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Omer Poorman

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Boarding the ship to cross from England to France was a disorganized mess, recalls Omer Poorman, who was on the SS Leopoldville. It was nearly there when a torpedo from a German submarine hit it in the stern. The captain of the escort destroyer HMS Brilliant valiantly tried to save the ship and the men. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.) (3:35)

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It was a containing action around two French towns where the Germans had submarine bases. There was a lot of artillery fire back and forth and it was friendly fire that nearly got Omer Poorman. After the war ended, he had several occupation duty posts before heading home. (This interview made possible with the support of COL ROBERT W. RUST, USMCR (ret.) in honor of LtGen Lawrence Snowden & LtGen George Christmas.) (2:45)

Orval Kitsmiller

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Orval Kitsmiller discusses the natural advantages and disadvantages of fighting a war on land versus fighting one on the sea. (2:13)

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Orval Kitsmiller tells the childhood story of why he decided he wanted to join the Army as an adult. (3:00)

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Orval Kitsmiller describes the artillery attack during which he was injured in Italy, and his subsequent medical treatment. (2:37)

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Orval Kitsmiller talks about how his troop ship was hit by a German dud torpedo, and speculates about how the torpedo became a dud. (1:39)

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Deployed to Northern Africa during World War II, Orval Kitsmiller recalls an experience he had with Arabian French Foreign Legion members. (2:28)

Owen Ditchfield

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He entered the Army with an ROTC commission and a journalism degree. During college, he was in the Pershing Rifles, who enjoyed firing a blank round during their drill routine to get everyone's attention. At Fort Benning, he moved right through the basic course, jump school and Ranger school. (4:32)

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He was the smallest guy in his Ranger class, so he got the heaviest loads. Owen Ditchfield found out how long he could go without sleep, food and water and still keep going. The testing was as much psychological as physical, as he found out when he was summoned to the front of the column in the middle of the night. (4:23)

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Owen Ditchfield was a brand new infantry officer when he was sent to an infantry battalion in the 1st Armored Division. He was immediately sent on maneuvers, which didn't go so well. His unit was activated during the Cuban missile crisis and sent to Fort Stewart in Georgia to prepare for action. What they really prepared for was a visit by the President. (6:23)