During the war, Melvin Linkous experienced an incident where an individual accused him of having a soft job. Captain Fritz [Annotator's Note: US Army Captain John W. Fritz] let the complainer go with Linkous to his observation post to appreciate what Linkous did. The complainer apologized to Linkous after experiencing all the heavy enemy fire during his tenure with him as an observer. [Annotator's Note: Linkous laughs.] While in training, Linkous had a chaplain who was Jewish, but represented the Southern Baptist Church. When the men brought strippers into the chapel for a show, the chaplain became very upset. [Annotator's Note: Linkous laughs.] The chaplain organized some of the men, including Linkous, into a singing quartet. Strangely, the chaplain disappeared before the outfit [Annotator's Note: Cannon Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division] was deployed. Linkous helped a mess sergeant named Sergeant Woods [Annotator's Note: no further name details provided; unable to verify identity] handle his pay by banking the man's potential gambling losses. The noncommissioned officer never forgot the favor and treated Linkous with partiality. Linkous was helpful to others and in turn the favors seemed to return to him later.

Melvin Linkous and the 2nd Infantry Division [Annotator's Note: Linkous was a member of Cannon Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division] never gave up real estate they gained in combat. He was proud to serve in the "Second to None." Unfortunately, he lost contact with all of the members of the 2nd. Linkous has a weekly exercise program where he comes in contact with other veterans. He finds that after a few minutes, the individuals are no longer strangers. The Veterans Administration has taken good care of those veterans. It is good, yet sad, seeing what has been done for the handicapped veterans. The country should never forget the veterans lost in action. Linkous never will forget them. There is a long list of names of men killed in action while serving in the 2nd Infantry Division. Linkous was trained by a man named Sergeant Tony Alacey [Annotator's Note: unsure of spelling]. When they reached Ireland, they had disagreements that led to frustrating exchanges. The Sergeant thought he would be the first man killed in the Cannon Company. The company boarded a Liberty ship [Annotator's Note: a class of quickly produced cargo ship] with a drunken captain. The first mate had to take over the ship. The ship unloading was delayed as a result. An enemy airplane attacked during the night creating an enormous amount of antiaircraft fire. The men of Cannon Company reached shore the next morning. Linkous lost many good friends during the invasion of Normandy [Annotator's Note: Allied invasion of Normandy, France on 6 June 1944; also known as D-Day]. The memories of what he saw linger with him. It helps him to keep busy.

Melvin Linkous [Annotator's Note: as a member of Cannon Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division] was near Saint-Vith, Belgium prior to the Battle of the Bulge [Annotator's Note: Battle of the Bulge or German Ardennes Counter Offensive, 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945]. Linkous had been a tutor for men who could not read or write. He taught them so they would be able to sign for their pay. A soldier named Rollins [Annotator's Note: no given name provided; unable to verify identity] knew how to butcher a cow. Linkous offered to write letters for Rollins if he would butcher cows for the company. Many cows were killed by small arms fire, not artillery. The troops had a lot of steaks. [Annotator's Note: Linkous laughs.] Back in Normandy [Annotator's Note: Normany, France] on Hill 192 near Saint-Lo [Annotator's Note: Saint-Lô, France], two P-38s [Annotator's Note: Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft] dropped their bombs near Linkous and knocked him down but he was not hurt. The explosions did create a huge crater and downed a tree. After landing at Normandy, Linkous and another man caught a chicken. Using butter out of a dead German's mess kit, they roasted the chicken for a delicious meal. Linkous has stayed in touch with Bill Critch [Annotator's Note: unsure of spelling; unable to verify identity]. He was quite a guy and did a lot for the 2nd Division Association. The 2nd Division was "second to none."

Melvin Linkous grew up with his parents and brother on a farm in Virginia. Both boys served in Europe during the war. The two Linkous boys were the youngest students to attend Virginia Tech [Annotator's Note: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly known as Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, Virginia]. Their elementary school was coincidentally on the campus. [Annotator's Note: Linkous laughs.] Early in Linkous' life, his father took a job for a welding company in Roanoke [Annotator's Note: Roanoke, Virginia]. The family raised vegetables in a large garden and preserved them for their later use. They also raised hogs. Life was simpler then. The family probably did not even own a can opener. Linkous finished high school in 1940. Previously, he had worked in radio and in May 1942 joined the Reserve Corps [Annotator's Note: Enlisted Reserve Corps]. He graduated from Roanoke College [Annotator's Note: in Salem, Virginia] and further studied at the University of Virginia [Annotator's Note: in Charlottesville, Virginia] and Hillsdale College [Annotator's Note: in Hillsdale, Michigan] in Michigan. He has taught communications at the university level. He has trained many broadcasters and news people. He is an ordained speaker for the Methodist Church. He works closely with the VA [Annotator's Note: United States Department of Veterans Affairs] hospital in his town.

