0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:19.480
<v Speaker 1>We called her Mo. She run the hotel. The Germans

0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:22.880
<v Speaker 1>have taken it over and are terrible. She used to

0:16:22.960 --> 0:16:25.040
<v Speaker 1>raise chickens. They take them away, but she had a

0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:27.320
<v Speaker 1>small garden to take everything out of the garden. They

0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:28.880
<v Speaker 1>come in and drink, and they were out for to

0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:31.160
<v Speaker 1>pay for it or anything else. I got to talking

0:16:31.240 --> 0:16:33.000
<v Speaker 1>to her, and she can make it a dying good

0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:35.360
<v Speaker 1>drop instead for us, like an omel or something like that.

0:16:35.840 --> 0:16:39.360
<v Speaker 1>What a difference, she said, I haven't been used in

0:16:39.480 --> 0:16:41.840
<v Speaker 1>four years. Who had water in it? Right up to

0:16:41.880 --> 0:16:44.920
<v Speaker 1>the first of second row we had a mayor holding out.

0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:47.160
<v Speaker 1>We pumped it out and use it. So we pumped

0:16:47.200 --> 0:16:50.720
<v Speaker 1>the basement. Now I'll trick the first and I can

0:16:50.760 --> 0:16:53.320
<v Speaker 1>remember you at Christmas time. We're only three or four

0:16:53.400 --> 0:16:56.080
<v Speaker 1>miles from the front. We're all in their a USO.

0:16:56.920 --> 0:17:00.280
<v Speaker 1>And when you know, one bomber comes over m h

0:17:01.600 --> 0:17:05.600
<v Speaker 1>and dropped the bomb right on the main street and

0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:11.920
<v Speaker 1>slipped down main street right up to the square and stopped.

0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:15.760
<v Speaker 1>All our toury guys were in there with us. Nobody

0:17:15.920 --> 0:17:19.040
<v Speaker 1>was watching the buns or nothing, And that's the sucker.

0:17:19.080 --> 0:17:22.560
<v Speaker 1>What happened to be a dud. But the darned fool,

0:17:22.640 --> 0:17:24.119
<v Speaker 1>I want to go back and see you what he hit.

0:17:24.880 --> 0:17:26.920
<v Speaker 1>He comes back to. By that time, they are total.

0:17:26.960 --> 0:17:29.560
<v Speaker 1>You can grown out their base and they just ride

0:17:29.560 --> 0:17:34.399
<v Speaker 1>a wall off and he ready and got him. But

0:17:34.680 --> 0:17:37.119
<v Speaker 1>somebody in the town tipped him off. He said he

0:17:37.119 --> 0:17:50.399
<v Speaker 1>could have knocked the whole offen out. For most of

0:17:50.440 --> 0:17:54.120
<v Speaker 1>the time, we lived on k rations and box apples.

0:17:54.240 --> 0:17:57.239
<v Speaker 1>Who's the one I missed growing up? And said, all

0:17:57.280 --> 0:18:00.840
<v Speaker 1>going into the apples just an off normity running into

0:18:00.880 --> 0:18:03.879
<v Speaker 1>an apple archer. I think they were for Sayer a

0:18:04.040 --> 0:18:07.440
<v Speaker 1>Marbell or Coniak or whatever they make edible. But that

0:18:07.640 --> 0:18:10.280
<v Speaker 1>was the only time we run into like that. Apples.

0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:13.479
<v Speaker 1>A lot of the guys orangs was the biggest thing.

0:18:13.680 --> 0:18:16.560
<v Speaker 1>A lot of this regular orange. You never saw an

0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:21.800
<v Speaker 1>orange or he and the most saying this home is freedom.

0:18:32.119 --> 0:18:35.359
<v Speaker 1>Well we got fifty miles of Berlin with Patton's outfit.

0:18:35.640 --> 0:18:38.840
<v Speaker 1>We don't know what was going on in politically. Eisenhower

0:18:39.080 --> 0:18:41.720
<v Speaker 1>and Churchill and Saling, they said we're gonna let the

0:18:41.760 --> 0:18:45.600
<v Speaker 1>Russian sea. Patton was really ticked. Oh he was hot.

0:18:46.119 --> 0:18:49.480
<v Speaker 1>He said that, hold on, we're going south. That's where

0:18:49.480 --> 0:18:52.040
<v Speaker 1>I got to know, from central York, right through central

0:18:52.119 --> 0:18:57.200
<v Speaker 1>Germany right to Lens Austria and met the Russian Lens Austria. Oh,

0:18:57.280 --> 0:18:59.800
<v Speaker 1>they're a rough bunch of guys. Them home for four

0:19:00.160 --> 0:19:02.360
<v Speaker 1>were didn't know if they had a home or any

0:19:02.359 --> 0:19:04.720
<v Speaker 1>of the family life. They ain't have a down about nothing.

