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Freeman Barber

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The armored unit had to hold up for a while so Freeman Barber's crew dug a pit for protection from artillery and frigid temperatures. After nearly doing themselves in with candles, they crossed the Rhine on a pontoon bridge, which can be an adventure in a thirty ton Sherman tank. (3:47)

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The German 88mm gun was very effective against tanks. Freeman Barber recalls when his unit lost over thirty tanks like a row of ducks on the road. Also deadly were the shoulder fired Panzerfaust rockets fired from concealed spider holes. In one town, as he stood up in the hatch, he stared down a German 88 just as he heard the whoosh of a shell fired straight at him. (7:00)

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Some of the last combatants that Freeman Barber had to deal with were Hitler Youth who had scavenged Panzerfaust rockets and were firing them at American tanks. Young fanatics were far from the worst thing he saw in Germany. He struggles to describe the horror he encountered at Buchenwald. (3:41)

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As the German war effort waned, Freeman Barber's armored unit was sent to Czechoslovakia as a check on the Russians. There, he had a lovely respite from the combat and chaos he had just experienced, complete with girls and picnics and motorcycles. (3:46)

Gail Taylor Black

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Her father was a Green Beret, but when Gail Taylor Black expressed interest in joining the military, he was skeptical. Shortly after he passed away, she joined the Texas National Guard. She got encouragement from her aunt, who cared for her children while she trained. (4:11)

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The drill instructors had never had women recruits before. They were a little unsure how to handle it, remembers Gail Taylor Black. She did six years in the Texas National Guard, then decided to go regular Army. She was disappointed that she was not called to Desert Storm, but then her unit was alerted to go to Bosnia. (4:09)

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Gail Taylor Black had a mentor at the 440th Signal Battalion, her staff sergeant, Regina Johnston. Eventually, she got her job and was promoted to corporal while deployed. This allowed her to move into the NCO tent. What an improvement! (2:57)

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She was in the personnel section, but it was a signal unit, so Gail Taylor Black learned how to splice wire while preparing to deploy to Bosnia. One perk in the unit was the ability to call home, but the separation from family was still trying, especially the lack of information from back home. (4:17)

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She knew it was for real when the order came down. "Lock and load!" Gail Taylor Black was on her way into Bosnia with a signal support unit. She was amazed at the poverty of the place, and it gave her a new appreciation for her life at home. She also saw the effects of PTSD, before she ever heard the word. Part 1 of 2. (7:57)

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Gail Taylor Black describes the toll on her and her family during her deployment to Bosnia. Serving in a war zone leaves many soldiers with a lot of family problems, and her family was no different. Part 2 of 2. (6:05)