This is Betty Murray. We're here today to interview Mr. Abelindo Giacomin. We're at the Countryside Funeral Home in Bartlett, Illinois, and it is September 19th, 2002. Well, Mr. Giacomin, it's so nice for you to come and talk with us today about your experiences in World War II. How did you get into the service?

I was drafted. Me, Frank Hurst, and Buddy Boyd. And I was inducted in Fort Sheridan, Illinois. And I was there for a couple of days and then I was shipped to Camp Blanding, Florida, where I was trained for 17 weeks before getting shipped overseas as a rifleman. And I'm there. After the 17th week, I was sent home for 7 days for a furlough. And in my return to New Jersey I was shipped overseas. None of us knew where we were going to be shipped to until we were out at sea. I don't recall if it was one or two days. Then we found out we were going to Europe and that we were going to be landing in Scotland.

Oh. Huh.

And we landed in Scotland. Then we were assigned to our proper division, because most of us were all replacements for different divisions. I was replaced into the infantry division as a rifleman for the 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Army. And from there I was -- I met up with my company that I was assigned to in Aachen -- I can't remember the dialogue, but Aachen. They already had started the battle of Aachen. I was just in towards the end of it.

Is my geography correct in thinking Aachen is in Germany?

Right. Right on the border.

Right. Okay.

It's right on the border.

Uh-huh.

And it was a rough year. And it's cold. And the snow was 3 to 4 feet high.

Really.

And we had rough going. And a lot of us were complaining about our hands were frozen and our feet were frozen. And our rifles used to get jammed up because snow got into the chamber. And you'd fire and nothing would happen.

Oh.

But -- then from there I went into the Battle of Greenland. And that was also a little rough campaign. And from there we ended up to the Battle of the Bulge. And right after the Battle of the Bulge -- oh, let's see. 3 weeks after the Battle of the Bulge I was injured. And I was carried out by the medics on the field after I had laid out there for an hour to 2 hours.

Right.

Because it was between a forest and, you know, a clear path in the middle. And that's where we were coming out. And the minute we got in the middle, the Germans were waiting for us.

Oh.

And I thought I was going to bleed to death because the snow was turning red and --

And where was your injury?

My injuries were all from my waist down.

Oh. And were you hit by bullets?

I was hit by shrapnel of the 88 grenadier launcher that the german people used.

Oh.

Which was a good weapon that they had.

Uh-huh. So a grenade blew up near you and then --

Right.

-- your injuries resulted from that.

Because my injuries were all from my waist down -- I was fortunate I was close to it. If I would have been further back, then the shrapnel -- when it bursts, it goes upwards. So if I would have been further back, I probably would have had it up on my chest.

On your chest.

Which it did kill some of the --

Yes.

-- some of the other fellows.

I heard that from one other gentleman who was injured with that. The closer you are, the less -- sometimes the less the injuries are.

Well, the injury is down lower, right.

Yes. Uh-huh.

Now, that's true.

So your leg was impacted and part of your trunk?

Yeah. Well, my -- from my waist down. Actually my buttock got a shrapnel wound on there but underneath.

And both your legs?

And both of my legs.

Uh-huh.

In fact, I almost lost my left one, too.

Oh, boy.

But I was fortunate enough that they saved that one.

Uh-huh. And so finally the medics came and found you?

Finally the medics came out to pick us up, because this was about a little over 4:00, 4:15. We had stopped and had a smoke just before we got out of the woods. Because the company commander had said let's have our last smoke and then we'll continue. Well, they were waiting for us and so -- as they came out to pick me up after I was injured, the German snipers were after the medics.

Oh, boy.

So they took off and left me there, which I don't blame them.

Uh-huh.

But -- and then they came back when it got dark and they picked me up.

That must have been difficult for you mentally because, you know, thinking you're bleeding --

I thought it was the end.

Yeah.

I though it was the end.

Uh-huh. Yeah. I bet a lot of things ran through your mind at that point.

I had plenty to study. I was always remember this, that I said goodbye to mom. And my mom had already passed away.

Oh, goodness. Uh-huh.

But that's the way it is.

Uh-huh. Well, she was probably first in your mind.

Probably.

Yeah.

Because two years before that she bagged me.

Uh-huh. How old were you when that happened?

