Blood on German Snow: An African American Artilleryman in World War II and Beyond

156 Pages·2006·7.7 MB·English

by  Emiel W. Owens

BLOOD ON GERMAN SNOW
Joseph G. Dawson III, General Editor
Editorial Board
Robert Doughty
Brian Linn
Craig Symonds
Robert Wooster

Blood on
German Snow
An African American Artilleryman
in World War II and Beyond
Emiel W. Owens
Texas A&M University Press College Station
Copyright © 2006 by Emiel W. Owens
Manufactured in the United States of America
All rights reserved
First edition
The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements
of the American National Standard for Permanence
of Paper for Printed Library Materials, Z39.48-1984.
Binding materials have been chosen for durability.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Owens, Emiel W., 1922–
Blood on German snow : an African American artilleryman in
World War II and beyond / Emiel W. Owens. — 1st ed.
p. cm. — (Texas A&M University military history series ; #105)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58544-537-0 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-58544-537-1 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Owens, Emiel W., 1922– . 2. United States. Army. Field
Artillery Battalion, 777th. 3. World War, 1939–1945—Artillery operations,
American. 4. World War, 1939–1945—Participation, African-American.
5. World War, 1939–1945—Campaigns—Western Front. 6. World War,
1939–1945—Personal narratives, Amercian. 7. Soldiers—United States—
Biography. 8. African American soldiers—Biography. I. Title.
II. Series: Texas A & M University military history series ; 105.
D769.34777th .O94 2006
940.54'8173—dc22 2005037460
Contents
List of Illustrations vii
Preface 3
CHAPTER
1. A Typical African American and a U.S. Citizen 5
2. So You’re in the Army Now: Training 24
3. To the War in Europe 36
4. March to the German Front 48
5. In Battle in Europe 58
6. To the Pacifi c and the Philippines 99
7. Heading Home, Heading North, Heading Out 105
8. Summing Up 130
Bibliography 135
Index 137

Illustrations
Smithville, Texas 9
Graduation, Smithville Colored High School 20
Prairie View New Farmers of America 21
Induction into the army 25
155-mm howitzer 27
4.5-inch gun 29
Evacuation hospital in Normandy 43
Gun crew 49
Treating the wounded in artillery aid stations near Übach,
Germany 61
30th Division infantrymen at Hurtgen Forest 67
Dugout for gun crew 71
Crossing the Roer River 73
Squeeze on the Rhine (map) 75
Crew digging in 77
Placing fuses in shells 78
Treadway pontoon bridge over the Rhine River 80
War comes to Germany 87
Ruhr Pocket under siege (map) 88
Owens at rehabilitation camp, 1945 91
Owens with mother after discharge from army, 1946 103
Emiel W. Owens, 1947 106
Hattie L. Owens, 1948 107
Visit to chapel in Bucha, Germany 127
Home in Houston 131
Emiel W. Owens, 2004 132

BLOOD ON GERMAN SNOW