Hey JCFalkenbergIII, I see that you and some of the other guys allready put up some experiences of Allied soldiers. But could you also put up experiences of Soviet soldiers?

Because I've heard and read lots of stories about Soviet soldiers being ordered by their superiors to fight to their deaths, getting shot for ''deserting'' or retreating, forced to sacrifice their lives just to make some progress, being put under terrible arctic circumstances (just like the Germans) and lots of other cruelties. This happened especially in Stalingrad and other parts of the ''motherland''.

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Regards, Noël.

I'm property of

When I first put up the original article it was because I beleive it was a perfect example of what a SOLDIER really experiences in wartime. I gave no thought as to whether it was an American or other nationality. But I think you miss the point of what the thread is about. I felt the the articles transended race,politcal beliefs and nationalities. And they certainly were not posted to show that the US soldiers had it the worse or were more effected by the War then others.They were posted to show what war is really like as opposed to what some here think it really is. The "glorious" and "awesome" . These personal views I feel typify the average soldier in all armies.There was not any intent to leave out the Soviets or the Germans. I would have posted them if they were Soviet and German too. Or any other country for that matter. These experiences happen in all the armies of the world be it American,Soviet,Japanese,Chinese Italian, Ect. And all the others that fought and died. If you feel the need to post stories from other armies then please do so. They would be a welcome addition to this thread.

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

I don't think there is any bias here at all. I would think the story told is common to all most any WWI soldier in battle. Are you biased because you have a US General in your avatar and not a British, Russian, Canadian, Chinese, or French one as well?

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"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance." Socrates

Well, I didn't mean that this topic was biased with Allied esperiences only.
I was simply making a suggestion to add experiences of for-instance Soviet or Axis forces. I would also be interested in reading those, because I've read mainly literature written by Allied soldiers (for example: ''All the way to Berlin'' by ltc. James Megellas & ''Blood on Borneo'' by Jack Wong Sue).

So, I wasn't trying to be bias in any way.

About my avatar: I chose George Patton, because I personally thought he was one hell of a general. Always first to fight and never willing to back off (and a bit crazy ). I wouldn't care if he wasn't Allied, but Axis, it's about the person, not the nationality.

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Regards, Noël.

I'm property of

Well like the thead is entitled "A SOLDIER Strips the Romance Out of Life at War ". You can add if you want like others have. If you can find a story that is better then the first in explaining how a SOLDIER felt and viewed the war please post one. And you will notice I didn't say "American". "Russian",British,Dutch,Finnish,Chinese,Indian,Jap anese. Its the SOLDIER feelings and events. Not the Country. As many here have known and seen I post many things about ALL the countries involved in the war. The first story to me and others has really shown what a individual's thoughts and views on war can be. That is the intent of this thread. To be truthful I am a little disturbed that nationality had to be brought up. It all comes down to the individual no matter what country.

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

I completely understand.
So I'll apologize to you & Otto that I brought nationalities, but you can't ignore the fact that different armies in general have different ways to fight, lead and more. That also causes different experiences, because for example: some superiors (especially the USSR) would order their men to carry out a frontal charge on a MG post or tank, while superiors from a different country's army would try to find other ways to get past such obstacles. That causes a big difference between experiences.

Anyway, I'll shut up about this subject now and keep an eye on this topic to read more experiences of individual soldiers and their personal opinions about the war.

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Regards, Noël.

I'm property of

Here is a site with a large number of Soviet soldier memoirs. I hope this will be useful in replying to Xcombatx query.

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Thanks alot for that very useful link, Za Rodinu!

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Regards, Noël.

I'm property of

And yet no one is ignoring that. This is about the PERSONAL experiences. There are many threads on the way that the different forces fought and was lead in the war here on the forums. The experiences of these individual go way past that. For most soldiers the way they experienced the war were quite similar to others in the war. And quite alot died in the same ways as others in different parts of the world.

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

Thank you XcombatX, glad to help!

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I dont have any actual experience in a war... THANK GOD!!! But I have been in the service, and in my studies to become an EMT I have seen what bullets can do, and it's not anything like what they show you on John Wayne flicks, but it is EXACTLY like it is when wade the medic dies in SPR.

Case in point, Donnie... Donnie was my first patient when I did my clinical ride-alongs. I remember his name because it was tatooed on his left forearm. He was just anothe inner city crack head in the wrong place at the wrong time, when someone plugged him once in the shoulder, once in the chest, and once in the right leg. the bullet in his leg severed his femoral artery, grazing his scrotum as it entered and exited.

This is directed to all you younger guys out there, the ones who think it'd be cool to fight in a war. There is nothing cool, noble or brave about a 50 year old man lying naked in the middle of the street on St. Patricks day, screaming for his Mother while most of his blood runs down the little side drain of the street. I have never seen so much blood before, and it amazed me that you could see him turning blue even though it was 1:30 AM and he was black, you could see his life draining away. I held pressure on his femoral artery the whole way to the hospital while my partnet worked to save his life. he kept screaming, trying to get up, and my 2 partners and a fireman all had to hold him down just to get the IV in. There was blood everywhere, I put all my weight (280 lbs )into the pressure point just to try and stop him from bleeding. You cant move, because you have to hold your hand there the whole time,or else he bleeds out.You have this mans life in your hands, and you cant find any comfort for yourself,even when his penis keeps flopping over on to your hand (which is a really nasty feeling btw),because if you think of your own comfort, he dies.

