Post by floydragsdale on Jun 7, 2014 19:34:54 GMT -5
While stationed in the States, if a Soldier was not feeling well, he went on Sick call in the morning. Depending on the seriousness of a Soldiers’ condition he could be treated at the Company, Battalion, Regimental level, or at the Base Hospital.
During the B.O.B. a wounded Soldier was treated A.S.A.P., however it might be immediately or hours afterwards because of circumstances of events as they developed during the action.
The afternoon of January 14, 1945, G Company was on the march in the Ardennes Forest to the next objective (Ennal, Belgium).Yet, only the Company Officers knew our next objective and where it was).
During a ten-minute break I sought our Company Medic to get relief for a fever that had been bothering me all day. However, he was nowhere in sight. Consequently, from one of our officers, I requested permission to seek help from a medic at another Company. “Request denied” was the response from that Officer.
That fever stayed with this Soldier the balance of that day and into the next morning; a time that our Company continued our hike toward the hamlet of Ennal, Belgium.
Suddenly, G Company was halted, with the majority of the men in a valley, however nineteen of us were left exposed on a hillside just out side of Ennal. In the meantime time, a German Soldier in the village observed those of us standing on the hillside. In less time than it takes to tell about it, German machine gun fire sprayed the hillside where we were standing.
As I recall the incident, every American Soldier on the side of that hill was wounded. Some, including our Company Commander, about ten yards behind me, lost their lives. The enemy gunfire was so intense that those of us on the side of the hill were pinned down for several hours that morning.
Men were crying, “Medic, help me, I’ve been hit”! Gunfire ripped across my clothes in the chest area, shoulders and lower extremities. Even though being wounded, the air was so bitter cold that I didn’t realize it. Also, by this time my body ached with fever. An internal (?) voice said, “Don’t move Ragsdale, if you do you’re dead.
Finally, a gift from heaven sheltered the area with a heavy fog; the Germans couldn’t see us and we couldn’t see them.
Unable to get on my feet I began crawling, on my belly, toward better cover. An ambulance crew spotted several of us threshing about in the snow; immediately they ascertained our condition, loaded us in their ambulance and away we went to a collecting station for battle casualties.
While in the Ambulance this Soldier was given a pill and cup of water. - - - Hours later, piano playing and singing greeted me as I was waking up.
Where am I? “ thoughts aroused me as I slowly awoke from a deep sleep. Gradually, my senses determined that, I was on an Army Stretcher; boots & socks had been removed. My feet did not feel as if they belonged to me, nor did most of my body for that matter.
Thoughts like that were running through my head as an Army Medic squeezed my toes to check the blood circulation in my feet. While continuing to examine me. he began questioning me about my condition
My complaints of having a fever and body chills definitely produced action on the part of that medic.
Soon, this Soldier was loaded in another Ambulance and whisked away to a Army Hospital.
Food did not interest me. All this Soldier wanted was to lay down in a warm bed.
Examination results disclosed that an acute case of something (name forgotten) had infected my intestines.
While in that Hospital a nurse discovered bloodstains on my bedclothes that were from flesh wounds on my buttock area.
A Nurse inquired, “Do you want to be written up for a Purple Heart?" Thinking of the maimed and severely wounded Soldiers that were very fresh in memory, my feelings and reply was “No! - - -(I was too soon dumb and too late smart.)
It was approximately three weeks before my insides settled down to the point where this GI could eat a meal without having to sit on a bedpan, or make a dash to the latrine facilities.
Just before leaving that hospital, this Soldier had the opportunity to save the life of severely wounded German Soldier! He needed a blood transfusion before the Doctors could perform surgery on him. A nurse said to me, “We do not have his blood type on hand and people in the hospital who are eligible, refuse to give him blood. However, your blood matches his, will you give him a pint of your blood” she said. However, I’ll understand if you refuse,” she continued on.
While going to the area in the Hospital were the German Soldier (now a P.O.W.) was confined to a bed, my thoughts were, “This is just days after the Malmady Massacre, where almost a hundred American P.O.W.’s were slaughtered by German S.S. Storm Troopers.
Looking at the critically wounded German Soldier, I thought, “How would I feel if that were me laying there?” Looking the Nurse straight in the eye, I replied, Yes, I’ll give him blood!
A few minutes later this Soldier was on a hospital bed along side that “enemy Soldier”, while a pint of my blood was flowing from my body to his.
Upon leaving the Hospital that morning I had visions of that German Soldier living to see his family again. Yet, I never really knew the rest that story.
Somewhere, on the way back to the front lines, I was standing in an Army chow line, within the confines of an old chateau when a German Buzz Bomb fell to the ground nearby. It exploded, scattering debris and broken glass all over inside of that building.
Many Soldiers in that structure sustained injuries by pieces of flying glass; including me. Yet my wounds were minor and once again I declined a second opportunity for a Purple Heart award.
Too soon dumb and too late smart, a 2nd time.
After all, I was just a kid, fresh out of High School and didn’t know any better. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be very long before I regretted making those two decisions since Purple Heart awards had value on a Soldiers’ Army record during the World War II years and to this day.
Many of my fellow Soldiers didn’t live to see the shores of the U.S.A. again however, this old veteran did and for that I feel very thankful and blessed in many ways.
Had I received those two Purple Heart awards it would be embarrassing to relate how this Veteran got those medals and how minor those wounds were.
