I Survived the Battle of the Bulge | Memoirs Of WWII #44
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มิ.ย. 2024
- WW2 Veteran Bill Pilati of the U.S. Army recalls one of the worst battles of the Second World War - the brutal, frigid, bloody Battle of the Bulge.
Memoirs of WWII Website: bit.ly/2w60kGM
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Written and Directed by Joshua Scott
Filmed by Heather Scott
Edited by Joshua Scott
Post Audio by Lane Tarr
Archive Footage Sources:
www.archives.gov/
Archive Photograph Sources:
Jim “Pee Wee” Martin
USAAF
Primary Musical Score Source:
artlist.io/
Artlist Songs and Composers:
“Choice”by Borrtex
“Beyond the Horizon” by Borrtex
“Tremors” by Spearfish
“The People” by Kyle Preston
“Soon” by Artie Shaw and his orchestra. Acquired from www.archive.org
I believe y’all have one of the most important jobs right now, filming these heroes to tell their story which goes unappreciated sometimes, thank y’all and thank our ww2 veterans🙏🏻💪🏻
Comment of the year
Very true
The compassion he has for not only other U.S. units/soldiers but also for the civilians fleeing when he himself was suffering is a reminder as to why these men and women are referred to as the "Greatest Generation ".
I think these films should be shown to our school children...I came from a family that made us watch World at War from the time I was able to remember...SO APPRECIATE our armed services❤❤❤❤ Thanks SO MUCH to ALL VETS!!! By God's grace, mercy, and guidance they gave us our freedom!!! NO AMERICAN SHOULD EVER FORGET!!!!
100% Their powerful stories need to be heard especially now with the state of our world. Their words are for us, the every day people that end up being the casualties of war.
My biggest regret as a kid and teenager is that I didn’t ask my grandpas about their service in WWII. One was really big into the VFW and spent much of his free time there. I now have photos from the pacific island campaign where he served but I don’t know much more. As an amateur history buff now it pains me I didn’t learn everything that I could. Thank you for this series. It helps give me closure and makes me thankful for these men and women’s service. My grandpas were just rural farm boys that had never left the country and had to fight to save the world. They both lived into their 90’s and I still miss them everyday.
There's still time. I just found out about my long lost great grandfather who was a notorious bank robber in the 1920s-40s
@@liamjohnston5578 no he wasn’t
@@0_1_2 I can send you a podcast interview about him..
If you know their full names, or the exact department/division they served in, maybe some war veteran websites can help
@@0_1_2 Okay. Troll
I got chills when he said "those poor boys didn't have a chance, but still they pulled it off"
After everything he went through, I'm glad he can sit back and say life is good. Thank you creating a better world for everyone that came after
I agree
The world he created by fighting is not so good nowadays. Lots of good years since the war but the good days are gone for ever. If called I would not fight for this country the way it is now. I would have fifty years ago but not now. Fight to protect the Biden’s and the Trumps. No I will not go. Put me in jail.
He and his comrades certainly created a better world for for everyone that came after. Unfortunately people these days don't seem to realise this; the "geninuses" who rule over us included!
Amen
I live in Eastern Belgium, in the heart of the Battle of the Bulge battlefields. There is one house in my street the wall of which still bear the marks of the bullets shot during fights here. You can hardly find a single village in the area that doesn't fly the American flag somewhere, together with the Belgiand and EU flags. In addition my wife and my in-laws are from Normandy, the D Day battlefields area. Though we were born years after WWII, the previous generations told us about it, and this history is more than just history for us, and we remember what our countries owe these old-day soldiers who fought, and died, on our soil for our freedom. For the freedom and peace of modern day Europe. In our days of peace and easy travel we only live a 20/30-minute drive to the German border; we regularly visit nearby Germany, as we enjoy both the country and its people, thanks to the "better world for everyone that came after" indeed.
Amazing How clear minded he is despite his age. A pleasure to listen to him Share his experience
I agree
Yeah, 97 years old
Doesnt look or speak under the age of 70. Incredible, actually.
This man is a sweetheart, he may not be a treasure in everyone's eyes but I'm damn sure he's a treasure in mine. Thank you for his perspective and his story.
This man is a natural storyteller, man, I would listen some of the old people and their stories for all day long. They are a treasure and gone forever in the future, like us in the end as well.
He's pure gold.💛
for his age he's sharp as a tack
My great uncle Robert Nyikos died in the first day of the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes. He never got to tell his story.
Thanks for giving this man his voice.
🕯️🌎🕯️
It really blows my mind to think that my grandfather was alive at the same time Civil War soldiers were still alive. One day we're going to look back and realize all these world War II vets are no longer here. I feel the younger generation will be in awe of the fact that we had interaction with a living World War II soldier. Which they will have only read about in the history books.
