We were on the line when one of the men told me to report to the First Sgt. My name had been drawn for R&R (rest and relaxation). I was taken to the rear a portable hot shower had been set up and we were allowed in as long as we wanted. Clean clothes were issued to us. This was the first shower and clothes for more than month. I had been taking DDT powder and dusting it down my neck area to keep the bugs to a minimum. Feeling like a human again we climbed on trucks and they took us to the airport where we boarded planed and flew to Nice, France on the Riviéra where I spent a glorious week.(R) Then back to the front where we were relieved a pulled back to rest. That is what we did rest but, we had to hurry up because we were called back into action. It was different this time the supply room was opened and we went in and took what we needed fast. But that was not enough. There wasn’t enough time. We were being told to get on the trucks. We had no winter gear and only small arms. We left with just our jump suites on. We were on trucks and on our way before we had all our personal belonging packed and as a result I lost all my personal things as well as my barracks bag. At that point in time we were on our way to Bastogne, when we arrived it wasn’t long before German tanks and infantry surrounded us. It got cold and snow came and Christmas was not far away. Since we were surrounded we had no trouble beating the enemy. The poor bastards didn’t realize we could shoot in any direction and possibly hit them. Their tanks bagged down and a lot of them ran out of gas and we held on. The wounded started to increase and our supplies ran low as the sky was overcast and our planes could not drop supplies. During a period of hot action I was giving plasma as fast as two aid men could mix it. Meatball surgery was prevalent. The doctors were so busy that I done operation that would have put me in jail if it had been peace time. Men died and we had to put them outside along the wall of the aid station. They froze solid and were stacked like card wood. Before the Germans came in and asked for our surrender we moved the bodies to the cemetery area I guess so they would not know our causalities.

I witnessed shell shock and with our mobility we couldn’t treat but, in Bastogne when we were surrounded, Capt. Hull worked on one man and brought him back to reality. I don’t know how many pieces of shrapnel I removed but I would estimate in the hundreds. Most thank heaven were small and minor wounds that only required minor surgery with one or two stitches a lot only took butterflies. Most of these no EMT was made out at the request of the patients.

These men should have received the Purple Heart but were afraid to report to a doctor. They thought they may be sent to a hospital and would lose the outfit. In Bastogne, a shell hit at the base of a house and sidewalk and blew a hole into a basement. Many soldiers walked by without looking in. Several of us checked it out for wounded and found a hidden wine cellar. Since no one was living in the building we liberated a few bottles. Thanks to the owner it helped warm the bitter cold.

On December 22, 1944, three German officers went right by our aid station to confront General McAullife to surrender. Our aid station was only 100 yards away, so we were able to have front row seats. General McAullife promptly said “NUTS” and the Germans left. I heard one ask the other when they were leaving what ‘Nuts’ meant. The other soldier replied blow it out your butt. We then thought that within 24 hours we would have been shelled out of existence. The aid station came to life in a hurry we moved all the patients we could to the basement but several we had just operated on and couldn’t be moved. We moved large heavy tables over them and Major Kent and I crawled in under them too we had to keep the IV’s going We were waiting for the barrage to come. Fortunately our building was not hit. We were relieved that it didn’t come. It was Christmas Eve and the German played Christmas songs. The air was heavy with fog and white ice crystals and that beautiful noise sure made us homesick. The cold got worse so we ripped our blankets up in strips and wrapped them around our feet. The next day the sky’s cleared and the planes came in and dropped supplies. Some of our men had been battling tanks with 30 cal. and Molotov cocktails. I was basically the man on triage. I had to decide who was going to die and who could be saved. We had to keep pushing the Germans. We finally became equipped and things started to go our way when Patton came through with his tank corp. It was recorded that this was the coldest winter in Bastogne that was ever recorded. Fox holes were almost impossible to dig as your shovel hit the ground and bounced back. The tiny moisture in the air froze and it was so light it floated to the ground and looked like tiny diamonds in the air.

The siege was over and the army brought in our Christmas Turkey dinner a few days late. After leaving Bastogne and taken off the line we later boarded a train and wound up at Zell Am See, Austria not far from Berchtesgaden where we liberated a concentration camp in Landsburg. The odor was sickening the sight was worse. It was hopeless to even think of the task of administering to them. We wanted to open the gates and set them free, but thank god we were ordered to keep the gates closed. Those people would not have known where to go. There was a lot of death and many bodies lying around. A call for help went out to the hospital unit who came in with more than we could ever do. General declared Marshal Law. Civilians came and helped to bury the dead.

As they were carrying the bodies, some of the people’s skin would pull off. We had to bury them in a trench. A massive grave. That was the only thing we could do. A Medical Co. was called in to feed them and treat their wounds better than we could. The war was winding down and many German soldiers were surrendering.( left)

We went to the Eagle’s Nest that Hitler had on the mountain, called Hitler’s Berchtesgaden. (Above left) I entered it and stood where the big window had been before the air force hit it. The place was still smoldering. We liberated millions of dollars art that Herman Goering had stolen and liberated the best of wines and liquors from Hitler's liquor cave. We couldn’t keep either. It finally came to an end; we only had to worry about a few facilities which quietly were absorbed. We relaxed played football and baseball some of us fished in Hitler’s private stream. I caught 67 trout in one hour on a bent surgical needle.(Above right)

I skied on top of the mountain in the morning and in the afternoon swam in the lake. We were to march down 5th Avenue in New York City. We were issued new jump uniforms and boots. Then word came it was the 82nd that was given the duty. The 506th was being disbanded. If you had 85 points you were able to go home. I had enough points I was on the next boat to Boston. When we debarked we were billeted and given steaks with all the trimmings. Some of the men’s stomach couldn’t handle it since we had been on dehydrated foods for so long.

I left Boston and was sent to Indiantown gap Military Reservation where I was discharged. I was given a dollar for a bus ticket back to Harrisburg. Once I got to Harrisburg my sister was waiting for me and I then returned home to my parents in Blairsville. There were no bands, flags, or a welcoming committee. I was just another man coming home from the war. When I returned, I found that I was the only one at home who received the Purple Heart. It took me three years to get the good conduct medal and only one second for the Purple Heart. I was awarded all the medals that the 506th received and three bronze stars.

On the way over, during and return to the USA many poker games, crap shooting, and betting of all kinds were in progress at the drop of the hat. I was lucky one day and sent my winning to my mother and told her that the men had donated it to me. She told everyone that the men thought so much of me they took up a collection for me and she didn’t know the difference until I came home after the war. I brought back some odds and ends from D-Day to discharge. I know of one man on the boat home won $10,000.00

I stayed home for a year. I avoided people except who were in the war. After a year, I needed to do something with my life. I decided to go for my RN at PA Hospital in Philadelphia, since I had a past experience in the medical field. I lasted about two months. It wasn’t for me. This is where I met my wife, Francis Virginia Fogle. I worked at several places until I took my Civil Service Test and became a PA Game Protector. I currently have 5 children, 9 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.

Memories
Paul R. Miller
T/3 S/Sergeant
Chief Surgical Technician of the 506 PIR
Unit Hqs. Co. 506th PIR, 101st Airborne

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