Movie Of Second Relay

How The Semi-Automatic Garand M-1 Rifle Operates

Comment

Any match using the 30-06' Garand will give the participants an appreciation of the bravery of our soldiers during World War II. The percussion on the firing line is astounding and it is difficult to imagine shooting and being shot at in a fire fight with large battle rifles. And our soldiers did not have hearing protection.

My Uncle Robert Kent served as a Lieutenant in the Battle Of The Bulge in Belgium during the terribly cold Winter of 1944/1945. His platoon was assigned to forward reconnaissance. Hell could never be worse than what he experienced. Winter clothing was in short supply and even white sheets were not available for camouflage. He had to sleep holding his feet to prevent frostbite. While crossing a stream with his platoon, a mortar round hit in their midst and Uncle Bob was blown back onto the bank. He suffered many shrapnel wounds and was hit in the stomach with the head of one of his men. He was later pinned down by a German machine gun that was designed to oscillate up and down as it moved left and right. Both men on either side of Uncle Bob were killed. Later he was trapped over night in a freezing drainage culvert with Panzer tanks on both ends. He commandeered a fortified pillbox that had a periscope. Through the periscope he saw a mass of troops coming over a distant hill and reported their position in by radio. After the troops were shelled he found out that they were our guys. My Uncle Bob died an alcoholic on August 30, 1975. He was a casualty of war.

You can look up many websites on the Battle Of The Bulge. Here is one example.