War As My Fathers Tank Battalion Knew It

Aaron Elson went to a reunion of the 712th Tank Battalion in 1987, seven years after his father passed away. Aaron was so moved by the stories the veterans shared that he returned two reunions later with a tape recorder. The rest is history. Oral history.

The Valiant Virgin, the Lady in Red, and the Richest Man in Town 08/28/2022

The Valiant Virgin, the Lady in Red, and the Richest Man in Town The most recent episode of War As My Father's Tank Battalion Knew It was about Bob Levine, who recently passed away at the age of 97. It was Bob who said to me, "If you want stories, you've got to interview prisoners of war," and that's what got me started doing just that. Today I'd like you to meet Hal Mapes, one of those POWs. If you like what you hear, I have a modest request. Since I launched my first web site, tankbooks.com, 25 years ago, I've posted hundreds of pages of stories, interviews, whole books and audio clips available for free. Lately the costs of hosting and producing and maintaining content have risen sharply. A small donation, if you can afford it, will help this podcast grow and the audio and print on my web sites expand. More links (Your donation will help improve my original site, which is in desperate need of a redesign) Another way to donate: Buy me a coffee (click on the pic) /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/24188238

episode 103 bob levine 08/20/2022

episode 103 bob levine Bob Levine was among the first replacements in the 90th Infantry Division in Normandy. He was wounded and captured in the battle for Hill 122, and had a leg amputated by a German doctor. Decades later, with the help of historian Henri Levaufre of Perier, Bob was able to meet the family of the German physician. Bob's interview is included in my collection of , and his story is in my book , about Lieutenant Jim Flowers and Hill 122, which also is the subject of several earlier episodes of the podcast. Thank you for listening to War As My Father's Tank Battalion Knew It. I hope you will consider supporting the podcast by purchasing one of my books or audiobooks at amazon, eBay or . Or you could buy me a cuppa coffee at . Thanks a latte for your support. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/24118398

The Kassel Mission: George Noorigian 06/19/2022

The Kassel Mission: George Noorigian George Noorigian is one of the fliers featured in my new book, "Up Above the Clouds to Die," about the most spectacular air battle you've probably never heard of. Read an excerpt from the book at aaronelson.com or check out the "Look Inside the Book" feature at amazon. This episode is my full interview with Noorigian, which is excerpted in the book. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/23476841

Episode 101 Jack Prior 03/12/2022

Episode 101 Jack Prior War As My Father's Tank Battalion Knew It is a podcast about the 712th Tank Battalion in particular and World War II in general. I'm Aaron Elson. In 2005 I recorded this interview with Dr. Jack Prior, a battalion surgeon in the 10th Armored Division. If you've seen Band of Brothers, and who hasn't, you'll likely remember the young Belgian nurse who has a romance with an American soldier, and is killed in the shelling. The real-life nurse on whom the character is based was Renee Lemaire, the "Angel of Bastogne," who was killed on Christmas Eve when Dr. Prior's makeshift hospital was bombed, and was buried in a parachute she had hoped to use to make her wedding dress. If you'd like to support this podcast, please visit my author web site, aaronelson.com, and order a print or audiobook; or check out my ebay store. And leave a review on whichever site you listen to. The usual suspects: /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/22426679

A Marine on Tinian: Part 2 02/19/2022

A Marine on Tinian: Part 2 Thank you for sticking with War As My Father's Tank Battalion Knew It for the past three months while I was rewriting and expanding my first book, Tanks for the Memories, now available at aaronelson.com, ebay and amazon. War As My Father's Tank Battalion is about the 712th Tank Battalion in particular and World War II in particular. Bob Hamant was a Marine who spent a year on the island of Tinian. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/22190051

A Marine on Tinian Part 1 11/03/2021

A Marine on Tinian Part 1 First off, I want to thank all of the listeners who stuck with Myfatherstankbattalion through a three month hiatus while I worked on the greatly expanded third edition of Tanks for the Memories, which is now available at Amazon in paperback, hardcover and for Kindle and will soon be available on my web site. As War As My Father’s Tank Battalion approaches its 100th episode, there will be some changes in the format, where I will be interviewing historians and authors about their work. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/21037871

World War II Enemies Meet Again 07/31/2021

World War II Enemies Meet Again In this episode, Aaron interviews Ed Hays, a B17 tail gunner who in 1998 traveled to Germany to meet the German fighter pilot who shot his plane down over Denmark and who, in turn, was shot down by Ed's crew. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/19991450

A 'Guest' of the Emperor: Karnig Thomasian Part 2 07/17/2021

A 'Guest' of the Emperor: Karnig Thomasian Part 2 War has a way a producing iconic sayings, from "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" at Bunker Hill to "I've not yet begun to fight" in the War of 1812, to "Retreat Hell! We just got here" at Belleau WoodI, to "By the grace of god and a few Marines MacArthur returned to the Philippines" in World War II. Part 2 of my 2000 interview with Karnig Thomasian features another iconic phrase from World War II: Extract Digit, the meaning of which I'll let Karnig explain during the interview. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/19842623

