⭐ If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out. Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com.
Earlier on I subscribed, and I made Major in no time! I bought my brother a set off of Erik's Museum that includes some mini balls from Virginia and a Confederate Treasury note for Christmas. Great Suggestions! We're history nuts that started out reading Shelby Foot, Michael and Jeff Sharaah's books.
I knew two of these types of gentlemen.... They were my grandfathers. One was in the Navy and was a loader for the 40mm AA guns serving in the Pacific Theater aboard the USS Richard M. Rowell earning six battle stars but also more than likely mistakenly sunk the submarine USS Seawolf. I can only remember my grandfather speaking of that incident once and it was very briefly.... I think it ate at him for the rest of his life. My other grandfather was an Infantryman who served in the 35 ID, landing at Omaha Beach first week of July, 1944 and fighting all the way to Hanover, Germany where they finished the war. My grandfather never, ever spoke of it. Two of the greatest people I have ever known and they fully personified the term "The Greatest Generation"
@@marcelmallory2761 My Father Served in The British Merchant Navy, he took part in The North Atlantic Convoys going to Murmansk in Russia. It was something that he also never liked to talk about. It was only when I was older and started to ask him things that he indulged me. I think that it was probably that he thought I would be more able to understand things now being older but I can only imagine what he really went through and the same goes for the Gentlemen in this video. They were all a special breed of person and we owe them more than we can ever repay. God Bless Them 🙏
Damnit, JD! You got me right in the feelings again. Seeing these men - brave enough to return to the scene of such horror - being so humble and nostalgic 😢😢
“Pill boxes, barbed wire, booby traps. Other than that a piece of cake.” Priceless at nearly 100 years old. Just lost my father last summer at 97. He was in the 15th Air Force in Italy 44-45. According to him they were an ordinary generation that were required to do some extraordinary things.
My dad only spoke about his experiences in Europe once when we went through a box of his photos which are now mine.he passed away in 2017.never forget the sacrifice these men made for us.
These men and all their comrades who fought in WWII are all heroes because they saved this world from tyranny! It is up to us all to ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten! Thank you for another stellar piece of content, JD!
My Grandmother is 94 years old and still remembers the German bombers flying over to carry out attacks on Glasgow in Scotland. All her brothers were in WW2 in the British Army. Video was incredible. Thank you.
It always amazes me how these vets that are in their 90’s look great for their age. They are some tough individuals even in their 90’s. The greatest generation. They grew up in an era that you didn’t have all the amenities of today and a different set of morals. Today’s kids have no idea how hard life was back then and have it too easy.
Pretty moving to see Jake going through his memories in the museum and finally unveiling the memorial. Jake's story is chapter 17 of "The Rifle 2" for those of you who may not have read it yet. I know you spent more time in the area and I hope to see more in a future episode 👍
You and Mark Felton are the only history channels I watch. There are others but they blur out symbols and images so they won’t get demonetized. So in essence they care more about $$ than they do history and therefore I don’t waste my time with them. Thank you JD for remaining original and entertaining.
At age 63, I am stunned at how many of our youth know nothing about WW1 or WW2, and have no understanding of how those wars impacted the world of today. Please continue to document the photos, lives and words of those who lived through it…. Soldiers and civilians alike. I never thought I’d hear that some people never heard of the Holocaust, or don’t believe it ever happened. I can imagine one day there will be those who deny the realities of WW2. The history and stories must be preserved and circulated. Thank you for what you do!
I’m crying with the others right now. What a touching and well deserved tribute to these soldiers. Thank you men for your service, and thank you JD for telling their story.
I had to stop and pull myself together after watching this. I grew up around WW2 and Korea veterans and this moved me deeply. Salute to the brave soldiers of the Greatest Generation.
Absolutely beautiful and moving. These things bring tears to my eyes because of the tragedy of war we still can't seem to stop. I along with many I am sure long for the day war is but a long past memory in human history. When I first met my future grandfather-in-law who fought in the Bulge and was taken prisoner, my wife-to-be told him how I was in the Army guard. I will never forget the look of sadness that came over his face and all he said was "So young". I was 19 at the time. So much respect to these brave survivors to go back and for all that didn't make it out of this forest. On both sides.
Thank you Jake! I still appreciate the freedom you risked your life for. All our WWII vets that didn't come home. To the families who suffered the loss of their lost boys and girls. God bless America. We will be great again!
