Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
6:21 | Bill McCarthy was a radio operator attached to a forward observer unit in Italy. He had just narrowly avoided a round from a German 88 when the Stuka came screaming down. He dove under a tank, there was a blast and he lost consciousness. (This interview is audio only.)
Keywords : Bill McCarthy Anzio Italy M5 Light Tank strafed Forward Observer (FO) German 88 mm gun Junkers Ju 87 (Stuka) concussion ambulance hospital
Bill McCarthy outlines his war odyssey with the 1st Armored Division, which started in North Africa and ended in Italy. The radioman didn't face much danger in Africa, but when he got to Italy he had some close calls. (This interview is audio only.)
He was safe in North Africa, except for the occasional air raid. The real problem for Bill McCarthy was the larcenous locals and the train rides in the notorious forty-and-eights. (This interview is audio only.)
After recovering from an injury, radio operator Bill McCarthy went to a new unit, the 4th Tank Battalion. When they found out he could splice wire, he became the wire chief for the unit. This was a busy job because the combat telephone lines were constantly being damaged and cut. (This interview is audio only.)
Bill McCarthy has a Presidential Unit Citation on his sleeve, thanks to FDR, who gave the award to his unit shortly before his death. But that wasn't the highlight of his service in Italy. That would be what happened when he visited the Vatican. (This interview is audio only.)
There were so many Germans trying to surrender at the end of the war that it became an annoyance to Bill McCarthy while in North Italy. He narrowly avoided being shipped to China, but a slow boat there may have been preferable to his ride home in a Liberty Ship. (This interview is audio only.)
His time in the war zone was filled with surprising experiences, like stumbling over a German 88 shell and digging a foxhole that saved someone's life later on. Bill McCarthy and his comrades did what they had to do when they had to do it, but they also took time to make the day into what they wanted. (This interview is audio only.)