A 'guest' of the emperor 07/14/2021

A 'guest' of the emperor Where I used to live in New Jersey there was a remarkable group of ex-prisoners of war. There was Ed Hays, who traveled with his family to Berlin to meet the German fighter pilot who shot down his B-17. There was Tim Dyas, who parachuted into the middle of the Herman Goering Panzer Division. And Hal Mapes, the only survivor of the crew of his B-17. And there was Karnig Thomasian, who was a prisoner of the Japanese. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/19803767

Uphill Both Ways: The Great Depression 07/03/2021

Uphill Both Ways: The Great Depression At the Naval Air Station Wildwood Wings & Things, a visitor to my display asked me if I'd done an episode about the Great Depression. I said no, but I'll do one next. So here it is. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/19693583

Don and Evelyn Knapp Part 2 06/25/2021

Don and Evelyn Knapp Part 2 Part 2 of my 1994 interview with Don and Evelyn Knapp was quite a surprise, as it includes a discussion of my first book, Tanks for the Memories. Don passed away recently at 102 years of age. I found it interesting to hear me talking 27 years ago about my plans for the future. It would be three years before I launched my first web site. Audiobooks were on tape and not CD, and podcasting was not yet a thing. I'm Aaron Elson. Thank you for listening. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/19608263

R.I.P. Don Knapp, 102, Part 1 06/16/2021

R.I.P. Don Knapp, 102, Part 1 Don Knapp passed away last week. He was 102 years old. "I was no hero," Don said when I interviewed him in 1994. More than a thousand people who posted reactions and comments in the Battle of the Bulge Facebook group on the notice of his passing would beg to differ. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/19493117

"So long kids, and if I never see you again, goodbye" 05/26/2021

"So long kids, and if I never see you again, goodbye" A death in combat reverberates among those left behind -- mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, buddies -- for the rest of their lives and into future generations. These are some stories of lasting grief. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/19246907

Episode 90: In the Hospital 05/21/2021

Episode 90: In the Hospital Distinguished Service Cross recipient Jim Flowers lost parts of both legs in Normandy. Pfc. Bob Levine had a leg amputated by a German surgeon. Lieutenant Jim Gifford was struck by a bullet which protruded from his head near his right eye. Corporal Jim Rothschadl, Lieutenant Flowers' gunner, was badly burned after his tank burst into flames. These accounts portray a vivid picture of medical treatment during the war, and the often unsung heroism of the doctors and nurses who treated the injured. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/19190582

Omaha Beach Armageddon 05/09/2021

Omaha Beach Armageddon Combat engineer Chuck Hurlbut landed on Omaha Beach in the early morning hours of D-Day. His compelling interview is included in my Oral History Audiobook "The D-Day Tapes," along with six other interviews, available in my eBay store and at oralhistoryaudiobooks.com. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/19033235

Exercise Tiger: Angelo Crapanzano Part 2 04/26/2021

Exercise Tiger: Angelo Crapanzano Part 2 Faced with a choice of joining the Army, the Marines or the Navy, Angelo Crapanzano asked his father, who served aboard a submarine tender in World War I, for advice. Join the Navy, his dad said. You'll eat well, and have a place to sleep. So Angelo joined the Navy and became a motor machinist's mate first class aboard LST 507. His father didn't tell him about torpedoes, Angelo said when I interviewed him in 1994. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/18865826

Exercise Tiger: Angelo Crapanzano, Part 1 04/17/2021

Exercise Tiger: Angelo Crapanzano, Part 1 In 1994 I read "The Forgotten Dead," by Ken Small, about Exercise Tiger, the ill-fated practice landing for D-Day sometimes known as Slapton Sands, a stretch of beach on the English coast that resembled Utah Beach. In the middle of the night German e-boats, torpedo carrying surface boats. infiltrated the convoy and sank two fully loaded LSTs and badly damaged a third. Angelo Crapanzano was at his battle station in the auxiliary engine room of LST 507 when the torpedo struck. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/18760850

Tank driver Charles Vorhees: Part 2 04/08/2021

Tank driver Charles Vorhees: Part 2 Sandwiched between the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby and the O.J. Simpson trial, one of the crimes of the century was the disappearance and murder of Brach candy heiress Helen Vorhees Brach. Charles Vorhees, a tank driver in the 712th Tank Battalion, was her brother. In addition to providing details on two important episodes in the battalion's history, Charles talks about his sister. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/18650432

Charles Vorhees Part 1: The explosion at Heimboldshausen 04/04/2021

Charles Vorhees Part 1: The explosion at Heimboldshausen April 3, 1945 was a tragic day in the history of the 712th Tank Battalion. It was the day the A Company headquarters were blown up. Tank driver Charles Vorhees was there. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/18595223

Interview With a Loader: Bob Rossi Part 2 03/27/2021

Interview With a Loader: Bob Rossi Part 2 War As My Father's Tank Battalion Knew It is a podcast about the 712th Tank Battalion in particular and World War II in general. I'm Aaron Elson /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/18492818

