Oral history interview with Hans Sannes, 1999.

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Oral history interview with Hans Sannes, 1999.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/772521572

Hans Sannes, a Stoughton, Wisconsin native, discusses his experiences as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II, as well as his time in the National Guard and the 32nd Infantry Division before the war. Sannes tells of being encouraged to join the National Guard by a friend despite being only seventeen, and he touches on training. Activated in 1940, he recalls spending a year at Camp Livingston (Louisiana) with the 32nd Infantry Division, doing drills, and practicing with weapons. He speaks of volunteering to be a paratrooper and the training at Fort Benning (Georgia): packing parachutes, physical training, running with gas masks on, and jump training. Sannes discusses the paratroopers' responsibility to check each others' parachutes in the airplane and the death of an acquaintance during a jump. He portrays the paratroop officers, many of whom were West Point graduates. Assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Regiment, 101st Division, Sannes touches on advanced infantry training at Fort Bragg (North Carolina) and being promoted to sergeant. Shipped overseas on the HMS Strathnaver, he tells of getting separated from the convoy after an engine failure and spending a month isolated at St. John's (Newfoundland and Labrador) during repairs. After being put on a different ship, the SS John Ericsson, Sannes tells of training in Hungerford (England) and seeing V-2 rocket attacks while visiting London. He comments on hearing rumors, seeing Dwight Eisenhower shortly before D-Day, and being in a couple of photographs with Eisenhower. Sannes details jumping into Normandy the night before D-Day, seeing a few French civilians after he landed, meeting up with other men from his company, and getting delaying by a fire fight on their way to their objectives, which were some causeways at the beach. He talks about moving forward under fire, clearing out a German barracks, and guarding a marshy perimeter at Carentan. Sannes comments on starting to smoke cigarettes in England, the availability of alcohol, and food in the field. After a brief R&R in England, he describes jumping into Holland and being in combat for seventy-two days straight, including spending the first night in some woods, seeing a friend have a near miss from a bullet, and being saved by some British tanks. Sannes recalls getting orders to go to Bastogne (Belgium) by blackout trucks with only necessary equipment, not including first-aid kits. He addresses lacking enough blankets for the cold weather, rotating the company through a farmhouse to warm up their feet, and making arrangements with a local farmer for cows to supplement company rations. Sannes describes being given a ride by General Maxwell Taylor in England. During the Battle of the Bulge, Sannes details the day he was wounded: hearing about an imminent attack on the radio, running for cover, going to the aid station after being hit, and travelling by boxcar. He reflects on having his souvenir guns stolen. He talks about getting shipped back to the States on a hospital ship, attending 101st Airborne Association reunions, and using the GI Bill to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which he recalls as being overly crowded. Sannes discusses getting disability payments for his damaged arm.

Sound recording : 3 sound cassettes (ca. 135 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Videorecording : 2 videocassettes (ca. 135 min.) ; sd., col. ; 1/2 in.Master sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 135 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording from video : 3 sound cassettes (ca. 135 min.) ; analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 72 p.

Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 8190682

Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center

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