Interesting world - New friend in Belgium

[Walt's Daughter]

I love the Internet. I do, I do, I do!

 

Just recently, we had discussed the passing of Danny Marino, a very good friend of John McAuliffe. Danny is featured prominently on John's page here on our site.

 

Anyway, John and I were discussing Danny's Memorial Guestbook and he talked about a certain person name Stevenot, Gilbert who had signed the book. John said that Steve was a friend from Belgium and that he served as an interpreter during the war for General Bradley. Well I was intrigued.

 

You see I am currently reading A Soldier's Story by General Omar Bradley, so I was quite excited about talking to Steve. Later that same day I sat down and composed a letter and waited for a response. Well it didn't take long and not only did he respond, but sent me this wonderful photo that I have attached below.

 

Here are some excerpts from his letters:

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Hello ! Marion,

 

Glad to meet you on the web and it was a good idea of our common

friend John to give you my address. I met John for the first time in

Bastogne, but I knew him since a few years through the Golden acorn issue.

He is a nice and loyal friend and we often exchange messages.

At once congratulations for being the official historian of your

dad’s unit and you can be proud of your father who fought in my country

during that bitter campaign of the battle of the Bulge. With my old friend

Mitchell Kaidy, from Rochester we have been the promoters of a monument and

the four plaques dedicated, 9 years ago, to the great 87th infantry

division.

You are reading General Bradley’s book, and by a strange coincidence

I have it on my desk and indeed his story is very interesting. I am writing

a book and I have translated it fully from page 251 to 554.and mentioning

friends who played an important role on the way....

 

I was at the 6000 Hqs Special Troops as a billeting officer. The

same job I was doing for the Krauts during the war. That’s the price I pay

at the time because of the knowledge of four languages.

On September 9 1944, in my native village, south of the Province of

Luxembourg, I heard the sounds of an American entering the village and went

out to meet the Liberators and tell them the road had been mined during the

night by the Germans. They slowed down, but despite my warning the first

Sherman suffered some damage when a mine exploded. They removed two other

mines and the column could go on again.

As you know in life we never really know where our roads are leading

us- so it was with me. I was a good interpreter for the German, for I had to

do the dirty job, billeting, requisitions, in short to run with the hare and

hunt with the hounds. But in the American that was quite different...

 

With my warmest regards. Steve.

 

Attached : If it works you will have one of the very few pictures of the

incident with the first tank entering in my village. Sept 9 1944.

 

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I then received another email from him this morning:

 

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Dear Marion,

 

I hope you have received my message and its attachement. I had time to read

part of good pages written in memory of your father, and wiil come again on

it.. i just finished the translation of A Soldier's life. Part of it remained

in pen and ink since more than 15 years and now I have to complete the work

with more others stories of friends involved in the BOB and my own

experience.

Till soon. Wamest regards.

 

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Isn't this great? You know how excited I get regarding things like this. It is just so much fun and oh so very interesting to piece all of this history together especially when one has the chance to talk to those who were there and played intergral parts in the war. Here's the photo. It's a keeper!