After high school, Melvin Linkous entered the field of radio. He interviewed Bob Hope's [Annotator's Note: Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope KBE; British-American entertainer who was famous for entertaining American troops serving overseas during World War 2, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War] producer, Bill Sherman. It was easy because Linkous never had to ask a question. Sherman carried the conversation completely. [Annotator's Note: Linkous laughs.] Linkous got into radio to disseminate information so that orderly change could be brought to society. People should express their opinions without denigrating other individuals. All views should be heard no matter which political party you support. Democracy is a delicate instrument that could be lost. Linkous joined the Enlisted Reserve Corps in May 1942. It should have allowed him to complete his 1942 college work. The draft board had other ideas and called his number in September 1942. Linkous reported in October 1942. He went to Camp Lee [Annotator's Note: now Fort Lee, in Prince George County, Virginia] and then Camp Sam Houston [Annotator's Note: now Fort Sam Houston, part of Joint Base San Antonio, in San Antonio, Texas]. He trained at Fort Bullis [Annotator's Note: now Camp Bullis Military Training Reservation in Bexar County, Texas] and then to Camp McCoy [Annotator's Note: now Fort McCoy near Sparta, Wisconsin]. The latter was for mountain warfare exercises. The weather was exceedingly cold there. Next was Fort Dix [Annotator's Note: now part of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County, New Jersey] and then Ireland. South Wales was next and then he crossed the English Channel to Omaha Beach [Annotator's Note: in Normandy, France]. In 1942, Captain Fritz [Annotator's Note: US Army Captain John W. Fritz] was called upon to develop a cannon company for the 38th Infantry Regiment that could provide artillery support for the infantry within 2,000 yards of the front line. The Cannon Company was created using self-propelled mounts or motorized tanks at first. Trucks were used later. Rumor in the Regiment was that the members of the new company were misfits. Captain Fitz selected Linkous personally for his abilities. Although Linkous had joined the Reserve Corps [Annotator's Note: Enlisted Reserve Corps] to go into the radio division of the special services [Annotator's Note: Army Special Services; the entertainment branch of the Army] but he does not regret being selected for the Cannon Company. When given an opportunity later to change into radio, he refused and decided to return to the United States instead. He had 85 points [Annotator's Note: a point system was devised based on a number of factors that determined when American servicemen serving overseas could return home] and that was enough to go home. He performed a lot of radio shows following his discharge. At Camp McCoy, Linkous did administrative work and some outdoor training in the winter weather. He volunteered one night to keep the fires going. His First Sergeant rewarded him by letting him sleep the next day instead of going with the rest of the troops on a 60 mile march through the snow. Linkous learned that it pays to do things.

Melvin Linkous discovered that the people of Ireland were wonderful. They were good business people. Occasionally, the military was ripped off by the locals. That continues to today with the loss of billions of dollars in Iraq. While in Ireland, there was a lot of cross-country training. They learned to scale large stone walls as a company climbing on the backs of each man. Linkous was fascinated by the double decker buses. In Belfast [Annotator's Note: Belfast, Ireland], a good meal could be found at the Belfast Hotel. Linkous knew he was destined to invade France. Everything they did led him to believe it would be within a few months. General Eisenhower [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force; 34th President of the United States] said that there could never be too much training. On the big day, nothing went according to the training. The troops had no idea of what the hedgerows were in Normandy [Annotator's Note: Normandy, France]. They had to learn on the spot.