It’s a privilege to hear the experiences of those who fought to defend us from the horrors of Nazism - an ideology that kills autistic people like me, and so many other groups, for being ‘subhuman’. It’s not an exaggeration to say that we owe the Allied veterans of WWII everything.
Respect and gratitude from Australia!
Amen
Amen brother!!!
And now your own Government does the same with you.. With this horrible 💉 Vaccination-Shit.
You are only Guinea-Pigs for them...
Exactly this, so little understand the importance of entering the war
I'd never thought he was 96! My grandpa passed in 1975. He was in the Pacific. Wish I knew more. Thank you all who served.
Hello from the state of North Carolina. My Dad was also a WW2 veteran and was also at that battle of the bulge! Dad was in Patton's 664th (I think it was) armored tank division as a combat medic, so my Dad was in the very same place that this gentleman was at!! Dad told me some horrific stories like seeing the mass graves outside of the concentration camps where the nazi's killed all of those innocent Jewish people, Americans, Russians, and people from all over. My Dad would talk about it to me some but not a whole lot. I remember when that movie simply called "Patton" came out with George C. Scott playing General Patton, my Daddy told me that they could have never found anyone else to play General Patton as good as George C. Scott did!! Dad said he was spot on with acting just like the real General Patton did in that movie!!! Daddy told me once that George C. Scott could have damn near been the real Patton's twin brother!!
🙏✝️🙏❤️🙏🇺🇲🙏
WWG1WGA!!!
WOW, thank you for your note.
My grandfather was in the 2nd wave onto Normandy Beach. He survived the war, was awarded 2 Bronze Stars, with a V, and a Purple Heart. He passed before I was born… This channel gives me a view of what he went through.
These are some of the most important videos on TH-cam. Thank you for what you do.
Agreed
Absolutely! What we're seeing here is history being documented.
Absolutely right. Hey snowflakes, are you watching? This is what a REAL man sounds like. Pay close attention and learn what TRUE GRIT actually is. Nobody likes a sniveling, whining wimp and they sure as hell don’t win wars.
@@drkushajagadeesh6347 and soon lost
What a great way to say it.
I wold like to say thanks to all the ww2 vetrans for save us
I agree
My uncle was 1st division armored. Drove a halftrack, was captured and escaped in the Bulge
Can’t thank you enough for putting these interviews out for all of us to learn from. Both of my grandpas fought in the war. One in the Pacific and the other in North Africa and Italy.
God bless these veterans and everyone at Memoirs of WWII for sharing their stories.
Truly the greatest generation. Thank you, Bill, for your service. And thank you to Memoirs of WWII for preserving our history.
Indeed, what a gentle, heroic man. So good to hear the voices of the greatest generation. My father was with the 345th Regiment, and too had been involved in the bitter fight in St.Vith , St. Lo..etc. He unfortunately passed away 2020, age 94. These videos mean so much to us , the children and grandchildren of this ,unfortunately, fast disappearing generation. God bless them all…..
I agree
When serving on the DMZ in Korea 1975-1976, though that winter setting in a Concrete Bunker on one of the two GP's we manned, or on the Fence and on Patrol would wonder how anyone could fight a war in this wicked cold an wind, coldest weather I have ever witnessed, God Bless All Those Who Faced such Hardships in the face of our enemies. Pro Patria
What a great guy and a true hero. I’m so glad that he made it home and was able to have a family and enjoy his life.
I agree
This was amazing. My grandfather was in the 3rd Armored Division & was in Battle of the Bulge. He wouldn't talk about until he was near death. This generation was quite amazing. My grandpa was 135 pounds from Slade, KY. Hard to believe what they went through. These guys are my heroes.
My great grandfather served in ww2 in the pacific theatre. He died when I was 12 years old. I wish everyday I would have been older to ask questions. Just a bunch of kids who selflessly served and ultimately sacrificed their young lives for us. Truly the greatest generation
You would be in your 90s now? Or late 80s?
My brother's godfather, "Uncle Rex" O'Meara was at the Battle of the Bulge. When asked by the officer for someone to volunteer as a forward scout Rex's buddy said he would do it, if Rex came along. He did. He survived, came home and was such a happy spirited person one would never know that he had been to hell and came back home.
I’d be so mad at my buddy hahaha. Fun story man thanks for the history.