20.

20 years old. So you didn't have much life experience up to that point.

No.

Yeah. Then what happened when the medics came and got you?

When the medics came and got me, they took me to the field hospital. They called it field hospitals then. And they carry you the best that they know how. And then from there they take you to a general hospital. And from there they took me to Paris, France, and a general hospital.

Uh-huh.

And I stayed there three weeks, I think it was. And they I was trans -- after many surgeries, I was transferred to Bristol, England, where they tried to save my leg there also. But gangrene set in and they had to amputate it.

Oh, dear.

And let's see.

What duration of time was that, from the time you got into the Paris hospital until they had to amputate your leg?

A month.

One month.

I was hit January 26th, and I was -- my leg was amputated on February 26th. I don't know if it was on -- to the exact hour, but it was that day.

Huh. Kind of a coincidence, isn't it?

Uh-huh.

And that was in 1945?

Yes.

Uh-huh. And then what happened?

Well, from there I was transferred to -- back to the States. And I came back on a converted liberty ship. And we were out at sea for one day and we had to turn around and come back because the weather was so bad. And these little liberty ships, they get pushed around all over. And it took us 15 days to get back. And we -- it took me five days to get over there, but it took me 15 to get back.

Smaller ship, less speed.

Right.

Uh-huh.

And then from there we landed in the Carolina. And I was there overnight. And then I was transferred to Battle Creek, Michigan, where I spent the rest of my time until I was discharged.

And what happened in Battle Creek?

In Battle Creek I had some more surgery. And they finally had the -- what they call the final operation on my stump, where they sew it all up.

Uh-huh.

At that time they'd leave everything wide open for drainage. And then at that time they sew it up. And then they fit you with an artificial limb. And then they teach you how to walk, because you have to learn how to walk all over again.

Yes.

And they fit me with a brace on my left leg and taught me how to put it on and all that. It was awkward to walk.

I'm sure it was. Was the artificial limb on the right leg?

Right leg.

And then a brace on the left leg. My goodness. Must have been a real trial for you to begin walking.

Yeah. It -- it was no fun.

Yeah.

It was no fun.

How long did it take you to master that?

Well, I think it took me about -- I will say approximately a year after I was discharged before I really felt that I could trust myself.

Uh-huh. Get comfortable.

For a while I was walking with two canes -- well, first I started out with crutches, and then I went with the two canes, then I went to one cane. And it took about a year.

Uh-huh. What happened when you were in the hospital? Do you have any particular personal experiences that you would like to share?

Well, the only experience that I -- always sticks in my mind is this fellow that was right next to me in the ward had surgery. And they had a -- after surgery his stump swole up so bad, it -- and I knew that in a few weeks I was going to be going in and it's like a busy light was -- the same thing was going to happen to me.

Oh, uh-huh. Uh-huh.

That's the worst thing. The other thing that I also do remember in the hospital, you had Germans, POWs, working there. And they decided to go on strike.

Oh, my goodness.

Because what they were doing, you know. Some working the rooms and some were cleaning and whatnot. And they decided to go on the strike. And at first we all got mad.

Oh, I'm sure.

Any time they came around, we were ready to kill them. Because we felt, hey, you're eating good steaks at the meal and we were overseas drink -- eating nothing.

Right.

Compared to what you guys get.

And they were the enemy at that point.

Yeah. Yeah.

And you were suffering because of them.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So those are two of the main -- two main things, I think.

How about when you were in the battle? Was there anything in particular that you recall from your personal experiences?

Well, I was scared.

Oh, I bet.

I think anyone that says that they weren't scared in the front lines are lying. Because -- let's see. Okay. Christmas Eve I was standing guard in a foxhole. It's two men assigned to each foxhole. And we took turns sleeping. One guy would stand up guarding and the other would be taking his nap. And I was hit in the helmet, through to the liner in my steel helmet, from a sniper. And the Germans used a tracer every fifth round, which is a red tracer.

So they could where the bullet --

So they can see where they're shooting at.

Uh-huh.

But at the same time it gave us an idea --

Where they were.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It was coming from that one particular spot.

Uh-huh.

So I -- that particular day I had operated a VAR, which is a semiautomatic rifle. And I just sprayed it. And -- because I was scared. And I didn't know if I'd gotten him or not until the next morning, and he was laying there on the ground. So I can remember that part of it.