Melvin Linkous had an intelligent man in his company [Annotator's Note: Cannon Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division] named Van Layer [Annotator’s Note: unsure of spelling; unable to verify identity]. He modified his carbine [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic carbine] to fire automatic instead of semi-automatic. The Americans were of a mind to just go do what needed to be done when a problem arose. Most Americans are just independent. The company was in Wales briefly after Ireland. There was good fish and chips. There was routine training. Men were being organized for the invasion. General Omar Bradley [Annotator's Note: US Army General of the Army Omar Nelson Bradey; later 1st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] was like General Colin Powell [Annotator's Note: US Army General Colin Luter Powell; 65th Secretary of State and the first African-American Secretary of State]. They were great generals. Bradley gathered the troops close to him and revealed their assignment would be to go to Normandy [Annotator's Note: Normandy, France]. He offered to talk to any man about any problem that they had. It reminded Linkous of Colonel Boos [Annotator's Note: US Army Colonel Francis H. Boos] of the 38th Infantry Regiment during the rainy season in Normandy. He was covered with mud walking through the muck. There was cross-country training in Wales. Linkous operated a post exchange that his company created. He went to town to buy supplies with Delgado and Salazar [Annotator's Note: no given names provided; unable to veify identity]. He got a haircut but was cautioned to be careful with the amount of money he was carrying. At night, there was nothing to do. It is difficult for Linkous to remember the fun things. He can only remember the dead and dismembered bodies he saw. Linkous has discovered that it would be better to spend the nation's finances used for warfare toward helping people and learning about them. Associating with people helps you to like them. Destroying cities and groups of people is not as good as having a leader who can bring all people together for peace. He sees himself blessed to be a Caucasian but not special to be one. He lost a dear Black friend and it touched him deeply. She was particularly special to him.

Melvin Linkous was in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia at the end of the war. The people were friendly. He gave a lady a drink from his bottle of cognac and she drank it so quickly that he gave her the whole bottle. A sign of friendliness. [Annotator's Note: Linkous laughs.] Linkous was based in Newry, North Ireland prior to going across the English Channel. Cross-country hikes were the routine in lieu of drills. Simmons [Annotator's Note: no given name provided; unable to verify identity] was in a Quonset hut [Annotator's Note: prefabricated metal building] with another man who was playing with a trench knife. As a corporal, Linkous was in charge of the hut and told the man to put the knife away. Simmons was a rough individual and knifed the other man who died. Simmons was removed from the outfit [Annotator's Note: Cannon Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division] and served time for the killing. After discharge, Simmons went on to coach high school athletics in San Antonio [Annotator's Note: San Antonio, Texas]. Linkous will never forget Simmons not only for the incident but for his contribution to society after the egregious error.

Melvin Linkous and his outfit [Annotator's Note: Cannon Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division] waterproofed all vehicles and extended exhaust such that they could drive through some depth of water. That preparation was not necessary. Nevertheless, more preparation is better than insufficient preparation. The vehicles rolled right onto the beach instead of going through the surf. [Annotator's Note: Linkous and his unit landed in Normandy, France across Omaha Beach on 7 June 1944.] Linkous grew weary of the leaders telling him that he was going to face death. Linkous has seen death since then. It bothers him but he can manage the concept of mortality. He has made his peace with the significance of death. No one can be prepared for it so why worry about it. Linkous has a friend from Canada who advised him to think about the way Americans think about the world. Business can be conducted without giving away all the finances. Needs can be mutually be met without forcing others to accept your products.

Melvin Linkous and his outfit [Annotator's Note: Cannon Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division] came ashore [Annotator's Note: across Omaha Beach in Normandy, France on 7 June 1944] in two groups. When he reached the beach, the guns were loaded on the trucks and the company was ready to go into action. The lines were several miles inland at that time. Alacey [Annotator's Note: Sergeant Anthony Alacey; unsure of spelling and unable to verify identity] was killed several minutes after landing. The same thing happened to Dave Cantabria [Annotator's Note: unsure of spelling and unable to verify identity] who was the radio operator for Linkous. While in a barn prior to attacking 192 [Annotator's Note: Hill 192 near Saint-Lo, France], Cantabria projected his death the next day. During the advance up the hill, Linkous was wounded and Cantabria was killed. It was his premonition or fear that led both men to foresee their future. Alacey was killed by German artillery about two miles inland. The men drank water that had supposedly been purified but the methods seemed dubious to Linkous. The best solution was use of the water purification tablets that were provided for their individual use. Linkous remembers little of the liberation of Trevieres [Annotator's Note: Trévières, France]. He has been impressed with some of the postwar memorials erected there. Hill 192 became an objective for the troops because command defined it as their next target. That was the way of the world in the infantry, especially in a rifle company. The area was well defended by the Germans and E Company [Annotator's Note: Company E, 2nd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division] lost a good many men. Linkous lost friends attacking the hill. Some have survivor's guilt as a result of the loss of friends. Linkous tries not to let those memories bear on his mind. During the assault on Hill 192, Cannon Company set up on the bottom of the hill. Linkous advanced up the hill with a group of riflemen. A Black soldier discharged his rifle near Linkous' foot and almost shot it off. The man apologized and they continued up the hill. The Cannon Company did not do as much as the rifle companies to take the hill. The company supported the 2nd Battalion behind the rifle companies from 500 to 2,000 yards back. They fired support rounds along with the artillery. Sometimes Cannon Company used built-up emplacements.

