World War II Database

Dale Carpenter, over at the Volokh Conspiracy, pointed to this World War II veterans database.  I was happy to find my grandfather already in it.  I have his Wehrmacht dress bayonet, which fits nicely on the Mauser 98K.  Both owners of the previous probably never laid eyes on Der Vaterland again.  Lucky for me, my Grandfather was not to suffer the same fate.  He was wounded by German sniper.  Aiming his rifle, the bullet traveled down the length of his arm, exited through the elbow, re-entered his side and exited out the back.  It was a ticket home, as he was not expected to fully regain the use of his arm, though in time he regained most of it.  He was overseas for about a month, if I recall, before he was wounded.  I remember seeing the scar as a kid.

Most of what I know, I know from my father.  I only remember my grandfather telling us once about being shot, and not in any great detail.  Like most veterans of his generation, it wasn’t something they really talked about.  Many of their stories will be entirely lost to history, but perhaps they would prefer it that way.