Soldier:	Pfc. Milton J. Long
Date:	June 1944
Location:	Somewhere in France
Unit:	14th Armored Division, 7th Army

EVERY WWII VETERAN HAS HIS FAVORITE STORY OF AN EXPERIENCE HE HAD AN THIS IS MINE.

"HOW I ALMOST GOT KILLED IN WWII"
By Pfc. Milton J. Long

WE HADN'T BEEN IN FRANCE VERY LONG BEFORE WE LEARNED THAT WAR IS HELL. YOU TRY
TO KEEP DRY AND WARM WHICH AT TIMES IS VERY DIFFICULT. ON THIS WINTER DAY IN FRANCE MY BUDDY AND I CHASED A COUPLE KRAUT SOLDIERS INTO THE BASEMENT OF A BOMBED OUT BUILDING. WE MOVED UP TO A WINDOW AND DECIDED WE WOULD THROW A GRENADE IN AND THEN GO IN.

WE TOSSED THE GRENADE IN THE BASEMENT WINDOW AND SOON HEARD THE EXPLOSION
WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY THE SOUND OF GLASS BREAKING. WE WENT IN READY TO FIGHT AND ONLY FOUND A BASEMENT A FOOT DEEP IN RARE WINE. WE HAD BLOWN UP A WINE CELLAR AND BROKEN ALL BUT ONE BOTTLE. NEWS TRAVELS FAST AND SOON MEMBERS OF MY UNIT WERE PRESENT. WHEN THEY FOUND OUT I HAD BLOWN UP A BASEMENT FULL OF RARE WINES, WELL I ALMOST GOT KILLED. I STILL REMEMBER SEEING SOLDIERS DIPPING UP WINE WITH THEIR CANTEEN CUPS. THIS WAS A DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET.

Pfc. Milton J. Long

Personal Photographs


The 14th Armored Division shoulder patch.