Yes. That's was a really vivid experience, wasn't it?

Yes, it was.

Yeah. When you're that young and you're out in the field of battle, it is frightening --

Very frightening.

-- you know.

Very frightening.

Yeah.

I've heard some fellows say they were never scared. I just can't believe it.

Uh-huh.

They weren't afraid of the noise and scared to the bullets --

I think they probably weren't willing to share it. But people I've talked to, other veterans, you know, that's a very real experience having went through it. And sometimes it's the fear that makes you work or do something. As you've say, you got up and sprayed that.

Yeah.

Because you were fearful and that made you do something.

Yeah.

It was very courageous.

I never thought I was going to be able to shoot at anybody. When I got shipped overseas, I kept on saying the same thing to myself, I can't shoot anybody. Until you see blood.

Uh-huh.

When you see blood, I don't know what happens to your mind, but --

Well, you realize that it's you or them, I think, huh?

That's a story after all, yeah.

So those were some of your experiences.

Yeah.

What did you think of the countryside that you were in? Did you have a chance to really view it as just a country or did it just all seem like a battlefield?

It was all a battlefield. I wasn't there really that long --

Uh-huh.

-- to get any experience.

Uh-huh.

You know, when they gave you a couple of days off, you'd get cleaned up with showers and whatnot.

You just went back to the camp.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So I wasn't there long enough to even know if there was fighting or holding the line or something like that.

Uh-huh. What happened after you came back home, after you were finished with the rehabilitation in Battle Creek, what happened then?

I had a rough time.

Do you want to talk about it?

The problem I had was people looked at me and it bothered me.

You felt --

I don't know what I felt. I really -- I really can't explain it to y'all if I --

Well, you probably were pretty sensitive about your --

I was.

-- physical capacities?

It took me -- it took me, oh, I'll say a year, year and a half before I could really SAY I talked with her about it. My wife, I was going with her at that time. She'd ask me some question and I'd say, don't ask me, I don't want to tell you. I just -- I don't know what I was.

Well, you were probably having to get used to it yourself.

Well, that's true.

And that part of it, sometimes you have to keep that inside for a while until you yourself can talk about it, you know.

I was very jumpy. And if I'd hear a noise, I'd just jump. I remember sleeping with my dad -- I don't know, I may have ___ ___, when I came home. Because my sister had gotten married and she was taking up the bedroom that I had. And he said I woke him up by hitting him in the face.

Oh, my God. Yeah. So you were having nightmares.

What happened was there was an accident outside. And I heard that noise, and I just came up swinging, I guess.

Oh, yeah.

He said, what the hell are you trying to do? I said, what am I doing? He said, he just got done hitting me.

So -- yeah. So there was a lot of adjustment to be made.

Oh, yeah.

What did you do then as far as getting back to work? Did you have a particular occupation?

I -- No, I did not have. But I did go to school.

Go ahead.

As a -- to become a draftsman.

Uh-huh. Did you go through the VA?

Yes. The GI Bill, right.

Uh-huh.

And then I went to work for at that time it was Nash Motive in Kenosha, Wisconsin. And from there I was transferred to Detroit when Chrysler purchased American Motive. And I worked there until I retired.

And then you moved back to Illinois?

Then I moved back. My wife says we've got to get close to one of our kids. We're getting old and we'd better be close to one of our kids. So we moved to -- I didn't want -- my daughter lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. And I don't particularly care for New Mexico. And she was, of course, lonely without her only daughter. I said, I'll move to Illinois where Vincent is. And she said, well, better than nothing. So that's where we moved.

That's great. So that was kind of hard for you I bet, to pick up your roots.

Well, yeah, because we were over there for 20 years.

Yeah.

And, you know, we had made a lot friends and whatnot.

Uh-huh.

But it's working out okay.

Good.

So my experience is not like some of the fellows, they had a lot more.

Yeah. But I think you've had a very traumatic experience. And we certainly appreciate your coming in to share that with us. These are -- This is the importance of the Veterans History Project, is to hear the oral history of different people with different experiences. Because it gives us then a better picture of the whole thing. And your personal experiences are very valuable for that. Thank you very much.

You're welcome.