James Cassidy was born in Rochester, New York in October 1925. One of four brothers, Cassidy and his twin brother were drafted on the same day and reported to Camp Upton, New York for induction. One brother served in North Africa, and another was stationed at a POW [Annotator’s Note: prisoner of war] camp in Tennessee throughout the war. After basic training at Camp Blanding, Florida, Cassidy served in the European Theater Operation with Company I, 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division. Cassidy joined the front lines in the Ardennes Offensive [Annotator's Note: Battle of the Bulge or German Ardennes Counter Offensive, 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945] as a replacement. After two weeks of combat in subzero temperatures, Cassidy and a friend, Decker, were ordered to the rear to be treated for frostbite and gangrene in their feet. Upon arrival at the field hospital, an officer informed Cassidy and Decker that they were unable to treat them and sent them back to the front lines where they continued to fight. Cassidy spotted a German sniper in a nearby tree. When he tried to shoot the sniper, his M1 [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic rifle, also known as the M1 Garand] jammed. He then spotted a wounded American, alerted the medic, and took the wounded man’s gun to kill the sniper. While this was going on, the other men in Cassidy’s unit killed the sniper. Not long after, a German 88 [Annotator's Note: German 88mm multi-purpose artillery] shell exploded near Cassidy’s foxhole killing Decker. Cassidy was injured when he was thrown through the air and took shrapnel in his hip. Cassidy woke up in a French hospital to the news that doctors wanted to amputate his feet because of the severity of the frostbite. A nurse, Nurse Morris, sympathized with Cassidy and wheeled him to another wing of the hospital just before his surgery was to begin, saving his feet. While recovering at a hospital in Paris [Annotator’s Note: Paris, France], a general awarded Cassidy a Purple Heart [Annotator's Note: the Purple Heart Medal is an award bestowed upon a United States service member who has been wounded as a result of combat actions against an armed enemy] and informed him that his military service would soon be over. Next, Cassidy spent time at a hospital in England in a bed next to a friend from back home named Art Brown.

[Annotator’s Note: Can hear people talking in the background throughout segment.] Upon arrival in the United States, James Cassidy continued to recover from his combat wounds at a hospital in Durham, North Carolina. While in North Carolina, penicillin was introduced and used to heal Cassidy’s feet completely. Cassidy was discharged with the rank of private and issued full disability benefits. [Annotator’s Note: Interviewee calls out to someone at 0:18:01.000.] While in Europe, Cassidy recalls two occasions on which he saw General George S. Patton [Annotator's Note: US Army Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr.]. [Annotator’s Note: Video freezes at 00:24:39-00:24:56.] The first occasion was in Marseille [Annotator’s Note: Marseille, France] before entering combat. Cassidy recalls Patton climbing onto a platform, brandishing a pearl-handled pistol, and warning, “This pistol is for deserters and Germans!” The second occasion was near the Saar River after the 359th [Annotator’s Note: 359th Infantry Regiment,90th Infantry Division] had crossed the freezing stream. Cassidy says Patton called a few men over and berated them for their poor appearance, saying, “How’d you guys get so dirty? Clean up or I’m going to court martial you all.” Cassidy talks extensively about his struggles with post-traumatic stress [Annotator's Note: post traumatic stress disorder; a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event either experienced or witnessed]. After the war, Cassidy suffered from shaking spells and flashbacks. Every time a car would backfire, Cassidy would hit the ground as if in combat. Cassidy recalls walking through deep snow drifts stepping on and seeing the bodies of hundreds of American soldiers taken prisoner by the Germans and mowed down like rats. After that sight, an officer in his unit resolved not to take any prisoners either.

[Annotator’s Note: People talking in the background is audible throughout segment.] James Cassidy feels lucky that he came home and was able to live a long life. He was wounded shortly after he arrived in Europe and was sent back to the United States not long after that. He received a Purple Heart [Annotator's Note: the Purple Heart Medal is an award bestowed upon a United States service member who has been wounded as a result of combat actions against an armed enemy] for his wounds. [Annotator’s Note: Interviewee stands up at 00:36:31.] Cassidy’s most memorable experiences of the war are all very traumatic. The sound of an 88 [Annotator's Note: German 88mm multi-purpose artillery] shell was “twice as loud as a woman,” and “scared the life out of you.” There were a lot of bad memories of watching his friends being killed. He fought because he got a letter that said his country needed him. He believes that his generation is a great generation and saved the world by winning World War 2. Cassidy believes there should be institutions like the National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana], and that we should continue to teach World War 2 to future generations.