I've only cried 3 times in my adult life...when my mother passed, when my fater passed and during this episode of History Underground. Good job gentleman.
Good on you and Andrew for being a part of this effort, JD; well done, indeed. Friend’s father - 12th Inf/4th ID was KIA on 10 Nov 44 when the 12th relieved the 28th ID’s 109th Inf west of the village of Hurtgen. SSG Harry Vandercar threw himself over a wounded buddy as German arty rained down on them. One round kill him and re-wounded the other man, who survived. Medic Jake Ruser may very well have responded to the scene. In Oct ‘19, the family succeeded in having their father’s remains re-interred at Arlington Nat’l Cemetery. No greater love…
Damn JD y’all brought me to tears. That was so beautiful, respectful, and deserving for Jake. God bless him and these men. Knowing these men and women are almost gone makes it even more emotional.
Both of my Grandfathers served and passed on now.. One in the Navy/SeaBee's building runways throughout the Philippians, the other Army Air Corp as a rescue pilot all over Europe. Incredible that we still have some of these amazing humans still with us.
I have watched this episode four times today. JD this is the best episode that you have ever featured on this channel. I cry at just seeing these guys. They are true heroes and the reason why we all do what we do in this community. I’m jealous you got to do this man. God had a plan for you when you started this channel on a whim from a challenge from your students. I believe that this entire channel and its history has led you to this point. I have to believe this was God’s purpose behind you starting this channel. Awesome episode and thanks for always being a friend and mentor.
@@jamesdellaneve9005 thank you! I’m not sure what enlisted rank he was before he became an officer but I seen a picture of him with the rank of sergeant first class in the old air core uniform. Then he ended up retiring as a Lt Colonel. He was in the Berlin airlift as well
My wife’s great Uncle was killed there Nov 20, 1944. His body was identified and buried back in Plainfield, IL on Aug 26, 2021. May he rest in Peace. Tsgt Arthur Countryman.
This episode brought to us the opportunity to witness a quiet yet extraordinary moment. The return of a WWII Veteran to where history was made some 79 years ago in his life, was deeply moving. Indeed, all the four Veterans present represented the same profound truth - that we all of us owe our liberty to their efforts, and the sacrifice of all their brothers that never made it back from those foreign fields. Thank you JD.
11:50 I'm living in Düren. On november 16th 1944, 474 bombers of the Royal Airforce dropped 2751 tons of bombs in just 21 minutes. It was the most devastating bombing run, the last of 51 recorded on Düren. Together with Jülich, which is just 20km to the north, it was the most destroyed city in germany. From the 6431 houses, only 13 remained undamaged and 3128 people died in that final bombing. Both cities were strategic targets to the allies because of their role as "transportation hubs" for the german army. The germans cleared the streets in a day or two and the railway station wasn't hit at all, so mission failed I guess? I really have to visit the Hürtgen Forest Museum, shame I haven't yet - living so close by. Lovely video, it's great seeing these veterans doing well and hearing their memories!
Wow - I cried on this one. It would be great to see these videos picked up by Amazon or Netflix to highlight the stories of so many brave men and women of our greatest generation. Never Forget!!
I can't imagine how these 4 veterans went through this museum without thinking about the horrors they witnessed in that terrible war!! may God grant them peace in this life and the Next ❤
A salute to those men. That soldier was correct about the bodies. My father who would have turned 98 yesterday was farther south at the same time and was captured in the Black Forest told me the frozen bodies of both armies were stacked like cords of wood.
Oh wow... I absolutely lost it when they started the ceremony outside the museum and the German fella started talking about the American soldiers they gave their lives in that forest, and he gave gratitude to them and recognized why they were there. The tears are still falling as I'm writing this, but it's not necessarily from sadness (maybe a little) but of appreciation and because of just how damn proud I am of those men and those that never made it home. I'm so happy that those four were able to make it there, and Jake was able to see the memorial, there, in his honor. Thank you for sharing this with us JD. I look forward to the next few videos that you filmed while there. So amazing.
My maternal grandfather served there with the 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. He never spoke about his service there and unfortunately died in 1977. So, the work you do in bringing this history to life is invaluable. Thank you so much.
My great grandfather was a medic in WW2 an he was born in 1924 I think he would be 99 years old today. He was awesome ! He was awarded a purple 💜 heart for taking sniper fire, one round hit him right across his throat and luckily grazed him for him moving his head just at the right moment. He also was awarded the medal they give for saving lives, i can't remember what it is called but he got it for saving lives !
