Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans

COMBAT STORIES FROM World War II

John Reitz | 262nd Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division - Army

6:48   |   He heard the pitch at 17 years old. Join the Army reserve, spend two years at college and get your bars. That sounded great to John Reitz, but after only two months, he was activated. The trumpet player had secured a spot in an Air Force band, but in classic Army style, he wound up in an infantry unit headed for Europe. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.)

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Keywords   :     John Reitz    Cedar Rapids IA    Oregon    University of Oregon    reserve    Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)    Fairchild Air Force Base    trumpet    band    Fort Lewis    Mineral Wells TX    Camp Blanding    Okefenokee Swamp

Videos ( 7 )
WWII
  • John Reitz  |  WWII  |  262nd Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division  |  5:08

    John Reitz discusses the communications equipment used in his infantry unit and his responsibilities. He'd received that training and was headed across the Atlantic in the fall of 1944 to join the European campaign. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.)

  • John Reitz  |  WWII  |  262nd Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division  |  3:32

    During his short stay in England, John Reitz had more training and his infantry unit received new weapons. It was two miles to the pub, but that was just a short stroll to infantrymen. Their machine guns were late, which prompted a little ingenuity to get the packing grease cleaned off in time to ship out. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.)

  • John Reitz  |  WWII  |  262nd Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division  |  6:31

    They were late to the ship, having tended to the equipment, so John Reitz and his sergeant were put in a different part of the SS Leopoldville from their unit. His spot was just above the water line, which was to mean a lot to him once they were a few miles from Cherbourg. Part 1 of 4. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.)

  • John Reitz  |  WWII  |  262nd Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division  |  5:46

    John Reitz had made it out of the flooding lower decks and was at the rail on the top deck of the SS Leopoldville. The crew had fled. The ship was slowly sinking and his options were narrowed to one. He slid down the rising angle of the deck into the water. Part 2 of 4. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.)

  • John Reitz  |  WWII  |  262nd Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division  |  4:51

    He'd been rescued from the frigid water of the English Channel, but John Reitz was still cold as he made it to the docks of Cherbourg. He got dry clothes, thanks to the hospitality of a quartermaster unit, and he also got a large glass of some unknown beverage. Part 3 of 4. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.)

  • John Reitz  |  WWII  |  262nd Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division  |  5:57

    In the aftermath of the sinking of the SS Leopoldville, John Reitz wandered the streets of Cherbourg for two days. He was contemplating something he never would have imagined before he realized that this war could very well kill him. Part 4 of 4. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.)

  • John Reitz  |  WWII  |  262nd Infantry Regiment, 66th Infantry Division  |  4:09

    They gave John Reitz the big pitch about staying in the Army Reserves once he returned from Europe. There wasn't much chance of that happening, as he makes clear. He returned to his career in music, embittered by his military experience. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.)

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