Melvin Linkous and his company [Annotator's Note: Cannon Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division] attacked the fortified city of Brest [Annotator's Note: Brest, France]. Some of the walls were 12 feet wide and built of cement. The Americans used trenches from World War 1. Linkous received a misdirected telephone call from a general back in Paris [Annotator's Note: Paris, France]. The Cannon Company set up positions but fired few rounds. The aerial bombardment of the port seemed to accomplish little. Two P-38s [Annotator's Note: Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft] carrying 1,000 pound bombs did not do anything, but in the pull-out, one of the planes hit a heavy bomber above it and shattered the aircraft. It was a beautiful sight for Linkous when he observed bodies and plane parts floating to earth. A medic rushed out to aid any survivors. The pilot was dead and turned out to be the medic's cousin. Cannon Company withdrew from the city after the Germans retreated. The city had massive fortifications. The slogan for the company at Brest was "Nein [Annotator's Note: the German term for "no"] lootin' and one shootin." After Brest, the company went through southern France into Germany. Linkous speaks French and liked the people of France. After nearly a year in continuous combat, he was granted leave in Paris. He stayed in the Grand Hotel and was given preferential treatment by a general because he was a combat veteran. Linkous enjoyed the sites of the city. At the end of the war, they met the Russians in Czechoslovakia.

Melvin Linkous and his company [Annotator's Note: Cannon Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division] were on the way to the Roer River to attack the dams there when redirected to Saint-Vith, Belgium. The mountains were beautiful there. Linkous was in a house that had previously been used by the Germans. The Americans shelled the Siegfried Line [Annotator's Note: a series of defensive fortifications roughly paralleling the Franco-German border built by Germany in the 1930s] fortifications. While observing the enemy lines, Linkous had to flee a heavy burst of machine gun fire. The counter-offensive was forming. The 2nd Division had penetrated the Siegfried Line about 20 miles long. Linkous manned an observation post on a hill with one grenade and a Tommy gun [Annotator's Note: .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun]. There was not even an M-1 rifle [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic rifle, also known as the M1 Garand]. Reports of German troops gathering in front of the 2nd were disregarded by the officers. The Americans were caught planning on moving toward the Roer dams to neutralize them. The Air Force had been unsuccessful in their attempts. Linkous felt compassion for the men of the 106th Infantry Division who were ordered to relieve the 2nd. The 106th was green and as a veteran he knew the troops were untested. The Germans ran over them. The 2nd did not want to move but were ordered to do so. Linkous is reminded of a friend killed for being over anxious to attack a German position at Leipzig [Annotator's Note: Leipzig, Germany]. The man was shot through the forehead. Those things made him feel bad. His leader felt bad when the man was killed. He asked himself what more could he have done as the man's protector. Warfare is so damaging and one never gets used to the destruction. A civilian soldier is more apt to see the horror. At the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge [Annotator's Note: Battle of the Bulge or German Ardennes Counter Offensive, 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945], the American soldiers automatically did what was necessary to rebuff the enemy. No matter what rank, the men were going to stop the Germans one way or the other. They held their positions in small groups, determined to stop the larger enemy force. The commanding officer of the 2nd Division even directed traffic at an intersection to expedite the American response. Linkous sees something new or someone he forgot each time he views the documentaries about the battle.

