Bridge Builder: Witness to History

My wife and I had invited our neighbors, Elaine and her husband Stan over for dinner one night. During a casual conversation, I first learned that Stan was a witness to history as a member of the infantry in the Battle of the Bulge.  Like many in his generation, Stan does not feel like he did anything more special than anyone else, and he preferred to be anonymous. 

However, after some prodding from his wife, he relented.  

Stanton Appell grew up in Brooklyn and was drafted into the U.S. Army when he was 18 in early 1944. He did his basic training at Fort McLennan in Alabama and then shipped out to England. Stan was sent to France as part of the 9th Infantry to support the Allied landing in France. He and his unit pushed through France and into Belgium, where he fought in the German offensive known as the Battle of the Bulge.

While on patrol, the German Army started shelling American troops and Stan jumped into a foxhole as another soldier jumped into the same hole. As the two began to speak during the attack, Stan discovered that he was talking to the son of his optometrist back in Brooklyn.   The soldier said he would write his father to tell him that he saw Stan. After the shelling stopped, they each went their own way. 

Subsequently, Stan was ordered to take a squad of men and patrol several miles ahead on a reconnaissance mission and return with a report. When Stan and his men returned, the company was no longer there as they were ordered to move to another position. At that time, Stan’s squad linked up with a British unit that was passing through, and Stan fought with the British for about 10 days before he could get back with his unit. 

Back in Brooklyn, the optometrist was bringing his son’s letter to Stan’s parents to share with them that their kids saw each other in combat. However, it was also at the same time that the U.S. Army was informing Stan’s parents that he was missing in action. Stan’s parents were unaware that he was back with his unit and it wasn’t until Stan wrote them, almost a month later, after his unit arrived at the Elbe River in Germany. His unit was ordered not to advance until they hooked up with Russian troops on the other side. Stan took a platoon across the River to establish communications with the Russians and guided them through their combat area further into Germany on their way to Berlin. Stan said that he was surprised to see that many of the Russian soldiers seemed like kids in their early teens but who were in fact hardened fighters. 

After the war in Europe ended and he thought he was getting shipped home, Stan’s company, along with other soldiers, were assembled to be shown movies on how they were going to be redeployed to the Pacific. 

Luckily, Japan surrendered before Stan’s Unit shipped out. He was discharged at the rank of Sergeant, and returned to the United States in 1946.