I never found out what happened to him, but he barely made it to the hospital.I had blood in my socks and shoes by the time it was over. Now, I imagine this one instant in my life, and transfer it to my own military career, and try to imagine the same scenario on a grander scale, with bullets and artillery...... I think I've gotten as close to war as I ever care to.

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Those who kept silent yesterday will remain silent tomorrow"
~Elie Wiesel~

I too have seen enough of what man can do to man. I was an orderly at a local hospital know for its trauma unit. I have seen shooting ,stabbings blunt trauma,burns,posion and many other ways of dying and dismemberment. When one day my friend came though the emergency doors that was my last day working there. I bet if they spent some time in a trauma ward thier attitudes would change. But nothing compares to what these men went through and experienced. Recently one of our newbies has stated that it would be "cool" to serve in the Waffen SS and use a MG-42. I wonder if he thought it out to where the odds are good that the one to be killed or wounded would be himself too. Bullets,bombs and shells go both ways. And the only way I think it would be "cool" is if I owned one and was able to fire it on the range. But it would not be "cool" to use it against a fellow human being. I don't think that some really understand the reality of war and death. They equate it what they have seen on TV and games and in the movies.

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

Ive seen the veterans of Iraq at my local YMCA, one with most of his right calf muscle missing, so his leg looks like nothing more than bone wrapped in scarred skin. I think he'd agree with us JC

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Those who kept silent yesterday will remain silent tomorrow"
~Elie Wiesel~

LOL I should rephrase that. He stated he would want to serve in the Waffen SS and that the MG-42 was cool. I wonder if they understand that when serving in the miltary you don't really have a choice where you serve or what weapon you are issued with? LOL. And just because you are serving in the Waffen SS that you would have a chance to be fighting against the Western Allies also. even if it is WWII I would not want to fight against the US. Especially even if it is a "What If?' .

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

Back to the subject. If anyone else would like to post a story from a soldier from any country that is just as concise ,poignant and expressive and showing the true face of war please do.

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

WW II vet recalls horrors of battle

By CHUCK CRUMBO - ccrumbo@thestate.com

A bullet hit the frozen ground in front of Mel Brandenburg’s foxhole, causing him to flinch. A second shot struck him in the upper left arm.
With the help of a buddy, Brandenburg used his belt to make a tourniquet. Then he walked toward the rear, looking for a medic.
“It was the worst walk of my life,” Brandenburg said Friday, his voice quivering with emotion. “I had to walk by my buddies who were dead in the field.”
Brandenburg, who was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, talked about his experiences during the annual World War II memorial program at the Dorn VA Medical Center.
Friday’s event marked the 63rd anniversary of the day in 1945 when President Truman accepted Japan’s surrender, ending World War II. Germany had surrendered four months earlier.
The Battle of the Bulge was one of the bloodiest and largest battles between U.S. and German Forces in World War II.
When the three-week-long struggle in the bone-chilling and dark forests of the Ardennes ended in early January 1945, the Americans had suffered 81,000 casualties, including 19,000 killed. The German toll topped 100,000.
At battle’s end, Hitler’s army, which had made a last gasp offense to split the allied forces, had been destroyed.
Brandenburg’s recollections of the battles he fought with the 78th Infantry Division held the attention of most veterans in the audience.
When Brandenburg, of Batesburg-Leesville, joked about going on too long, audience members told him to “go on, go on.”
Recounting the horrors of the battle and what it was like to see his buddies die brought nods from many in the audience.
Although he was deployed in the South Pacific, Joe S. Derrick, of Batesburg-Leesville, said the battlefield experience was similar.
“Especially the part about everybody getting killed,” said Derrick, a former Army MP. “It was just a matter of survival.”
James Fowler, of Newberry, also identified with Brandenburg’s experiences.
“I remember a lot of the things he was talking about,” said Fowler, who was a member of the Army’s Quartermaster Corps. “I went to the same places in England, France and Belgium.”
The one thing all veterans from any war could identify with was the 86-year-old Brandenburg’s recollections of the impersonal randomness of death on the battlefield.
Returning to his story about seeking aid for his wounded arm, Brandenburg said he tried to climb aboard an ambulance for a ride to a field hospital.
But there was no room, so Brandenburg had to wait.
“Minutes later, the ambulance took a direct hit, and none of them survived,” Brandenburg said.
“Only God knows why I’m still here.”
The vets nodded.

The State | 08/16/2008 | WW II vet recalls horrors of battle

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

“Especially the part about everybody getting killed,” said Derrick, a former Army MP. “It was just a matter of survival.”

Exactly.

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.