Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
5:31 | Tom Hanlon was a telephone wireman with an infantry battalion moving through the snow in Italy. He recalls the time a planned assault had to be cancelled because of the heavy snowfall. His unit pulled back and trained for more action. (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
Keywords : Tom Hanlon telephone wireman headquarters (HQ) snow German weather forecast Florence Italy Marina di Pisa Kings Forest Po River
He felt guilty because others his age were fighting, so, in 1943, Tom Hanlon left college and notified his draft board that they could have him. After basic training, he sailed in a convoy for Italy. (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
At the Royal Palace in Caserta, GI Tom Hanlon was busy being an electrician, making the huge building into a place the US Army could use. It was good duty, so, naturally, he was sent away as a replacement on the front. (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
Tanks were heard rumbling nearby, so a platoon of men was sent to find out if they were German or if they were from the nearby British unit. Tom Hanlon recalls the tense moment when they were challenged from the bushes for the password. While on the move, the rain was a constant, miserable companion. (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
While offline on the Italian front, Tom Hanlon very much enjoyed the resort area where his unit had moved. He was issued winter gear and moved back on line where he found himself with a new job, telephone wireman. (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
The units on the Italian front were all connected with long telephone lines quickly strung out on the ground. Tom Hanlon had the job of finding breaks in the line and repairing them. Sounds easy, but on his second outing, he wound up covered with something unbelievable thanks to a German mortar round. (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
Tom Hanlon recalls when his unit received brightly colored markers to lay out on the road when they were traveling, to keep friendly planes from mistaking them for Germans. Just because he was a telephone wireman, it did not mean he was not in danger and he has the decoration to prove it. (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
The Germans were retreating, but Tom Hanlon still had to worry about snipers. The telephone wireman suddenly had nothing to do when communications procedure was changed due to the ongoing rout of the enemy. (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
Ton Hanlon's unit was on the move when a group of Italian children waved them over. Would you please come liberate our town? (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
Tom Hanlon's unit moved across northern Italy, from mountain to mountain, until they were ordered to stop where they were. The war in Italy was over. He came down from his lofty final advance to run a telephone exchange in Pisa until it was time to go home. (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
Tom Hanlon was riding down the road in a jeep pulling a trailer full of empty water containers. What could go wrong? (This interview made possible with the support of MS. KETURAH THUNDER-HAAB.)
