Author Description

Product Description This book is about the travels of a duffel bag and my father, a medical technician. He carried the bag from the time issued in Ft Thomas Kentucky, throughout World War II and their return home in 1945. It's also a story about the journey the men of the 662nd Medical Clearing Company. They cared for the wounded of the US 1st and 3rd Armies including the 81st and 101st Airborne Divisions as they battled the Germans from the sands of Normandy and across Europe. They supported battles such as Cobra and Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge. They followed Patton's 3rd Army across Europe while getting involved in some unique experiences as they cared for the wounded and survived the War. The story told by those who lived it and especially the caretaker of the Duffel Bag and his loving wife, as they told it to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren during the summer of 2006. Other sources include interviews with the men of the 662nd and the prepared itinerary of the 662nd Medical Clearing Company. My father told us little about his participation in the war over the years but on some occasions he would recall and tell us a humorous memory. Then when we asked about his other war experiences he would tell he did not want to remember those days. In his later years he has spoken more about his war experiences than ever before. My father sent home many war mementos and as children, my brother and I played with them on many occasions.We found many treasures such as helmets, flags and an assortment of other military gear.My younger brother especially delighted in using them to play war in the field behind the family home in Huntington. Many soldiers in my father's generation that fought in WW II have difficulty in discussing their experiences. Recalling memories of those they lost is too painful. As they returned home they simply wanted to resume the lives they had postponed and to participate in the freedom they had h