What a beautiful tribute - thank you so much. I had an uncle that served with the 87th ID and my dad served with the 99th ID. They both came in as replacements in early January 1945. I so enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work. You have a fan here!
Well I genuinely teared up at the end there with the monument unveiling! So incredibly touching, thank you so much for capturing this, JD. I have enjoyed many of your videos, but as much as I have enjoyed your narration, I can tell I’m *really* gonna enjoy hearing the stories of WWII from the veterans themselves! What great and incredibly courageous guys!
Thank you JD, my dad was a WWII vet and ended up captured somewhere in Belguim. He was in the 28th division. Spent 8 months in a POW camp don't know which one. Was wounded while he was a POW .went to the camp weighing 175 got out at around 125. But he did survive till 2009. He was 87. I miss him now more than ever. Thank you very much. God bless all vets
Everytime i think you made the best one, you bust out one of these. If this doesn't make your tears well up and want to go just shake these guys hands and buy em a beer. Hell of an episode JD! Well done my guy! ❤🇺🇲🤘
Maybe it’s their age, maybe it’s that they’ve processed what they experienced but the straightforwardness when discussing what they saw is truly remarkable. I couldn’t imagine
In my experience, this is one of the remarkable things about veterans. I wonder if it relates to their relating to it from a “having to get something done” mindset. Whenever that tone got into my Dad’s voice, I could feel the gulf between those who have served and civilians like me. He knew and understood things I had no notion of.
A very touching end and tribute in the video. I must admit, a tear does come to my eye when thinking about how few we have left, of the greatest generation.
i m french 46 year,my grand father french soldier " poche de Lille" in 1940 ,after prisonner in war in germany , the us soldier liberate ; this video is very emotionnal for me, respect to the us veteran ,and respect for allied troupes,thank you ,thank you very much for your services
Thank you so much JD and Andrew. Well done faithful servant. Such a beautiful tribute to those WWII VETERANS and thanks so much for honoring them! Combat medics rock and so does the History Traveler. Perfect timing for Christmas 👍 God Bless you all. Thank you thank you. 🇺🇸
Well now to regain my composure and dry my eyes to return to work in our PACU unit. Humbling way to spend my break. Thank you gentlemen. May we never forget.
To Doc you did your job to save guys in your regiment. I used to belong to the 2/12 Infantry (Mechanized) 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson Colorado. Combat Medics like you are the saviors of infantrymen who get wounded. You went through hell, I have the upmost respect for Combat Medics. Well done Doc!!!
Thank-you for your work that you do and especially to see the brave men return that it's self is a part of history and must never be forgotten thankyou
Hi JD can i just say a massive thank you for all you have done and will do,,have a very merry Christmas and a safe and happy new year to you and your family,,,love from Scotland
What an incredible and incredibly moving video. Men like you JD and like Andrew are absolutely the best among us. Honoring these men and the history they made and witnessed is incredibly necessary while they’re still among us. These veterans and the work you guys are doing make us proud to be Americans!
Gret thank you to all veterans, this must have been a horrible fight! Huertgen is one of my favorite forests to go hiking, living in Belgium it is pretty close to our border, superb views up on those hills, and quite some interesting bunkers to see, it gives a good impression how difficult it must have been in WWII.
A moving and poignant video. These elderly gentlemen are such modest heroes and the indescribable sights which Jake Ruser saw as a medic must still haunt him today. It is humbling to hear the veterans' stories of their Hell on Earth in the Hurtgen Forest. I'm British and one of my other WW2 interests is Bomber Command; I would like to know where the two USAAF men were based in England. Thanks JD to you and your team for arranging this memorable trip. Merry Christmas from this side of the Pond!
I can't quite put my finger on exactly what it is, but jd brings a very special and extremely palpable quality t these videos that is simply dripping with boundless respect, and even more boundless fascination and curiosity. I think that whatever it is, it's the primary element responsible in large part for the success of this channel.
What an amazing experience to meet and speak with these great men. Thank you for making this video. Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and your loved ones. I look forward to 2024 and more videos.
Absolutely fantastic work JD. I know you haven't been feeling well and very much appreciate you working to get these out to us. Man, you really got me with this one. The end where it is revealed...that brought tears to my eyes. What you guys are doing by telling these stories is very special. Thank you!
⭐ If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out.
Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com.
