Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
7:17 | Angelo Demos was the son of Greek immigrants, so naturally he'd spend his early years living through the Great Depression and working in the diners. He recalls seeing the heroes of wars past as a child and how it impacted him. When it came time to go to war, both he and his brother answered the call.
Keywords : Great Depression enlist induction General John J. Pershing Enlisted Reserve Corps (ERC)
Leaving Liverpool, Angelo was bound for the front lines to be assigned to his new unit. He recalls landing on Omaha beach, seeing the remnants of war, and being trucked to the Gremercy Forest where he’d reach the Company Command Post. Soon after, he’d see his first trial by fire.
Angelo discusses some of the men he served with in E. Co., a unit that had seen severe casualties by the time he arrived as a replacement.
In the winter of 1945, Angelo and the men of E Company would find themselves taking control of the town of Rheinberg along the Rhine River. He recalls the patrol that kept the rest of his men from falling into a trap.
The 35th Infantry Division was being pulled from Southern France towards the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944. Angelo describes the turkey dinner they were provided en route, and the ambivalence of some French women as American forces moved north. What he didn't realize is that his previous unit, the 106th Infantry Division faced massive casualties where he was headed.
The Germans utilized a series of spies under Otto Skorzeny who would infiltrate Allied forces during the Battle of the Bulge in an attempt to disrupt their advancement. Angelo recalls one instance where one of these suspected spies crossed his path, but was less than successful in their mission.
Being a new replacement in an already tested unit was not easy, but he quickly got enough experience that a new platoon leader would need him to teach him how to lead a patrol.
In November of 1944, Angelo Demos would be thrust out of the Gremercy Forest into more fighting. While fighting house to house, he came across a German woman and had a shocking realization.
While in Recklinghausen, Angelo was trying to deal with a large group of captured Germans when he noticed one attempting to run away. In his attempt stop the escape, he came face to face with 15 enemy soldiers with a machine gun.
Angelo leaves us with some thoughts about how we should remember the WWII generation and what that period of time meant to him.
