Richard D. Courtney

Richard D. Courtney is the author of the book "Normandy To The Bulge - An American Infantry GI In Europe During World War II".

When I had contacted Mr. Courtney to ask if he would like to contribute a story to this book that I was trying to compile, he wrote a letter back and stated that he tried to think of anything that he had left out of his own book, but couldn't come up with anything of interest. He then suggested that I consider using an incident from his book. This is one of the short stories in "Normandy To The Bulge" that really stuck out in my mind after reading it.

Richard D. Courtney

Some of the rooms and cellars on L street were connected, some by a hole in the wall, some by a doorframe, and some by a missing wall due to artillery fire. We had to make sure the Germans did not infiltrate the cellar by crawling through one of these interconnecting holes.

One dark night, after I had come up with supplies from the base house, I was soaked through to the skin from pouring rain. I crawled into one of the cellar rooms and lay prone on a big pile of coal briquets. It must have been a huge coal cellar for an apartment building. I lay there shivering for a while trying not to make any noise. At least I was in out of the rain.

About an hour later I heard movement on the other side of the coal pile. Another man was in the same cellar room. I could not be sure if he had been there when I arrived, or if I had dozed off and he came in then. I tried not to even breathe as I strained to hear any telltale noise that might indicate he was a German or American.

He also became as motionless as possible as he, no doubt, strained to hear who I was. We had all become tuned to certain telltale equipment sounds that could give you away. For example, an American mess kit made an identifiable sound. Our GI-issue eating utensils were separate pieces and, unless wrapped in a towel or cloth, could make noise. The German spoon, fork, and knife fit into a spring clip that helped to keep them noiseless and easier to carry.

I had long ago gotten rid of my mess kit fork and knife and only kept the big GI spoon in my shirt pocket. This is the sort of thing one learns in combat that is not taught in training.

As we both lay there, trying to be as quiet as possible, I became aware of how hungry I was. Not having a K-ration in my jacket pocket, I remembered I had a small Milky Way candy bar inside my shirt pocket that I had saved. Ever so slowly, I slid it out of my shirt pocket. It was wet and wrinkled from being crushed against my side when I crawled into the cellar.

Hunger won out over caution as I slowly started to tear off the wrapper. It seemed to me that each tear of the paper wrapper sounded like a drum beat, or was that my heartbeat? As I peeled the paper off the candy bar, I had a mental flashback to that Saturday night at the theater in Nashville when we tore the paper wrapping from the apple pies. Then we only had to be concerned about dirty looks.

After many minutes of careful effort, I placed the candy in my mouth and began to chew. Just then it hit me! "You dope! You are being so careful not to make noise and alert the other man that you forgot about smell! The smell of chocolate being eaten! Now you have done it for sure! If he is German, he will know I am an American because the Germans don't ever have any chocolate."

I swallowed the last bit of the Milky Way and lay there not making a sound, fully expecting a potato masher grenade to land near me in the dark. That night seemed to last an eternity before a dim bluish gray dawn sent some rays down the cellar steps. After it got a little brighter, I carefully moved around the coal pile to the other side.

The other man was gone, I could see the trail of coal briquets that were scattered as he left and there, lying on the pile of briquets, was a German potato masher grenade. In the darkness it could easily be confused with the feel of a briquet. Had the German placed the potato masher on the coal pile and then not been able to find it again in the dark? The chocolate smell would surely have given me away as American, or did he have a cold and couldn't smell? Why didn't he throw that grenade across the pile of coal? I'll never know.

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Normandy to the Bulge has been republished with a new chapter that was originally left out of the first edition. For more information, go to his new publishers website at www.lulu.com/content/1226821.

And Painting the Milkweeds tells the story of how Mr. Courtney and his family survived the Great Depression of the 1930s by relying on their strong faith, sense of optimism, and old-fashioned ingenuity www.lulu.com/content/4095239.

Also, Mr. Courtney's niece, Elaine, published a book of love letters written by her father who also served in WW2. All on Account of You is a love story which is a compilation of her mother's memoirs and her dad's letters. (Elaine's mother is the sister of Mr. Courtney.) You may be interested in it as well. Or visit the author's site at www.klonicki.com.

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INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD COURTNEY

What was the common attitude of the people of America concerning the possibility of going to war before the attack on Pearl Harbor?

No one planned or thought about going to war.

What are your memories of December 7th, 1941?

December 7, 1941 I was in a candy store when someone came in and said, “The Japs bombed us?” I left for home on a Sunday afternoon to find my dad and older brothers glued to the radio to hear the news about Pearl Harbor. They had been listening to a Chicago Bears football game.

In what branch of the service did you enlist and what were your reasons for doing so?

I enlisted in the Army Infantry because I had been trained in the PA State Guard and my two older brothers were drafted and it seemed like the thing to do.

What was boot camp like and are there any memories that stand out for you?

Infantry basic training was tough and hot in South Carolina but we all survived and were stronger men as a result.

Can you give a brief summary of the places you were assigned after boot camp up until being sent overseas?

After basic training I was sent to West VA University as a part of a STP School. By January 1, 1944 I was in the 26th Infantry Division at Camp Campbell, KY. Then on to Tennessee winter maneuvers and then Fort Jackson S.C. By August 1944, I took a train to Camp Shanks NY. I had a twelve hour pass to New York City. The next day I boarded the SS Argentina and landed on Normandy, France September 7th. What happens in the next year I tell in detail in my book Normandy to the Bulge (Normandy to the Bulge is available through the link on the bottom of this page).

What were your feelings upon receiving orders to go overseas?

We were all excited that we were finally going over to Europe.

Once you landed on foreign soil, was it as you thought it would be?

France sort of looked what I expected.

Did you feel at any time you would not make it back?

No, I never felt that I would not make it back. I had faith in my good Lord who would protect me and He did.

Where were you and how did you feel when you found out about the surrender of Germany?

I was in Ebenau, Czechoslovakia, a small village with one squad and we were mad because we had nothing to celebrate with. We envied Paris and New York.

What did you think when you heard about the dropping of the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

We were glad because it would end the war.

Where were you and what was your reaction when you heard about the surrender of Japan?

I was in Austria and we were relieved because we were slated to go fight in the CBI.

Do you feel as if all the men you served with were like a brotherhood?

Yes, a real brotherhood with a few exceptions.

Have you kept in touch with any of your friends that you served with through the years?

Yes, I did keep in touch with members of my platoon but they have all died except me.

Do you feel having served your country changed your life at all?

Yes, I matured and I saw lots of Europe.

Are you proud to have served your country?

Yes, I am proud to have served my country.

Thinking of your war experiences and seeing the current situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, what are your feelings about what is happening?

I am proud of our Army. They are the finest men in our nation. We should continue to fight until the enemies are defeated.

In closing is there anything you would like to say?

I think every young man should at least serve one year in the military to learn discipline.

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