Earlier on I subscribed, and I made Major in no time! I bought my brother a set off of Erik's Museum that includes some mini balls from Virginia and a Confederate Treasury note for Christmas. Great Suggestions! We're history nuts that started out reading Shelby Foot, Michael and Jeff Sharaah's books.
B 6a a w@@MrBradleyDavid
also kinda ironic that they fly in a lufthanza plane they maintained all the german warplanes
To me meeting one of those gentleman would be more of an honor than meeting any pro athlete or actor
When I was a kid my dad took me to the museum of flight in Seattle to meet the radio operator from the Memphis belle. I'll never forget that
I knew two of these types of gentlemen.... They were my grandfathers. One was in the Navy and was a loader for the 40mm AA guns serving in the Pacific Theater aboard the USS Richard M. Rowell earning six battle stars but also more than likely mistakenly sunk the submarine USS Seawolf. I can only remember my grandfather speaking of that incident once and it was very briefly.... I think it ate at him for the rest of his life. My other grandfather was an Infantryman who served in the 35 ID, landing at Omaha Beach first week of July, 1944 and fighting all the way to Hanover, Germany where they finished the war. My grandfather never, ever spoke of it. Two of the greatest people I have ever known and they fully personified the term "The Greatest Generation"
Likewise man. The only WW2 vet I’ve met was my great grandad. With the few that are left I need to make something happen 😢
@@marcelmallory2761 My Father Served in The British Merchant Navy, he took part in The North Atlantic Convoys going to Murmansk in Russia. It was something that he also never liked to talk about. It was only when I was older and started to ask him things that he indulged me. I think that it was probably that he thought I would be more able to understand things now being older but I can only imagine what he really went through and the same goes for the Gentlemen in this video. They were all a special breed of person and we owe them more than we can ever repay. God Bless Them 🙏
1000 percent agree! Greatest generation!
There is a reason they were called the greatest generation, they truly were. God bless these men.
I'm not crying, you're crying! Well Done JD! Great History and Tribute! Thank you for Keeping History Alive!!!
Thank you 🙂
Damnit, JD! You got me right in the feelings again. Seeing these men - brave enough to return to the scene of such horror - being so humble and nostalgic 😢😢
Got a lot more coming. Glad that we could go and capture the experience.
Merry Christmas To you and family.What an Honor to meet and talk to any of the gentlemen that fought in that war.❤🇺🇸🇺🇸😂
@@TheHistoryUnderground Will I need a hanky?? Looking forward to it in any case!
All I can say to the veterans: Thank you for your service.
Thank you for our freedom
Touching tribute to one of the Greatest Generation!
Thank you. Got a lot more on the way with these guys.
This was beautiful. Thank you.
I really appreciate that he mentioned the loss of the civilians of the city.
The civilians are the ones who suffer the most.
“Pill boxes, barbed wire, booby traps. Other than that a piece of cake.” Priceless at nearly 100 years old. Just lost my father last summer at 97. He was in the 15th Air Force in Italy 44-45. According to him they were an ordinary generation that were required to do some extraordinary things.
To walk through the iconic battlefields of human history with those that were in it, in the twilight of their lives, is the ultimate.
What you're doing is absolutely incredible. Thank you.
I appreciate that!
The memorial brought tears to my eyes. Thank you JD and all who worked to make this happen.
My dad only spoke about his experiences in Europe once when we went through a box of his photos which are now mine.he passed away in 2017.never forget the sacrifice these men made for us.
These men and all their comrades who fought in WWII are all heroes because they saved this world from tyranny! It is up to us all to ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten! Thank you for another stellar piece of content, JD!
😢 They did indeed, and I bet they cry at the world we have now.
My Grandmother is 94 years old and still remembers the German bombers flying over to carry out attacks on Glasgow in Scotland. All her brothers were in WW2 in the British Army. Video was incredible. Thank you.
Jake’s story is amazing , he really deserved to see that memorial .
There are times when you are so thunderstruck, that there are no words to convey your pride in your armed forces.
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It always amazes me how these vets that are in their 90’s look great for their age. They are some tough individuals even in their 90’s. The greatest generation. They grew up in an era that you didn’t have all the amenities of today and a different set of morals. Today’s kids have no idea how hard life was back then and have it too easy.
I am in awe those 4 WWII veterans. They made it through the war and were well enough to return! Thank you for your service.