0:19:05.160 --> 0:19:07.640
<v Speaker 1>We canna get along with Williams. So finally a little

0:19:07.800 --> 0:19:10.359
<v Speaker 1>terrisor and we could go in town one night, they

0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:12.320
<v Speaker 1>could go into the town the next day. We won't

0:19:12.320 --> 0:19:15.359
<v Speaker 1>going to get because we can a big who won this?

0:19:15.560 --> 0:19:31.000
<v Speaker 1>Who won that? And then we were on the concentration camp.

0:19:32.280 --> 0:19:37.280
<v Speaker 1>He could smell that thing five miles away. Wow, it's

0:19:37.320 --> 0:19:40.679
<v Speaker 1>in central Germany. And a little town was there offered

0:19:40.760 --> 0:19:44.040
<v Speaker 1>or something like that. Then we took a half track

0:19:44.400 --> 0:19:55.360
<v Speaker 1>cope Tacadia. Most of the European, French, Americans, Holland and England,

0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:57.760
<v Speaker 1>and they said at one time he had about four

0:19:57.840 --> 0:20:01.560
<v Speaker 1>thousand and they were rough ship. They said. The Germans

0:20:01.800 --> 0:20:05.120
<v Speaker 1>left about three days before. I said, how come you guys,

0:20:05.200 --> 0:20:08.080
<v Speaker 1>and someone were able to He says, you're in Germany.

0:20:08.240 --> 0:20:10.400
<v Speaker 1>Where you gonna go? You said, you get outside the gate,

0:20:10.560 --> 0:20:12.560
<v Speaker 1>so any level to shoot you and you guys weren't

0:20:12.560 --> 0:20:15.879
<v Speaker 1>there yet. We had k rashes worth when we started

0:20:15.880 --> 0:20:19.080
<v Speaker 1>breaking open. The advantage comes that don't know. We'll kill

0:20:19.160 --> 0:20:21.480
<v Speaker 1>them if they ate too much of it. Once there's stomach,

0:20:21.520 --> 0:20:24.359
<v Speaker 1>will swalloup, give him a little bit of time. It

0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:30.040
<v Speaker 1>was he could he couldn't happen. It's just devastating. Guys

0:20:30.160 --> 0:20:32.720
<v Speaker 1>could hardly go. They were landing on the ground or

0:20:32.800 --> 0:20:35.480
<v Speaker 1>landing in a bunker. Wouldn't barracks, you know, half of

0:20:35.480 --> 0:20:37.920
<v Speaker 1>them wouldn't make it either. We talked to a couple

0:20:37.920 --> 0:20:39.920
<v Speaker 1>of guys shot down in the Air Force six or

0:20:39.960 --> 0:20:42.200
<v Speaker 1>eight months before that. They were in pretty good shape.

0:20:42.520 --> 0:20:44.560
<v Speaker 1>But some of these guys have been here for three years.

0:20:53.200 --> 0:20:57.080
<v Speaker 1>The eighth the mayor the German War is that far

0:20:57.200 --> 0:21:03.160
<v Speaker 1>after the end, I mean dense preparations. Germany herd herself

0:21:03.359 --> 0:21:10.360
<v Speaker 1>on Poland at the beginning of September, and in pursuance

0:21:10.440 --> 0:21:14.399
<v Speaker 1>of our guarantee to Poland, and in common with the

0:21:14.480 --> 0:21:19.040
<v Speaker 1>French Republic, Great Britain, the British Empire and Commonwealth of

0:21:19.200 --> 0:21:26.719
<v Speaker 1>Nations declared war upon this foul aggression. After Gallant France

0:21:26.800 --> 0:21:31.640
<v Speaker 1>had been struck down we from this island and from

0:21:31.720 --> 0:21:36.879
<v Speaker 1>our United Empire, maintained the struggle single handed for a

0:21:36.960 --> 0:21:41.560
<v Speaker 1>whole year, until we were joined by the military might

0:21:41.920 --> 0:21:46.879
<v Speaker 1>of Soviet Russia and later by the overwhelming power and

0:21:47.040 --> 0:22:00.880
<v Speaker 1>resorting of the United States of America. We get back

0:22:00.960 --> 0:22:03.720
<v Speaker 1>to France and we said, let's go see my just

0:22:03.840 --> 0:22:06.119
<v Speaker 1>went after left the last place. I went on and

0:22:06.160 --> 0:22:08.600
<v Speaker 1>saw them, Hey, how about eight or ten cases a

0:22:08.680 --> 0:22:10.360
<v Speaker 1>ten on? What you want doing it? And I told

0:22:10.440 --> 0:22:13.200
<v Speaker 1>my story to take as many as you want. We

0:22:13.320 --> 0:22:15.320
<v Speaker 1>pull up there and it was like old Company week

0:22:15.480 --> 0:22:18.920
<v Speaker 1>West in February. Now this is August. Everybody in town

0:22:19.000 --> 0:22:21.760
<v Speaker 1>comes running. Who are you guys? Man, Hey, ma, I

0:22:21.840 --> 0:22:24.040
<v Speaker 1>got some foods for you. I took that answer her,

0:22:24.200 --> 0:22:26.920
<v Speaker 1>Oh you guys, well, you have robbed the place. She

0:22:27.040 --> 0:22:29.040
<v Speaker 1>didn't want to take it. She's always stole or something.

