General Discussion

Dad talked about that when he was in Normandy in 1944. The first time he and his compadres faced concussive injuries, though they didn't know the cause at the time. The break out, Operation Cobra, was to begin with the carpet bombing of German positions in and around St. Lo. Many bombs feel short and hammered the 30th infantry division's 120th regiment, killing and injuring 600+ soldiers including General Leslie McNair. Dad said the best you could do was dive into ditch or foxhole and hope and pray. He said some guys came out of it without a scratch but were never the same afterward. Lots of cases of that mainly from shelling on their way to Germany and the boat ride home. Shell shock that doesn't go away. Perhaps ever. Now we know.