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Bud Sosebee

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The sight of the first modern superhighway, the Autobahn, was stunning for Bud Sosebee when he traveled on one in the waning days of the war. Stunning in a different way was the sight of stacks of civilian bodies in the last town contested. He had just dodged an anti-tank rocket but was still upset at the deaths and he reveals why there were so many. (4:47)

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Just before Bud Sosebee's unit linked up with the Russian Army, they accepted the surrender of an enemy garrison, negotiated by a German officer raised in New York. As they all laughed together over a request for chewing gum, Bud knew the war was over. (3:05)

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He saw Russian tanks crossing the river using pontoon skirts around the sides. When the tanks rumbled up and a hatch opened, Bud Sosebee could hardly believe his eyes. That was his last surprise of the war. He waited a while in Bremerhaven learning to speak German, then it was home. (4:08)

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Asked why he was awarded a Bronze Star, Bud Sosebee responds that he doesn't really know. He does know a couple of funny stories about precision German 88 targeting and he remembers a downed American airman right in the middle of the lines. (4:17)

Buford Cummings

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Buford Cummings was stationed aboard LST 1139 near Japan when both atomic bombs were dropped. He discusses the number of both American and Japanese soldiers that would have died during an invasion of Japan if the bomb had not been dropped. (2:17)

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Buford Cummings talks about the intense physical training for Amphibious Forces while at Little Creek and then Panama City. (1:18)

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Buford Cummings talks about how Navy officers were stationed aboard oil tankers, traveling dangerous waters in the North Atlantic Ocean. He explains the guns they had on board the LST 177 and the constant threat of submarine attack. (1:44)

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Buford Cummings shares stories while aboard LST 177, including the dangers they faced and a casualty he witnessed. His action was not in Normandy, but in the South end of France. (3:14)

Burrell Landes

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He was still in high school when Burrell Landes went to talk to a Navy Recruiter. He and his friends were looking for the man when a Marine recruiter from down the hall said come on down here, boys. (5:57)

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After basic training, Burrell Landes went to a Marine Reserve unit in Kansas. He decided he should be an officer, started college and went through Officer Candidate School and received a commission. He went back to college as a history major with an eye toward being a coach but the pull of the Marines was stronger. (4:30)