Another Good One Gone

[toddnjoyce]

Unabashedly sharing from another forum the loss of one of the great ones.

WWII hero who drove tank into Dachau gate dies at 95

Jim Feezel drove a Sherman tank during World War II.

www.al.com

I’ve been reading some WWII history lately, and didn’t realize the average age of enlisted Soldiers at the close of WWII was 18.7 years. Jim was an Army Technical Sergeant (E-6) at 19 years old. Today that rank would in the Army would be Staff Sergeant, and he’d he a decade older before sewing it on.

We asked a lot from young men in World War II and they delivered.

 

[Reinz]

The Greatest generation indeed.

 

[Axxe55]

Wow. RIP Jim.

 

[Axxe55]

My grandfather was a bit above the average age when he enlisted in 1941, at the age of 28! He passed away in 1974, and though I knew some about WW2, there was much I didn't. My grandfather really only spoke of his time over there in Europe in general terms, but never any real details or specifics of what he did over there. I miss that I never had the opportunity to speak with him as an adult about his experiences during the war. So much that we will never know about now.

 

[innominate]

My grandfather was a bit above the average age when he enlisted in 1941, at the age of 28! He passed away in 1974, and though I knew some about WW2, there was much I didn't. My grandfather really only spoke of his time over there in Europe in general terms, but never any real details or specifics of what he did over there. I miss that I never had the opportunity to speak with him as an adult about his experiences during the war. So much that we will never know about now.

My dad was a marine from 43-74ish. He would say he was lucky. Got to see the world. Never said anything about WWII. He did tell me he would volunteer to be the helicopter gunner in Korea because the hazard pay doubled his monthly pay. He would also take a hazard duty assignment if it took him to where my uncle was assigned. He never mentioned nam to me either. My older brother told me he called the old man a baby killer when he was home from nam. He got lifted off his feet by his throat for that one.