"Lock and Load" Pfc. Bob Rossi 03/26/2021

"Lock and Load" Pfc. Bob Rossi The other day I was listening to a show on National Public Radio and they played an excerpt from a podcast. The show's host said, almost apologetically, "This is from a podcast, so there will be some music in the background." My own musical career ended in kindergarten when I threw my recorder at another kid and it broke. So here you have it: No music, no narrator, just great interviews that reveal a picture of World War II you won't see elsewhere.. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/18477911

Episode 82: Bussell 03/16/2021

Episode 82: Bussell When I began interviewing veterans of my father's tank battalion, I heard several stories about George Bussell. Forrest Dixon said Bussell was so heavy he had to shimmy into the tank. Ruby Goldstein and Bussell got into a barroom brawl in Phenix City, Alabama. Or the time he drove his tank over three German motorcycles. Bussell didn't come to the reunions, so in 1993 I visited him at his home in Indianapolis. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/18355277

A Marine on Iwo 03/06/2021

A Marine on Iwo War As My Father's Tank Battalion Knew It is a podcast about the 712th Tank Battalion in particular and World War II in general. I'm Aaron Elson. Nick Paciullo enlisted in the Marines when he was 17 and fought with the 4th Marine Division on Iwo Jima, Saipan, Tinian and Kwajalein. A transcript of this conversation is available in my book Semper Four, available in print and for Kindle at amazon. Thank you for listening. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/18214808

Episode 80: A Medley 02/28/2021

Episode 80: A Medley The first 79 episodes represent a fraction of the more than 700 hours of interviews I've conducted over the past 34 years with the men and women of the Greatest Generation. I'm Aaron Elson. If you would be interested in a modestly priced premium section of the podcast with access to exclusive special episodes and other exclusive features, please email me at [email protected] for details when they become available. Thank you for listening. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/18121097

Mary Previte: Finding My Heroes 02/19/2021

Mary Previte: Finding My Heroes War As My Father's Tank Battalion Knew It is a podcast about the 712th Tank Battalion in particular and World War II in general. I'm Aaron Elson. I first heard Mary Previte speak in 1998 at a POW/MIA ceremony that ex-prisoner of war Bob Levine invited me to. Twelve years later my friend Brandon Traister invited her to address the World War Lecture Institute, a monthly program at at the Abington, Pennsylvania, Library. A little over a year ago I heard on National Public Radio that Mary had passed away. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/18006827

The Last Hurrah: Paratrooper Ed Boccafogli, Part 1 02/07/2021

The Last Hurrah: Paratrooper Ed Boccafogli, Part 1 Paratrooper Ed Boccafogli of Passaic, New Jersey, was preparing to return to Normandy in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of the D-Day invasion when I met him. In this riveting interview, he describes the invasion of Normandy, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. A full transcript of the interview can be found at tankbooks.com. The audio is included in the 11-hour audiobook "The D-Day Tapes" available at aaronelson.com and on eBay. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/17852819

The Last Hurrah: Paratrooper Ed Boccafogli, Part 2 02/07/2021

The Last Hurrah: Paratrooper Ed Boccafogli, Part 2 Paratrooper Ed Boccafogli of Passaic, New Jersey, was preparing to return to Normandy in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of the D-Day invasion when I met him. In this riveting interview, he describes the invasion of Normandy, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. A full transcript of the interview can be found at tankbooks.com. The audio is included in the 11-hour audiobook "The D-Day Tapes" available at aaronelson.com and on eBay. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/17852735

The Last Hurrah: Paratrooper Ed Boccafogli, Part 3 02/07/2021

The Last Hurrah: Paratrooper Ed Boccafogli, Part 3 Paratrooper Ed Boccafogli of Passaic, New Jersey, was preparing to return to Normandy in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of the D-Day invasion when I met him. In this riveting interview, he describes the invasion of Normandy, Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. A full transcript of the interview can be found at tankbooks.com. The audio is included in the 11-hour audiobook "The D-Day Tapes" available at aaronelson.com and on eBay. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/17852651

"Tough Guy": Jim Koerner, Part 2 01/22/2021

"Tough Guy": Jim Koerner, Part 2 War As My Father's Tank Battalion Knew It is a podcast about the 712th Tank Battalion in particular and World War II in general. I'm Aaron Elson. This episode concludes my interview with Sergeant Jim Koerner, an engineer with the 10th Armored Division who was captured during the Battle of the Bulge. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/17648603

"Tough Guy": Jim Koerner, Part 1 01/18/2021

"Tough Guy": Jim Koerner, Part 1 Jim Koerner, whom I interviewed in 1997, was in the 10th Armored Division. He was captured in the first days of the Battle of the Bulge. When I first saw Jim, at a meeting of the New Jersey chapter of the 101st Airborne Division, there was something about him that said to me, "You've got to interview this guy." So I did. /episode/index/show/myfatherstankbattalion/id/17595971

War As My Fathers Tank Battalion Knew It

TOPICS