Eighty one years ago on this day.

[yellowdogintexas]

51. My uncle (my mother's brother) drove a tank in that assault. He got his first Purple Heart there

Later he was with Patton's Army when they liberated the Ardennes in the Battle of the Bulge.

My father was one of the ones trapped in the forest in that horrible cold winter and nearly lost his feet to severe frostbite. He received a Bronze Star

They came home to the same small town in Kentucky and had never met prior to the War. (my mom's family had moved there from Kansas during the War). As small as that town was, my parents did not meet until 1946

Daddy never talked about the War, but he always hated cold weather and snow. Actually, few of the WW II veterans that I knew did not talk about the war, unless it was non battle type things, especially some of the other soldiers. Without a doubt, Daddy had a massive PTSD which haunted him his whole life, and led to a severe depression which eventually ended his life.

Nowadays, doctors are better at recognizing signs of depression and give better treatment.