Pretty moving to see Jake going through his memories in the museum and finally unveiling the memorial. Jake's story is chapter 17 of "The Rifle 2" for those of you who may not have read it yet. I know you spent more time in the area and I hope to see more in a future episode 👍
Yeah, we’ve got a lot more coming from the Hurtgen.
My dear father in law served in the 4th Division.
Where would we be without these men and women. I thank them from the bottom of my heart !!
You and Mark Felton are the only history channels I watch. There are others but they blur out symbols and images so they won’t get demonetized. So in essence they care more about $$ than they do history and therefore I don’t waste my time with them. Thank you JD for remaining original and entertaining.
Mark Felton is good but his British bias gets to me sometimes. Maybe that’s my American bias but still love his videos too.
I don't like the blurred images. These things happened and we need to remember
Tikhistory is very good
Mark Felton and JD are the best.
Hell yeah! Mark Felton is amazing.
At age 63, I am stunned at how many of our youth know nothing about WW1 or WW2, and have no understanding of how those wars impacted the world of today. Please continue to document the photos, lives and words of those who lived through it…. Soldiers and civilians alike. I never thought I’d hear that some people never heard of the Holocaust, or don’t believe it ever happened. I can imagine one day there will be those who deny the realities of WW2. The history and stories must be preserved and circulated. Thank you for what you do!
What an absolute honor to travel with those men. Wish I could sit down with them and just listen to their entire life story.
I’m crying with the others right now. What a touching and well deserved tribute to these soldiers. Thank you men for your service, and thank you JD for telling their story.
Thank you. More to come. 🙂
I had to stop and pull myself together after watching this. I grew up around WW2 and Korea veterans and this moved me deeply. Salute to the brave soldiers of the Greatest Generation.
Lovely to see these old troopers being remembered for the future. They have so much for all our freedoms
That monument is absolutely beautiful! It’s stunning! What a great tribute for Jake Ruser! A true hero! ❤
This was absolutely fantastic. Considering that we're nearing the day when all of these heroes will no longer be with us, this video is very moving.
Absolutely beautiful and moving. These things bring tears to my eyes because of the tragedy of war we still can't seem to stop. I along with many I am sure long for the day war is but a long past memory in human history. When I first met my future grandfather-in-law who fought in the Bulge and was taken prisoner, my wife-to-be told him how I was in the Army guard. I will never forget the look of sadness that came over his face and all he said was "So young". I was 19 at the time.
So much respect to these brave survivors to go back and for all that didn't make it out of this forest. On both sides.
Thank you Jake! I still appreciate the freedom you risked your life for. All our WWII vets that didn't come home. To the families who suffered the loss of their lost boys and girls. God bless America. We will be great again!
My father was a WW2 veteran. 101st 506. Thank you for doing these videos. It has me thinking of my father
I've only cried 3 times in my adult life...when my mother passed, when my fater passed and during this episode of History Underground. Good job gentleman.
Good on you and Andrew for being a part of this effort, JD; well done, indeed.
Friend’s father - 12th Inf/4th ID was KIA on 10 Nov 44 when the 12th relieved the 28th ID’s 109th Inf west of the village of Hurtgen. SSG Harry Vandercar threw himself over a wounded buddy as German arty rained down on them. One round kill him and re-wounded the other man, who survived. Medic Jake Ruser may very well have responded to the scene. In Oct ‘19, the family succeeded in having their father’s remains re-interred at Arlington Nat’l Cemetery. No greater love…
Damn JD y’all brought me to tears. That was so beautiful, respectful, and deserving for Jake. God bless him and these men. Knowing these men and women are almost gone makes it even more emotional.
Thank you.
Both of my Grandfathers served and passed on now.. One in the Navy/SeaBee's building runways throughout the Philippians, the other Army Air Corp as a rescue pilot all over Europe. Incredible that we still have some of these amazing humans still with us.
I have watched this episode four times today. JD this is the best episode that you have ever featured on this channel. I cry at just seeing these guys. They are true heroes and the reason why we all do what we do in this community. I’m jealous you got to do this man. God had a plan for you when you started this channel on a whim from a challenge from your students. I believe that this entire channel and its history has led you to this point. I have to believe this was God’s purpose behind you starting this channel. Awesome episode and thanks for always being a friend and mentor.
Thanks man. Appreciate that.
Thank you for this. My grandpa was in a B17 as well. Gunner, flight engineer. He enlisted in September 1939. Served 30+ years.