Finally, there are, to this day, scarred memories in the minds of many soldiers. They are noticeable only to them. No ribbons exist for those memories and one thing is certain, they are everlasting and eternally etched in the mind in the individual Soldier.
Floyd
424th Regiment
During the B.O.B. a wounded Soldier was treated A.S.A.P., however it might be immediately or hours afterwards because of circumstances of events as they developed during the action.
The afternoon of January 14, 1945, G Company was on the march in the Ardennes Forest to the next objective (Ennal, Belgium).Yet, only the Company Officers knew our next objective and where it was).
During a ten-minute break I sought our Company Medic to get relief for a fever that had been bothering me all day. However, he was nowhere in sight. Consequently, from one of our officers, I requested permission to seek help from a medic at another Company. “Request denied” was the response from that Officer.
That fever stayed with this Soldier the balance of that day and into the next morning; a time that our Company continued our hike toward the hamlet of Ennal, Belgium.
Suddenly, G Company was halted, with the majority of the men in a valley, however nineteen of us were left exposed on a hillside just out side of Ennal. In the meantime time, a German Soldier in the village observed those of us standing on the hillside. In less time than it takes to tell about it, German machine gun fire sprayed the hillside where we were standing.
As I recall the incident, every American Soldier on the side of that hill was wounded. Some, including our Company Commander, about ten yards behind me, lost their lives. The enemy gunfire was so intense that those of us on the side of the hill were pinned down for several hours that morning.
Men were crying, “Medic, help me, I’ve been hit”! Gunfire ripped across my clothes in the chest area, shoulders and lower extremities. Even though being wounded, the air was so bitter cold that I didn’t realize it. Also, by this time my body ached with fever. An internal (?) voice said, “Don’t move Ragsdale, if you do you’re dead.
Finally, a gift from heaven sheltered the area with a heavy fog; the Germans couldn’t see us and we couldn’t see them.
Unable to get on my feet I began crawling, on my belly, toward better cover. An ambulance crew spotted several of us threshing about in the snow; immediately they ascertained our condition, loaded us in their ambulance and away we went to a collecting station for battle casualties.
While in the Ambulance this Soldier was given a pill and cup of water. - - - Hours later, piano playing and singing greeted me as I was waking up.
Where am I? “ thoughts aroused me as I slowly awoke from a deep sleep. Gradually, my senses determined that, I was on an Army Stretcher; boots & socks had been removed. My feet did not feel as if they belonged to me, nor did most of my body for that matter.
Thoughts like that were running through my head as an Army Medic squeezed my toes to check the blood circulation in my feet. While continuing to examine me. he began questioning me about my condition
My complaints of having a fever and body chills definitely produced action on the part of that medic.
Soon, this Soldier was loaded in another Ambulance and whisked away to a Army Hospital.
Food did not interest me. All this Soldier wanted was to lay down in a warm bed.
Examination results disclosed that an acute case of something (name forgotten) had infected my intestines.
While in that Hospital a nurse discovered bloodstains on my bedclothes that were from flesh wounds on my buttock area.
A Nurse inquired, “Do you want to be written up for a Purple Heart?" Thinking of the maimed and severely wounded Soldiers that were very fresh in memory, my feelings and reply was “No! - - -(I was too soon dumb and too late smart.)
It was approximately three weeks before my insides settled down to the point where this GI could eat a meal without having to sit on a bedpan, or make a dash to the latrine facilities.
Just before leaving that hospital, this Soldier had the opportunity to save the life of severely wounded German Soldier! He needed a blood transfusion before the Doctors could perform surgery on him. A nurse said to me, “We do not have his blood type on hand and people in the hospital who are eligible, refuse to give him blood. However, your blood matches his, will you give him a pint of your blood” she said. However, I’ll understand if you refuse,” she continued on.
While going to the area in the Hospital were the German Soldier (now a P.O.W.) was confined to a bed, my thoughts were, “This is just days after the Malmady Massacre, where almost a hundred American P.O.W.’s were slaughtered by German S.S. Storm Troopers.
Looking at the critically wounded German Soldier, I thought, “How would I feel if that were me laying there?” Looking the Nurse straight in the eye, I replied, Yes, I’ll give him blood!
A few minutes later this Soldier was on a hospital bed along side that “enemy Soldier”, while a pint of my blood was flowing from my body to his.
Upon leaving the Hospital that morning I had visions of that German Soldier living to see his family again. Yet, I never really knew the rest that story.
Somewhere, on the way back to the front lines, I was standing in an Army chow line, within the confines of an old chateau when a German Buzz Bomb fell to the ground nearby. It exploded, scattering debris and broken glass all over inside of that building.
Many Soldiers in that structure sustained injuries by pieces of flying glass; including me. Yet my wounds were minor and once again I declined a second opportunity for a Purple Heart award.
Too soon dumb and too late smart, a 2nd time.
After all, I was just a kid, fresh out of High School and didn’t know any better. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be very long before I regretted making those two decisions since Purple Heart awards had value on a Soldiers’ Army record during the World War II years and to this day.
Many of my fellow Soldiers didn’t live to see the shores of the U.S.A. again however, this old veteran did and for that I feel very thankful and blessed in many ways.
Had I received those two Purple Heart awards it would be embarrassing to relate how this Veteran got those medals and how minor those wounds were.
Finally, there are, to this day, scarred memories in the minds of many soldiers. They are noticeable only to them. No ribbons exist for those memories and one thing is certain, they are everlasting and eternally etched in the mind in the individual Soldier.
Floyd
424th Regiment
