NEW VIDEOS

Charles Mahaffey

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Charles Mahaffey was one of many men to go through the Army's basic training program. Many who finished early would end up fighting on the beaches in Italy, but Charles thought he had a bit of luck and ended up training with an anti-aircraft artillery battalion. (3:42)

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The trip overseas was long for many ships who needed to avoid German U-Boats, but Charles Mahaffey was able to go to Europe about the Queen Mary, one of the fastest ships in the Atlantic. While in England, they would prepare for the eventual invasion of mainland Europe. Moving men over the channel is one task, but moving their anti-aircraft guns would be another difficult endeavor. (4:52)

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Charles Mahaffey briefly describes his involvement during the Battle of the Bulge where his battalion was tasked with provided anti-air support for the struggling American forces. One of the biggest threats for all was the biting, December cold of Northern Europe. (3:36)

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The Battle of Remagen was a big turning point in the march to Berlin. The Rhine River served as a natural impediment to America's progress, and the Germans would try desperately to destroy the last remaining bridges. Charles Mahaffey recalls being one of the first anti-aircraft groups to cross the bridge, as well as returning to Remagen many years later. (6:59)

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The German forces were scattered as the Americans made their way into Germany, and Charles Mahaffey recalls how they would combat them as they approached the towns along the way. (6:10)

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By the end of the war, everyone was getting a new assignment as the troops were able to start cycling back home. Charles recalls how he felt being back in the states and seeing his family once again. (4:24)

Jack Swallows

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He had done his time as a forward observer. From his last forward post on Hill 22, Jack Swallows was moved back to the battery to become the fire direction officer. At Da Nang and An Hoa, he used his skills to direct fire on a number of missions, all of which had their own challenges. (6:00)

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Only one letter home to his mom from Vietnam has survived, and in that letter, Marine forward observer Jack Swallows said that tomorrow's patrol was going to be nothing, a cakewalk. It didn't work out that way. (3:08)

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His last post as a fire direction officer was at An Hoa. Jack Swallows remembers a mission there which had a small battery moving to a ridiculously exposed position. It was close to time to go home and he was inundated with pleas to extend his tour. (4:37)

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It was early in his tour when Jack Swallows ran into a fellow Marine officer he knew in basic school. He gave him his best advice on what he would face in Vietnam, but it did no good. (4:34)