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Description

Oral History interview of Thomas Wohl. Interview conducted by Miller, Mark; Wohl, Linsy at Mr. Wohl's Home.

Log

0:10 Intro’s; 0:51 Question on why parents were against enlisting; 1:24 Anti-Semitism among comrades; 2:22 Feeling about anti-Jewish/American sentiment in Europe; 2:58 Girlfriends and other acquaintances in Europe; 3:51 Mail from home; spouse interjects at; 4:40 about father’s antigun sentiment; 4:56 Reasons for joining Army – moral obligations; drafted into 106th infantry; 5:27 Air School in Miami/Cleveland; 6:25 Aquitania Passenger ship overseas – no escort; 6:54 Shipped into Wales; 7:04 Where were you sent? 6x6 vehicle to Antwerp; 7:42 Battle of the Bulge – went right into; 7:50 Wounded – 25, 25, 26 of January; 8:30 Not seriously wounded – knocked unconscious; 8:48 Job scouting with Lt. Dale – Radio Op; Directed artillery fire – forward observer; 9:52 Saw enemy close up – many times; 10:36 Slit trench (like a foxhole) to sleep in; 11:35 K-rations and C-rations; transfers; 12:30 No down time – always moving; 14:24 Took over houses – food still on the tables; 14:50 Filled canisters with wine; 15:10 Natives got out of the way; 16:18 Day injured – stood with radios with new recruit – McGooch (his birthday); spouse interjects; 17:40 1/15/45 – Mortar attack – knocked unconscious; 19:07 Walked to first aid station with shrapnel in back; McGooch killed; 19:35 War over – reunion in graveyard in Luxembourg where McGooch buried; 21:07 Night before wounded – Provedreoux France – Salm Chateau; 21:40 Finally got into 101 or the 82nd airborne; general orders him to sleep in a barn – dead bodies stored there; 23:00 Obtained rank of corporal after one week in army due to ROTC; 24:45 Never saw guns go off because always on the front line; 25:45 106th partially decimated during Battle of the Bulge; 27:35 Liberation of refugee camps – on Rhine – Dusburg Germany; 28:55 Refugee camps on foot; 30:02 Could speak a tiny bit of German – unable to communicate much with refugees or Germans; 31:25 Transitions; 31:48 Colmar another battle was in – heard German voices; 32:50 Did not drive further into Germany - East; 33:33 Cigarette Camps; 34:00 Went back to school at University of Shrivenham, in London; 34:55 Went to school – Professor Quackenbush; 36:00 Returned home on a liberty ship – took almost three weeks; 36:38 Lost all of his money place poker; spouse interjects about Shrivenham; 37:28 They assumed he was a lieutenant (compared to his lieutenant); 38:08 Awarding of points; 38:25 Awarded Bronze Star; 39:40 Germans were better soldiers – but spirit of camaraderie in USA; spouse interjects; 41:13 Outfit under Patton – started digging slit trenches – wouldn't dig foxholes; 43:15 Leveland Texas to meet Lt. Dale; 43:45 Met – hugged and cried; describes Lt. Dale; other meetings; 45:40 Lt. Dale one of the most unusual men – outstanding; 46:10 UF had compulsory ROTC – horse drawn artillery, learning the basics; 47:10 106th – used to call them "hungry and sick" (bad leadership); 47:45 75th; 48:00 They didn’t call it bootcamp – Ft. Jackson, SC; 48:45 Miami Beach – not a flier, but bombardier; 49:15 Fenn College; 49:55 75th Infantry Reunion, Niagara Falls; Keep in touch; 50:35 Saw James Colliard and Don Minard – original man had problem with jew; 51:15 Felt very fortunate to have survived.

Date of Birth

1924-07-26

Place of Birth

Jamaica (N.Y.)

Gender

Male

Race

White - Non Hispanic

Home State

New York

War or Conflict

World War II

Status

Veteran

Begin/End date of Service - 1st

1944-11-15

Type

Audio; Sound

1946-01-01

Entrance into Service

Drafted

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Unit of Service

75th Infantry Division

Location of Service

Unspecified

Highest Rank

Corporal; CPL

Prisoner of War

No

Service Related Injury

Yes

Battles

Battle of the Bulge; Colmar Pocket

Medals

Purple Heart; Bronze Star; Victory Medal; Good Conduct Medal

Achievements

Part of Forward Observer Team NCO 761

Note

Wanted to enlist but parents would not allow it, had to wait to be drafted. Wounded in a town called Salm Chateau (shoulder) in a town in Belgium where his heaviest fighting was seen. Army serial number: 34547106.

City of Birth

Jamaica

Country of Birth

United States

Interviewer

Miller, Mark; Wohl, Linsy

Interview Date

10-9-2011

Location of Interview

Mr. Wohl's Home

Subjects

Wohl, Thomas M.; World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives; United States. Army

Collection Description

Contains logs, audio and video recordings of interviews with Central Florida's veterans as part of a history class project for the students at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The UCF Community Veterans History Project(CVHP) started in fall 2010. It collects, preserves, and makes accessible to the public the experiences of Central Florida's veterans so that future generations will better understand the realities of conflict. It is a collaborative endeavor supported by multiple departments and offices at UCF. The veterans' histories are archived and made digitally available through the UCF library and selected materials are contributed to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.

Contributor Affiliation / Organization

RICHES; University of Central Florida

Contributors

Miller, Mark; Wohl, Linsy

Length of Interview

54 Minutes

Publisher

Department of History, University of Central Florida

Type

audio

Rights

All rights are held by the respective holding institution. This material is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce and/or for copyright information contact Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, (407) 823-2576. http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/

Repository

University of Central Florida Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives

Contributing Project

UCF Community Veterans History Project

Document Type

Interview

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