0:22:29.960 --> 0:22:32.679
<v Speaker 1>They give it to us. The war is over all right,

0:22:33.040 --> 0:22:35.719
<v Speaker 1>You guys will never come will never see against him

0:22:36.359 --> 0:22:38.800
<v Speaker 1>suiting back when we sell or coming back to see

0:22:39.600 --> 0:22:42.920
<v Speaker 1>just excatisfied because a notice and attention to go back

0:22:43.119 --> 0:22:44.800
<v Speaker 1>to a lot of things to do would hold yet

0:22:44.960 --> 0:22:46.840
<v Speaker 1>and we hadn't been home from two over two years.

0:22:55.000 --> 0:22:58.199
<v Speaker 1>By the end of the war, six million men had

0:22:58.280 --> 0:23:03.720
<v Speaker 1>left farm life, and the meanwhile, millions of women soldiers

0:23:03.800 --> 0:23:08.200
<v Speaker 1>home on furlough for planting season, interred Japanese Americans, and

0:23:08.320 --> 0:23:12.800
<v Speaker 1>programs developed with school children made up the difference. After

0:23:12.880 --> 0:23:17.360
<v Speaker 1>the war, many returned to their farms, many others, like Bud,

0:23:18.200 --> 0:23:22.359
<v Speaker 1>did not. Bud returned to Upstate, New York and worked

0:23:22.400 --> 0:23:25.520
<v Speaker 1>at Curtis again for a short while. Then he went

0:23:25.600 --> 0:23:28.800
<v Speaker 1>back to school and eventually became a superintendent for his town,

0:23:29.200 --> 0:23:33.520
<v Speaker 1>where he worked until retirement at ninety eight. He lives

0:23:33.600 --> 0:23:36.720
<v Speaker 1>up State to this day. If curious to learn more,

0:23:37.080 --> 0:23:39.600
<v Speaker 1>head to Bud's page at service podcast dot org, or

0:23:39.760 --> 0:23:43.040
<v Speaker 1>check out our Instagram and Facebook. We are at service podcast,

0:23:43.359 --> 0:23:46.000
<v Speaker 1>where we regularly share some extra audio clips and more

0:23:46.119 --> 0:23:49.920
<v Speaker 1>nerdy food history. We met Bud at a community event

0:23:50.600 --> 0:23:53.320
<v Speaker 1>his Livingstone County just unveiled a new war memorial this

0:23:53.440 --> 0:23:56.960
<v Speaker 1>Veteran's Day and making it brought together veteran families across

0:23:57.080 --> 0:24:01.360
<v Speaker 1>many generations. In our next episode, we'll explore how such

0:24:01.400 --> 0:24:04.440
<v Speaker 1>events can help our veterans talk about their war experiences

0:24:04.920 --> 0:24:08.600
<v Speaker 1>and what part food plays in the conversation. Until then,

0:24:09.040 --> 0:24:11.639
<v Speaker 1>I invite you to invite your loved Ones to the Table.

0:24:12.440 --> 0:24:15.440
<v Speaker 1>Service is a production of I Heart Radio. This episode

0:24:15.520 --> 0:24:18.960
<v Speaker 1>was produced and edited by me Jacqueline Reposo. Misty Boddiger

0:24:19.000 --> 0:24:22.119
<v Speaker 1>assisted in production of this episode. Gabrielle Collins is our

0:24:22.160 --> 0:24:26.320
<v Speaker 1>supervising producer. Christopher hassiotis our executive producer. Thank you to

0:24:26.400 --> 0:24:29.800
<v Speaker 1>Jason Skinner of Livingstone County Veteran Services for connecting us

0:24:29.840 --> 0:24:32.920
<v Speaker 1>with Bud for this episode. Thank you for listening. Don't

0:24:32.960 --> 0:24:35.520
<v Speaker 1>forget to subscribe to Service on your favorite platform so

0:24:35.600 --> 0:24:37.960
<v Speaker 1>you never miss an episode, and thanks for dropping a

0:24:38.040 --> 0:24:41.000
<v Speaker 1>review while you're at it. Most of all, thank you

0:24:41.119 --> 0:24:43.639
<v Speaker 1>to those who are serving and those who have served