|
The Battle of the Bulge: A Veteran's Remembrance
I am Carmine J. Gimmaro, 85 years young. I was a tractor trailor truck driver for heavy equipment, we were called the 3884 truck company, the division of "ADSEC" named advance section communication zone. We delivered all kinds of supplies up to the font lines. I sometimes had to use an assistance driver for special trips, but most of the time I had to travel alone, in a dark area zone. I was equipped with a rifle, carbine, and a machine gun was mounted over my cab truck, plus there were other tools for any special problems.
At the time of the Battle of the Bulge, we were assigned to evacuate a large gasoline dump somewhere in Bastogne Woods in Holland. It was always at night and very risky. During our evacuation we heard German Planes coming over the gas dump. They threw flares - it looked like a Christmas tree. We were told to stop unloading. I had to jump from the top of the truck and we started to dig with our tools that we had in the truck. We dug a foxhole and my other driver dug for himself. He started to scream. I had to hit him to stop screaming to keep him quiet. We both stood in the foxholes almost two days, until everything had quieted down. We were very lucky that we were camouflaged in the woods. And we started to go back to our headquarters in Letge Belgium.
worse than fighting in the infantry.
We lost many men in that
Finally we arrived in battle. Now we had to replace
New York, and from there we the lost, and they started to draft
were put on a train to Fort Dix, so many men from different
New Jersey. I was put in a companies, and it came to us.
hospital for some ten days and I was one of the men to be replaced
discharged on November 30, into the infantry, and it
1945. was a good thing we had all
I met my brother Mickey and the training. They put us in
my mother and my little niece, line to fight. After some fighting
Roseann, who was three - now and walking, my legs and
she is 64 years old. I have joined feet started to hurt. It was from
the Disabled Veterans Association. the jump off my truck. I laid
We have been meeting at down for hours until someone
Castle Point for many years. I had to take me to a medical
have been negotiation for hospital back from the lines. I
claims as a disabled veteran. was examined by three high
They keep telling me my medical officers. They gave
records have been in a file in me a rough examination. Somehow
the headquarters in St. Louis, they discharged me and
Missouri. I am still waiting. I they sent me back to my old
still pay for a co-payment for outfit, 3884 truck company. I
my special medication. I had was met by my old buddy, Frank
an invitation in the year of 2000 Lotano. After some months,
from my buddy's daughter, for the war ended on July 5, 1945.
a surprise birthday in Clark, NJ. I had been through five campaign
He was 85 years old - what a battles, and had enough
reunion. He was in the sanitation points to be discharged to go
business and I was in the back home.
sign business. On July 19, 2005,
They sent us to Reims, France
he passed away. I couldn't make where I met another hometown
the funeral. I had an operation friend, John Javinett. From
on my hip. I still keep in touch there they put us on a troops
with his children. He will be train. It took us two days to
missed. He was a truly good get to the Port of Marseille,
buddy. We had bad times but France. The population in 1945
some helluva good times together. was 661,492 persons, we had
Would you believe to wait over a month to be getting
while waiting for our ship to started, to be transferred
go home, I met a neighbor of to get on a Liberty ship. It was
mine from Poughkeepsie. His a rough trip to New York. It
name was John Pallatuccia. took nine days to get there and
They called him Johnny Funn. everybody got sick. I had never
seen anything like it. It was
| 
