Frank Kozol - To the Fire of Normandy and Beyond: Behind Enemy Lines During World War II

TO THE FIRE OF
NORMANDY
AND
BEYOND

Behind Enemy Lines during World War II

Frank Kozol

Submitted for publication by Neil Kozol

Copyright 2017 Neil Kozol.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Archway Publishing

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotes marked (JPS Tanakh 1917) are taken from the Prayer Book abridged for Jews in the Armed Forces of the United States.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-4302-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-4303-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-4304-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017938404

Archway Publishing rev. date: 10/11/2017

In loving memory and respect to all of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have given their lives in defense of these blessed United States of America.

To the loved ones of these heroes who had to endure the pain and the heartache of their terrible loss.

To the veterans of our armed forces and their loved ones.

To the men and women who, at the time of this writing, serve with honor and distinction in the United States Armed Forces; local, federal, and state law enforcement officers; firefighters; rescue workers; clergy; and individuals who strive to help us in our everyday lives. God bless you all.

To our president, vice president, members of Congress, members of the Senate, and other local, state, and federal officials who serve our great country.

In loving memory and respect to the federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, firefighters, rescue workers, clergy, and individuals who gave their lives trying to save people at the time of the World Trade Center tragedy, as well as the Pentagon and airline tragedies, and to the surviving loved ones of these heroes, who try every day to cope with their terrible loss.

In loving and respectful memory of the innocent victims of these terrible tragedies and to the loved ones of these people, who are trying to cope with their heartbreak.

The reader might well ask, why are these groups included in a story about a war? This too was a war, albeit an undeclared sneak attack. It was a war just the same, hence this dedication.

May God bless our beloved United States of America.

In Adversity Lies Opportunity

Inspired by

With dedicated assistance from my favorite proof-reader, my lovely wife, Ruth Kozol

My son Mark Stephen Kozol

In memoriam August 14, 1952 - October 15, 2014

My parents and my brother, Joseph Kozol, whose support and photographs are very much appreciated and his sons Jeffrey Kozol and Stephen Kozol

My son Neil David Kozol who edited and submitted the manuscript to Archway Publishing.

My daughter-in-law, Neils wife, Patti Kozol, who provided hours of detailed editing, support and guidance on the book

My granddaughter Stephanie Lynn Kozol who also spent many hours editing this book

My grandson Jonathan Carlin Kozol

My granddaughter Alison Marea Kozol

My grandson Adam Benjamin Kozol

My daughter-in-law, Joyce Kozol

And my second home, The New England College of Optometry, Boston, Mass.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

To my Grandchildren and all the Grandchildren of our Veterans

Once upon a time, there were people, most of whom we will read about, who were born and grew up in the twenties and thirties. As children, they experienced the terrifying time of the Depression. Many were out of work and had a lot of trouble finding ways to make ends meet, feed their families, and pay rent.

Daily newspapers cost two cents, and the Sunday edition went for five cents. Even that was too much money for many people who were poor. There was no Social Security, welfare, or Medicaid at that time. For those people who could afford it, a radio was the essential form of entertainment. Television did not exist at that time, and so families would cluster around the radio to listen to their favorite programs. For some fortunate families who could afford an automobile, transportation would be shared with many members of family and friends. The driver of a car would pull in to a gas station and have the attendant fill the tank with gasoline, check the tires, clean the windshield, and check the oil level. The driver would then pay a dollar and receive change as the attendant gave him or her a hearty Thank you very much!

Most people had an icebox to cool their food instead of a refrigerator. Periodically, a horse-drawn ice wagon would pull in to the neighborhood, and people would lean out the window and tell the ice man just how big a chunk of ice they needed. There were no supermarkets in those days. All essential food items, for the most part, were purchased at a corner grocery store. Milk wagons pulled by horses would also visit the neighborhood on a daily basis. A large candy bar such as a Milky Way, Baby Ruth, or Hershey bar cost five cents. There was no such thing as a computer, Palm Pilot, or calculator. These, along with television, were the subjects of speculative articles in various science and science fiction magazines. Rocket travel to the moon and planets was generally dismissed as fantasy.

If a person needed to have a printed report, it was necessary to use a manual typewriter. Electric typewriters would come along many years later. If several copies were needed, there would be the difficult task of inserting carbon sheets between the pages, in order to squeeze out as many copies as one could manage on their individual machine. Ballpoint pens and nylon stockings did not exist then, and contact lenses were hardly known to most of the population. And so, my children, in this once-upon-a-time story, this is how the people being written about lived.

To the Reader

When my wife and I first married, she asked me on several occasions why I did not write down my wartime experiences. I used the excuse that I was busy with my professional responsibilities as an Optometry professor which included writing, instruction and private practice and consequently could not find the time for a chore so potentially daunting. Furthermore, in those unenlightened times, all of my writing was done on a tiny Royal portable typewriter, which did not allow for typos. The entire text had to be made with several carbon copies, and an error of any kind had to be erased, painfully and tediously, one copy at a time. When my sons started to get older and became curious about their father, they asked the very same question.

Once, shortly after the end of World War II, an old army buddy and his family came to visit. As my good friend and I refreshed our memories, encouraged and helped on by generous quantities of scotch and bourbon, our reminiscences became even more colorful and embellished, thereby making the stories all the more fascinating to our children. At that time, I was totally involved with writing some technical articles that would later serve as the basis for an Optometric textbook. My excuses for not documenting these wartime experiences were reluctantly accepted by my wife and sons, and I was off the hook for the time being.