Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans

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Mario Patruno

WWII | F Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

There was a sniper who was getting mighty close. In the Dutch town of Nijmegen, Paratrooper Mario Patruno waited for the shooter to reload, then ran to a wrecked vehicle to fire back. Unfortunately, there was another German with a bead on him. He didn't hear the bullet that got him. It was like a punch in the face. (3:40)
Marion Holmes

WWII | 95th Infantry

Marion Holmes tells of his experience with artillery fire in Europe (:30)
Marion Holmes remembers the desperate actions of a starving village in France (1:00)
Marion Mills

WWII | USS Miantonomah

After delivering supplies from England to France, Marion Mills recalls his ship striking a mine, throwing him into the water and killing 58 crewmembers. (3:57)
Marion Nesmith

WWII | 176th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division

While still in high school, Marion NeSmith joined the National Guard. He was activated in early 1941, so he had to postpone school for a while. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, his unit served on guard duty in Washington DC. (4:10)
While on maneuvers, Marion NeSmith heard about the news from Pearl Harbor. His unit spent a year protecting Washington DC and training, then it was their turn to ship out. He crossed the Atlantic bound for Liverpool. (3:52)
After a short stay in England, Marion NeSmith crossed the Channel and landed at Omaha Beach, where there were crosses on the graves from D-Day. As his unit moved into the interior, he never knew where he was, but there was a target coming up, the city of Saint-Malo. (6:25)
During the attack on Saint-Malo, Marion NeSmith narrowly missed getting cut down by a German machine gun. He ran for a ditch, where he found the rest of his unit taking cover. This worked for a while, but the German 88's began to wreak havoc. There was a blast and he went one way and his rifle went another. (6:25)
After being wounded by shrapnel from a German 88, Marion NeSmith began a journey through aid stations and field hospitals until he wound up back in England in a first class hospital. He could hear buzz bombs going over and there was always that tense moment when the engine cut out and it would fall. (4:41)
After recovering from a wound, Marion NeSmith was assigned to a tire repair company which found a suitable building in Belgium for its operation. This was pretty good duty until the end of the war. (3:25)