Melvin Linkous and his company [Annotator's Note: Cannon Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division] were at Elsenborn Ridge during the Battle of the Bulge [Annotator's Note: Battle of the Bulge or German Ardennes Counter Offensive, 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945]. He spent most of his time with the 2nd Battalion and the howitzers about 2,000 yards back from the front. He helped direct the fire of Cannon Company. He saw little of the combat on the Ridge. The Cannon Company delivered the firepower that the Battalion rifle companies needed. Captain John W. Fritz led the company. They did a good job under his direction. He was gung-ho and a capable leader. The coal miners out of Pennsylvania could dig a four by four foot and four foot deep emplacement for the guns quickly. They had the ability to deliver as the job necessitated. Linkous followed Colonel Norris [Annotator's Note: US Army Lieutenant Colonel Jack Norris] and stayed close to him. The officer was constantly on the move and stayed close to the front. He was a West Point [Annotator's Note: United States Military Academy in West Point, New York] graduate and knew what he was doing. That was proven to Linkous by an exchange between Norris and a chaplain at Hill 192 [Annotator's Note: near Saint-Lo, France]. The Battle of the Bulge was a huge action. The Mess Sergeant, Sergeant Woods [Annotator's Note: no given name provided; unable to verify identity], was transferred to a rifle company after getting into trouble. He was strong and would carry the tripod. At Hill 192, Woods received from his father a box of rum soaked cigars. He gave Linkous half a dozen of them because he was putting the sergeant's money in a bank for him. The Bulge was hell and chaotic. The training and guts of the American ground troops saved the battle. They were not going to lose. Many of them paid a terrible price.

Melvin Linkous was very sympathetic toward the German female population. The women of Leipzig [Annotator's Note: Leipzig, Germany] and Nuremburg [Annotator's Note: Nuremburg, Germany] seemed to take the loss of their males very hard. He wonders if the mass of the German population really supported Hitler [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler]. Only 32 percent of the population actually supported the German government. Better leadership could have prevented the Second World War. Obama [Annotator's Note: Barrack H. Obama, II; 44th President of the United States] is a great guy but he is not strong enough for the elements against him. He has a high rating of 80 percent approval with the population. Warfare is an impossible waste. Waste was evident to Linkous during his days in the service. Today, there is too much lost money in the combat areas.

Melvin Linkous was in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia at the end of the war. It was peaceful for him while they waited for the Russians to arrive. He enjoyed the people, restaurants and concerts. He was given a ham by a lady in Pilsen that was so full of fat that the Americans disposed of it and told her it was delicious. Things seemed normal to the populace but they were leery of the Russians. Linkous had little contact with the Russians.

[Annotator's Note: Through the 50 minutes that make up this clip, Melvin Linkous reviews period photographs of the men he served with in Cannon Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division and describes his memory of them.] Melvin Linkous recollects a sizeable number of enlisted men and officers that he served with during the war. He describes their physical features and their ability to command or follow orders. He remembers some of their strengths and weaknesses as soldiers and individuals. Some he liked and others he did not. [Annotator's Note: The interviewer's grandfather served in Cannon Company, 38th Infantry Regiment with Linkous. The interviewer provides a series of photographs for Linkous to review while discussing the individuals depicted in them.] Linkous discusses injuries that he sustained as well as others he remembers. Linkous still carries shrapnel in his arm from a wound sustained during the fighting on Hill 192 [Annotator's Note: near Saint-Lo, France]. That was when he saw the first profusely bleeding German. The wounded man survived and was thankful for his salvation. Many of the names he is reminded of are people he had not thought of for years. Some men are memorable and others lesser so.

Melvin Linkous was riding in a two and a half ton truck [Annotator's Note: two and a half ton, six by six truck, also known as deuce and a half] without his helmet. He and the other passengers were injured when the truck hit a telephone pole. While in the hospital, he had to be restrained by multiple nurses. He was so badly hurt that he nearly did not survive. Linkous reminisces about members of his outfit [Annotator's Note: Cannon Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division] while reviewing photographs of them. Some are recognizable and others lesser so. Some have even visited Linkous in Roanoke, Virginia. Linkous remembers and liked the interviewer's grandfather, James Lofton [Annotator's Note: the interviewer is Tommy Lofton]. Linkous was memorable for having weekly Newsweek and copies of Shakespeare. Linkous remembers leave in Paris [Annotator's Note: Paris, France] and his good times but has no interest in returning to Europe.