Soldier:	Marcus Dillard
Date:	1944
Location:	Somewhere in Belgium
Unit:	M Company - 3r Battalion - 12th Infantry Regiment - 4th Infantry Division

If you take a look at my picture, let me tell you do not put the chin strap on your jaw like that in combat. That was just for the picture. Two reasons you would not wear it like this is, one if a shell hits close to you the concussion could blow the helmet upwards and break your neck. The second is, an enemy could come up from behind pull the helmet backwards and choke you to death.

As you ask in your letter some of my memories from the war, I thought about it for a little while. One I have always remembered is when we were chasing Germans across Belgium, we were marching on the main road through this village, and we were halted and told to take a rest.

We were by this small house, and a Belgian lady came to the window of a house opened it and brought a big waffle from the window and started making these big waffles for the G.I.’s.

She did that as long as we stayed there. Maybe 15 or 20 minutes. The Dutch, Belgians, The Luxemburgers always treated us so nice!

Sometimes I watch a war movie on TV and I see soldiers soaking wet, in the cold, icy snow weather, and I wonder how we did that. I do remember though that is was miserable. Only God brought us through.

Marcus Dillard

Personal Photographs

The shoulderpatch of the 4th Infantry Division