WW2 - Korea - Vietnam
Wow! God Bless him. What was his ending rank?
@@jamesdellaneve9005 thank you! I’m not sure what enlisted rank he was before he became an officer but I seen a picture of him with the rank of sergeant first class in the old air core uniform. Then he ended up retiring as a Lt Colonel. He was in the Berlin airlift as well
Greatest generation of warriors ever to walk the planet. Pure bravery
My wife’s great Uncle was killed there Nov 20, 1944. His body was identified and buried back in Plainfield, IL on Aug 26, 2021. May he rest in Peace. Tsgt Arthur Countryman.
Amazing you all did that for those men. And what a special thing for that medic. Heartwarming for sure!
This episode brought to us the opportunity to witness a quiet yet extraordinary moment. The return of a WWII Veteran to where history was made some 79 years ago in his life, was deeply moving. Indeed, all the four Veterans present represented the same profound truth - that we all of us owe our liberty to their efforts, and the sacrifice of all their brothers that never made it back from those foreign fields. Thank you JD.
11:50 I'm living in Düren. On november 16th 1944, 474 bombers of the Royal Airforce dropped 2751 tons of bombs in just 21 minutes. It was the most devastating bombing run, the last of 51 recorded on Düren. Together with Jülich, which is just 20km to the north, it was the most destroyed city in germany. From the 6431 houses, only 13 remained undamaged and 3128 people died in that final bombing.
Both cities were strategic targets to the allies because of their role as "transportation hubs" for the german army. The germans cleared the streets in a day or two and the railway station wasn't hit at all, so mission failed I guess?
I really have to visit the Hürtgen Forest Museum, shame I haven't yet - living so close by.
Lovely video, it's great seeing these veterans doing well and hearing their memories!
thank you for yalls service i wish i could put more in words for the gratitude i have towards vets
These men are so amazing! Thank you to all of you for honoring them!
Wow - I cried on this one. It would be great to see these videos picked up by Amazon or Netflix to highlight the stories of so many brave men and women of our greatest generation. Never Forget!!
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Literally brought tears to my eyes. So blessed, so thankful, so proud.
🙂
I can't imagine how these 4 veterans went through this museum without thinking about the horrors they witnessed in that terrible war!! may God grant them peace in this life and the Next ❤
A salute to those men. That soldier was correct about the bodies. My father who would have turned 98 yesterday was farther south at the same time and was captured in the Black Forest told me the frozen bodies of both armies were stacked like cords of wood.
Man JD you all know how to get the eyes watering, gets me thinking of my uncles that served in WWII. I'm now anxiously awaiting the next episode.
Oh wow... I absolutely lost it when they started the ceremony outside the museum and the German fella started talking about the American soldiers they gave their lives in that forest, and he gave gratitude to them and recognized why they were there. The tears are still falling as I'm writing this, but it's not necessarily from sadness (maybe a little) but of appreciation and because of just how damn proud I am of those men and those that never made it home. I'm so happy that those four were able to make it there, and Jake was able to see the memorial, there, in his honor. Thank you for sharing this with us JD. I look forward to the next few videos that you filmed while there. So amazing.
Thanks JD and Andrew for the presentations and introducing us to the WWII vets. Amazing 101 yrs old.
My maternal grandfather served there with the 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. He never spoke about his service there and unfortunately died in 1977. So, the work you do in bringing this history to life is invaluable. Thank you so much.
What an EXCELLENT way of honoring those who fought for our freedoms so long ago!
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Absolutely the most important channel on UA-cam. So informative and inspiring, keeping history alive for the next generation.
Thank you. I appreciate that. Hope that others are finding some value in it and sharing it with others.
Respect to all the vets ❤not too many of the old boys left😢 wealth of knowledge! Thank you for your presentation
❤from 🇨🇦
How beautiful an honor to those men who served in battle and, Jack who was a medic! Glad to be back watching your channel again!
Thank you kindly
Makes you feel good watching this. Think of what they each did - such unassuming people. Each one is amazing and inspiring.
Your channel is the only one that constantly brings me to tears. What an amazing experience. Thanks for sharing it with the world.
That’s amazing I love seeing this stuff. God Bless our Veterans 🇺🇸🗽
My great grandfather was a medic in WW2 an he was born in 1924 I think he would be 99 years old today. He was awesome ! He was awarded a purple 💜 heart for taking sniper fire, one round hit him right across his throat and luckily grazed him for him moving his head just at the right moment. He also was awarded the medal they give for saving lives, i can't remember what it is called but he got it for saving lives !