I cannot describe with words how much i respect these guys. Thank you for your service, sir! 🤝🏼
I agree
These guys of this generation are my personal heros...🇺🇸
Thanks for sharing those difficult memories, Sir! Prayers from Germany
I got chills when he spoke of the hell the infantry saw. My grandfather was an infantryman that fought in the bulge, he lied about his age to join the army so he would have probably only been about 17yo then. I couldn't imagine how awful that would have been.
I knew two men who fought at the Bulge. One was my grandfather, also in artillery. He fired the 155 howitzer. The other was an infantryman, knew what it was to spend many night in a foxhole. He was would several times but survived.
Thanks for preserving these memories..
What I find beautiful about listening to ww2 vets talk about their experiences, is they never feel sorry for themselves personally, they always pay tribute to the ones that fell and always talk about how the other boys had it worse than them.. in almost every interview I see this is a common theme. It's amazing
God Bless Everyone.
Thank you very much
My Grandfather Returned from the battle of the Bulge
Philadelphia USA 🇺🇸
My grandad fought in the Pacific, survived, but died way before I was born so I never got chance to talk to him about his experiences so I could learn about it. These kind of videos help me to understand and learn more about a period of history which fascinates me more and more as time goes on.
Those before me, my generation, and those after me will forever be grateful for the sacrifice you, and thousands of others made to free the world from tyranny and oppression.
Thank you for your service.
Was he a Marine? If he was with the 5th Marines your grandpa seen hell on earth. The Pacific theater was horror
Sometimes it’s hard to believe this stuff all really happened. I started watching Band of Brothers again recently and sometimes I get so lost in the fact this isn’t just Hollywood, these guys really went through this
There is no job harder, there is nothing worse a human being can possibly go through than war, and we must never forget what these men did
My Uncle was 82nd Airborne in D-Day and managed to survive to, and through, the Bulge. How he lived through ALL of that is nothing short of miraculous. May God bless them all for securing our freedoms.
Hello from North Carolina. My older Brother was in the 82nd Airborne out of Fort Bragg, just a short ways from my home, and me Dad was also a ww2 veteran who served in General Patton's 664th armored tank division as a combat medic and was also at the"Battle of the Bulge"too. These men are true American heroes from the greatest generation that ever lived. "Also known as the "Class of '45."
My great cousin was in the 99th and survived
the world war 2 vets are the shining example of true heros,they met the calling and excelled.
I believe there is a special place in heaven for people like him. How they lived all these years with so many sad and tragic memories is beyond understanding. Thank you for your service, courage, & sacrifice sir.
I amazes me they lived normal productive lives after this no PTSD or shell shock syndrome. I had a pastor who served then. I. Italy said once there's Germans thought I was dead didn't walk away to talk about it.also said once he was home he was at a farm and a crop duster flew by and he jumped under a truck to take cover. A very special man who loved God. Told me he found out in a foxhole his religion was good enough to live by but not good enough to die by. KJV new testament changed his life
I have the utmost respect for your channel. You are doing a great service to human history.
My uncle Wilbur Hockmon died on Dec. 31st in a battle for a small village in Belgum. He was with the 55th AIB C company. Our family was expecting the war's end, it was a devastating loss.
Respect à ce vétéran Et à tous ces soldats américains qui ont pas eu la chance de rentrer chez eux thank you 🇺🇸🇺🇸
As a german and as a men who has lost my grandpa in the war , it is very nice to see and hear what has happened .
Back as when i was a little boy i talked with my grandma about where he went and what has happened to him .
She only said he went east and the german are advancing and winning the war and that the army is in full push.
My grandpa was assigned to the 6th army (panzergranadier) and großdeutschland .
Little that she didnt know is that he died on his 3 week into deployment and so never came back .
My grandma heared over the radio that the war on the eastern front and western front is going good and she thought germany is winning just till some days before the war ended .
Annyways
Rip grandpa ❤
Rip all the fallen soldiers on both sides nothing but respect 💪🏽
Thank you America
Thank you England
Thank you all others ❤
4 all the men u send to war to end this violence and sloughter !!
Literally a man who has experienced everything in life good and bad. What a legend and thank you for you service and contribution to ridding the world of tyranny.
Thank you for all your service from England 🏴
Thank found it for everything you done in war and the good life you've lived since!
Thank you for your service, Mr. Pilati!
God bless all of the WWII vets--living and deceased.
I work at a walmart as a cart pusher. I remember one day in early July of 2019, i was in a grocery bay when I saw a ww2 veteran sitting on the bench there. I had small amount of time to hear a bit of his story about his time fighting in the battle of the Bulge. Before I left to go back to work he told me that he met General Patton a few times (among other soldiers that met him too) and he spoke perfect German to me. I forgot what he said in German to, but he grew up in a German speaking part of the mid west area of the States. I just wished someone got his story of ww2. I think after that time I saw him, he probably passed away taking his story with him. I was grateful to hear that portion of his service of ww2.
