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Grady Birdsong

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Returning home, Grady Birdsong remembers not telling people he was a veteran and having to watch the war be lost on national TV. Being treated with disrespect after all he had been through was a very upsetting thing to have to go through. (5:49)

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Grady Birdsong feels conflicted about the way the war was run back in Washington and regrets the decisions that were made to have the war be lost. He hopes future generations will be sure to learn from history. (3:53)

Grady Mullins

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Grady Mullins started his career at an accelerated rate, having graduated at age 15 and getting his first job soon after. However, his true life endeavors came about when the second world war broke out, and he was one of millions shipped off to Europe to aid in America's fight against the Germans. (This interview made possible with the support of RICHARD A. BERNSTEIN.) (5:05)

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While over in Europe, Private Mullins was transferred around to quite a few different locations, always having to deal with new assignments that came in every day. (This interview made possible with the support of RICHARD A. BERNSTEIN.) (7:01)

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While in the middle of artillery combat, Private Mullins had a close encounter with one of the shells that landed very close to him. Here he talks about what it's like to be caught in a war zone while trying to get the job done. While in Koblenz, there were some encounters with German soldiers who were caught and became prisoners. (This interview made possible with the support of RICHARD A. BERNSTEIN.) (4:09)

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During his time in the army, Grady Mullins had to deal with German prisoners trying to rejoin the fight by escaping back to Germany. Some of these times were when he was assigned to the 42nd Infantry Division in Hallein. (This interview made possible with the support of RICHARD A. BERNSTEIN.) (6:42)

Grady Shumate

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The Naval Reserve program offered Grady Shumate a chance to leave his unhappy home situation and he was soon assigned to an Assault Transport and on the way to England. Under the threat of air raids, they trained in the English Channel for the coming invasion. (5:02)

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To Grady Shumate, England looked like a disaster. The seventeen year old had just arrived as part of the gathering Allied invasion force and was part of a landing craft crew. The Navy needed young crewmen because they were fearless. (3:13)

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The line of ships stretched all the way back to England as the USS Anne Arundel approached the Normandy coast just before dawn. Grady Shumate was on that ship which carried 32 landing craft. As a crewman, his job was to get one of those boats to the beach and when he did, he saw the cliffs at Pointe Du Hoc. All around was carnage. (5:47)

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After delivering troops to Omaha Beach, Grady Shumate's landing craft returned to a circular holding pattern in the Channel. His mind was numb from what he'd seen, destroyers all the way into the surf, Rangers scaling the cliffs, the huge battleships still shelling the shore. Eventually his ship was ordered back to England to load up tanks for the next operation. (4:33)