Robert Porter
Senior Master Sergeant
Years ago I worked for a man named Wes Harvison, he was then in his late 60's. He was a Canadian that came to the States every winter and was a silent partner of the man that owned the company I worked for. He was involved in the Canadian D-Day landings at Normandy.
One day we were sitting around during a slow period and WW2 came up. As the only American at the table he looked at me and said, "You Yanks were not worth squat until you had been bloodied." I asked him what he meant. He replied, time after time yank units would move into front line positions near us. They would fire forward but most of their shots were in the air as it were. When asked they would always say, well I just want to keep their heads down, after all they never did anything to me. Then one of your Yanks would get shot.
The rest would say something along the lines of, "THEY SHOT CHARLIE! GET EM!" At that point they would start shooting like they meant it and all we would see was A**holes and elbows as they charged along to get the people that shot one of theirs. From then on they were fine troops! But it always seemed to take one of their own getting hurt or killed before they got properly in the mindset.
I have always remembered that story. Growing up we tended to forget about our neighbors to the north and their involvement since well before our own in both World Wars. It was interesting hearing about his perspective on combat.
He also always used to say, "You Yanks got one thing right when you had your revolution". "We still are not shut of the d*mn Brits to this day".
One day we were sitting around during a slow period and WW2 came up. As the only American at the table he looked at me and said, "You Yanks were not worth squat until you had been bloodied." I asked him what he meant. He replied, time after time yank units would move into front line positions near us. They would fire forward but most of their shots were in the air as it were. When asked they would always say, well I just want to keep their heads down, after all they never did anything to me. Then one of your Yanks would get shot.
The rest would say something along the lines of, "THEY SHOT CHARLIE! GET EM!" At that point they would start shooting like they meant it and all we would see was A**holes and elbows as they charged along to get the people that shot one of theirs. From then on they were fine troops! But it always seemed to take one of their own getting hurt or killed before they got properly in the mindset.
I have always remembered that story. Growing up we tended to forget about our neighbors to the north and their involvement since well before our own in both World Wars. It was interesting hearing about his perspective on combat.
He also always used to say, "You Yanks got one thing right when you had your revolution". "We still are not shut of the d*mn Brits to this day".