Your doing a great thing on working to get as many stories before we loose more stories like the one I never got to hear from that one man in 2019. Keep up the great work your doing.
Loved seeing the pictures of him when he was young. Thank you for including them. Thank you Mr. Pilati for your stories and service.❤ My dad was in the Battle of the Bulge and said he almost froze to death it was so cold. He didn't have very warm clothes and one day he saw a dead German soldier and took his coat off to wear and keep warm. He said it was two sizes too big but he wore it the rest of the time he was there. His feet got frost bite too and he had trouble with his feet after that. I can't believe he was only 17 years old at the time. Bless them all for doing what they had to do.❤
He seems VERY LUCID at 96 years old! What an awesome story!
I look forward to these videos every month as there won’t be any veterans left in a few years. My dad enlisted at 16 years old to the Marine Corp during the Korean War (he lied about his age) and then he was discharged after 6 years and used the GI Bill to get his 4 year degree and then he went to OTS at Lackland Air Force Base and then spent 20 years in the USAF retiring as a major. He was stationed in Holland and we all went with and lived in Holland for almost 4 years. He went to Germany and saw Dachau and I think Buchenwald. That affected my parents a lot especially since our family is Jewish. He was supposed to get stationed in Germany but when my mother flat out refused and they learned that we were Jewish we went to Holland instead. She was afraid of a repeat of WW2 and it was only about 35 years previous.
I can’t imagine what he went through in WW2 and how frightening it was and then to see what happened during the Holocaust. I hope and pray to god that never happens again and it will if they stop telling what happened during WW2. It was so nice to hear him say that life is good now and that he has children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. My grandparents died when I was pretty young. I never knew my dads parents and my grandmother from my mothers side died when I was 12 and my grandfather died when I was 26 and my dad died last year. So nice to hear his experience and he looks wonderful for 96 years of age!
Dreading the day they all pass away
Thank you, Mr. Pilati, for your service and sharing your story. It touched me deeply as I watched and listened with an ache in my heart and tears in my eyes. You have such a kind and generous soul. May God bless you.
“She waited for me.” That got me emotional. Thankyou for sharing your story.
I could listen to these men speak all day. Their knowledge and experiences are so valuable. Indeed, what would we have done without them. Special souls.
Thank you for what. You do
You can tell this man has a heart of gold with a lot of a compassion. ❤
96!! Incredible. What a champion, wish I could meet him to express gratitude. So cool to hear his story. Thanks for capturing this!
Love this story. My uncle PFC Hugh Knight Clement of Greensboro, NC fought at the Bulge. He was a quiet man who never talked about the war, but very nice. Family told me he and another soldier got trapped behind enemy lines and hid out in a burned out tank until the Germans moved on. He used to attend reunions with fellow vets nearly every year until his death in 2007. Thanks so much for your service, you fellas went through real hell.
Another great story. My uncle fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He was a tank commander in General Patton's 3rd Army. Years ago we visited him in Long Island, New York and he started talking about his war experiences. He mentioned stories that day he never said to my cousins - his sons. They were amazing men who fought in that war.
Finally... I look forward to a new video every month!! Thank you josh and his team
Thank you for sharing your story, service, sacrifice and courage for freedom 🇺🇸 trade America hero 🇺🇸
Good Ole Fort Sill, Had my basic there!
Thank you endlessly for your service Mr. Pilati!!!! May God bless you always!!!! ✝️🇺🇲✝️
Thanks for the upload can't wait to watch it on my lunch break!
I find his story so moving. It should be a reminder to everyone that each day we’re lucky enough to have is a blessing. My life has been so easy in comparison to what these people endured. I feel a deep sense of gratitude, but also sorrow for all those that were lost.
We should be so careful not to repeat the wasteful wars of yesteryear.
Wonderful job collecting these extremely valuable historical stories and video’s of our WW2 veterans.. Such meaningful and important work your doing. Thank you for doing it. Words cannot express my appreciation. Just thank you!! 😊
I love how it’s about the infantry and how bad they had it despite his own hardships
It makes me really happy this man can tell us as people the truth that many Germans didn't want to fight. Just like many worldwide, they were drafted and pulled dout their homes, same as us. Its a tragedy.
Thank you for speaking out about your experience sir
these videos are always so beautifully well made in the way they get these veterans stories out. The cinematography, editing style, voice overs, music, etc! All of these videos need to be loaded on a kiosk and made into a museum! Never forget.
