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John Neel

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Neel was assigned to Company A as a machine gun squad leader. On the way to Belgium, he and his company witnessed a buzz bomb that exploded way off into the distance, which gave him a small idea of what he was in for. It's very easy for him to remember just how unbearably cold it was in Belgium, especially when you're forced to sleep in a snowy foxhole with nothing but a sleeping bag to keep you warm. (This interview made possible with the support of DARLENE SANDS.) (6:33)

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As he was moving through Belgium, Neel came across his first sight of dead GIs on the battlefield. There would be times afterward he would see more, but he'll never forget what he felt the first time. His company was moving along the Salm River, still staying in foxholes every night. Eventually, they came under machine gun fire and lost a man named Buzz Buzzell. In the Ardennes, two Germans unexpectedly came up to them and surrendered. In addition, Neel talks about two stories where he lost his glasses and a package he received from home. (This interview made possible with the support of DARLENE SANDS.) (6:03)

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After his time in the Ardennes, Neel's division moved into La Ville-du-Bois. He has a humorous story about a bunch of chickens running loose on the streets and the mortar squad chasing them down for food. When Christmas came, Neel was surprised the dinner spread was as good as it was. Later on, Neel spotted German soldiers in the distance. His sergeant said not to give away their position, but he went against orders and tried to shoot them down. German mortar fire rained down and he and another fellow soldier named Dick Jones were hit in the leg. (This interview made possible with the support of DARLENE SANDS.) (7:35)

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After being wounded in combat, both John Neel and Dick Jones were sent from the aid station tent to a hospital. Neel went back across the channel afterwards to hear that the war was already over in Europe. His biggest fear was being sent to the Pacific after, but fortunately he never was, and was promoted to Corporal. (This interview made possible with the support of DARLENE SANDS.) (4:53)

John Overbeck

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After working his way through Northern France, John Overbeck recalls his first combat experience leading up to the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. (2:23)

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Shortly after the end of the Korean War, John Overbeck recalls spending a year in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the North Korean border. (1:24)

John Overcash

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Newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenant John Overcash made his way through the toughest schools, Airborne, Ranger and Special Warfare School. By then he was a 1st Lieutenant and he made his way to the 1st Special Forces Group in Okinawa to join an A-Team. The next stop was the Vietnam/Cambodia border. (4:24)

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It was at a way station for VC and NVA on the Ho Chi Minh Trail that A-Team member John Overcash narrowly dodged a sniper's bullet. Undeterred, his team surprised the enemy while they were eating lunch. After the firefight, they found two survivors. They were crying for their mother. (6:38)

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After his first tour in Vietnam, Green Beret John Overcash went though a grueling underwater demolition course run by the Navy. Then he was sent back to the war as part of a new top secret outfit that aimed to disrupt enemy activity in neighboring countries. (5:15)

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He was setting booby traps on the Ho Chi Minh trail when John Overcash stepped on a punji stake. The wound didn't seem bad but the next day, it was apparent that he had blood poisoning. After he recuperated and had a quick visit with his family in Okinawa, his commander had a new assignment for him. He was to lead a recon team into Laos. Part 1 of 2. (7:40)