My grandfather fought in the Battle of the bulge. Tank driver. He never would say much about his time in the war. Bothered him too much. I sure wish I could have got his story on tape. He passed last year at 96 years old
My uncle joined the army right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor . He signed up for duration, and he all most made it! He was killed at the battle of the bulge, in the first group. His name was Homer Sumner, if anyone is still alive today that might have known him, I would appreciate you getting in touch with me. My dad was his little brother and they were very close. He couldn’t get over loosing his brother. Homer was only 18 years old when he joined and weighed 118 lbs! They grew up on a farm and had not traveled much at all! All of the boys that went into the war was so young! 😔 I am so grateful to them!
i can’t even imagine what all of y’all had to go there thank you i can’t thank you enough for your service i’m very thankful for the sacrifices all y’all young men my age did for this country sir god bless your family i’m from alabama and when you said that my face lit up like a christmas tree 🇺🇸🫡
I'm a 26 years old from Italy and I really thank you for what you are doing for my generation
I can't even begin to imagine what thus man & so many men & women went through and saw, he is the perfect definition of a hero. Thank you & all like you for all your sacrifices you gave to me, & thank you for documenting their memories and stories.
I teared up. I want to thank you for your service and thank all the soldiers that fought bravely for their countries (on all sides). Truly the heros of our world and hope that the history of ww1 and WW2 live on forever. My grandpa fought in the Pacific theater, he was a sonar operator in the navy on a ship. His boots hit the ground in the Philippines and he was in combat briefly. His commander also asked his opinion on sinking a Japanese vessel after their surrender and he made a tough call. This is all I know as he passed in 2002 when I was young, he told me everything except about his final encounter of the war which my grandma told me about last year (she is 98 and still with us today).
Thank you for documenting the experiences of these true warriors. 🙏🇺🇸
These men went through so much. The most they can do is share their story for those of today. Thank you guys so much for these videos!
incredible story and inspiration. only a soul with an inclination towards evil will spit on history like this.
Another hero, great story. My Father in law returned from WWII Market Garden , his wife lost a brother in the Pacific.. Greatest generation for a reason.
My father would tell me that my grandfather would rarely talk about his days in the war. One I would always remember is that he always said he did not like fourth of july - it reminded him too much of the Battle of the Buldge.
Rest in Peace, Serafino.
The GIs from that Generation who went to this war are known as "the Young Old Men".
my great grandfather was in the 106th, he woke up left alone in his foxhole with another soldier whom he said despaired later on, my great grandfather evaded capture while wondering alone and was picked up by another unit. He suffered frostbite and was sent back to the states and had 6 boys and past away in 2016.
He fought alongside Mel Brooks. cool! (mel brooks also fought in the battle of the bulge, and obv survived)
My Grampa fought in the Arfennes. The only thing he ever told my Granny in the 40 years after was "I was colder than you could ever imagine".
That generation was truly THE GREATEST.
War is hell, the battle of monte casino was also absolutely savage, to the point medics from both sides treated both sides, thank you for your service, and God bless.
My Dad was a medic in General Patton's 664th armored tank division and was also at the "Battle of the Bulge" and he told me many stories about that battle. He told me a story about having to TRY to treat a German soldier who tried to blow my Dad up when his hand came out from under his coat with a "tater smasher" or German hands grearnade and was going to blow my Dad up until he stomped his face in with the heel of his boot! I remember he said that was the coldest that he had ever been before while fighting in the battle of the bulge!!
🙏✝️🙏❤️🙏🇺🇲🙏
WWG1WGA!!!
My uncle, Thomas Braidwood, lead the 3rd Armoured north to Bastogne in a tank destroyer. HE and his crew were the tip of the spear, he and his driver told me a story that blew me away.
Thank you for these videos and thank all the men and women who served in the U.S Military during WW2.
Not only that but so many of our boys came back with serious psychological issues and PTSD. May they heal from that terrible conflict that so many of our boys never saw home again. RESPECT!!!
Amazing video!
Thank you for making these❤
Man…if ever there was a way to make me cry it’s hearing these stories.
Fantastic work.
Thank you for another video.
I don’t know if you’ll ever get to read this, Mr. Pilati. But thank you so very much for your service, Sir.
Another great video! Thank you Josh and crew for your priceless work!
Thank You For Making These Treasures
Thank you!!
Thank you for your service! My grandfather was there with you at the Battle of the Bulge in Pattons 3rd Army. Sgt. Joe Capilets.
Amazing to hear the hardships of what those brave young men went through , real heroes. And still came out victorious, glad hes managed to live a long happy life after 👍
Another perfect video with an excellent mission.
Great story. Thanks for sharing.
I love the work you are all doing. Please keep up the hard work!