What a beautiful tribute - thank you so much. I had an uncle that served with the 87th ID and my dad served with the 99th ID. They both came in as replacements in early January 1945. I so enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work. You have a fan here!
Well done, as always. Hurtgen Forest was ruthless fighting. Thanks for sharing this and these four veterans
To the greatest Generation thank you from the bottom of my heart, you guys are the heartbeat of America!!!! Godspeed my friends
Well I genuinely teared up at the end there with the monument unveiling! So incredibly touching, thank you so much for capturing this, JD. I have enjoyed many of your videos, but as much as I have enjoyed your narration, I can tell I’m *really* gonna enjoy hearing the stories of WWII from the veterans themselves! What great and incredibly courageous guys!
Got some good stuff coming up :)
My Dad was in the Hurtgen Forest. If he were alive to see this he would have cried. I did. Thank you.
What an amazing start to an awesome series! 🎉
Thanks! 🙂
Thank you JD, my dad was a WWII vet and ended up captured somewhere in Belguim. He was in the 28th division. Spent 8 months in a POW camp don't know which one. Was wounded while he was a POW .went to the camp weighing 175 got out at around 125. But he did survive till 2009. He was 87. I miss him now more than ever. Thank you very much. God bless all vets
Everytime i think you made the best one, you bust out one of these. If this doesn't make your tears well up and want to go just shake these guys hands and buy em a beer. Hell of an episode JD! Well done my guy! ❤🇺🇲🤘
Glad you enjoyed it!
I got The Rifle 2 for Christmas and can’t wait to read it. I loved Andrew’s first book.
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Maybe it’s their age, maybe it’s that they’ve processed what they experienced but the straightforwardness when discussing what they saw is truly remarkable. I couldn’t imagine
In my experience, this is one of the remarkable things about veterans. I wonder if it relates to their relating to it from a “having to get something done” mindset. Whenever that tone got into my Dad’s voice, I could feel the gulf between those who have served and civilians like me. He knew and understood things I had no notion of.
A very touching end and tribute in the video. I must admit, a tear does come to my eye when thinking about how few we have left, of the greatest generation.
Boys in Nam haven’t been less brave , but nobody cries for them.
@@samkangal8428 that’s a pretty bold assumption. I’ve met a few Vietnam vets in my time. My respect for them is no less.
Awesome video. Tobias Kreuzmann does so much to keep the memory of the Hurtgenwald alive.
i m french 46 year,my grand father french soldier " poche de Lille" in 1940 ,after prisonner in war in germany , the us soldier liberate ; this video is very emotionnal for me, respect to the us veteran ,and respect for allied troupes,thank you ,thank you very much for your services
Thank you so much JD and Andrew. Well done faithful servant. Such a beautiful tribute to those WWII VETERANS and thanks so much for honoring them! Combat medics rock and so does the History Traveler.
Perfect timing for Christmas 👍
God Bless you all. Thank you thank you. 🇺🇸
Well now to regain my composure and dry my eyes to return to work in our PACU unit. Humbling way to spend my break. Thank you gentlemen. May we never forget.
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To Doc you did your job to save guys in your regiment. I used to belong to the 2/12 Infantry (Mechanized) 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson Colorado. Combat Medics like you are the saviors of infantrymen who get wounded. You went through hell, I have the upmost respect for Combat Medics. Well done Doc!!!
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Thank-you for your work that you do and especially to see the brave men return that it's self is a part of history and must never be forgotten thankyou
May God continue to bless these men from America's greatest generation. It will be an extremely somber day when the last WWII veteran passes.
That image of Mr. Ruser placing his hand on an old medic's helmet...wow....very emotional..very powerful
Just finished The Rifle 2 yesterday and seeing this today is wild! Great work as always JD!
Hi JD can i just say a massive thank you for all you have done and will do,,have a very merry Christmas and a safe and happy new year to you and your family,,,love from Scotland
Another Scottish fan! I thought I might be the only one! Slàinte agus Nollaig Chridheil!
@@cleverusername9369 I think there may be more of us,just that there’s a majority of people who don’t leave a comment…take care my friend
What an incredible and incredibly moving video. Men like you JD and like Andrew are absolutely the best among us. Honoring these men and the history they made and witnessed is incredibly necessary while they’re still among us. These veterans and the work you guys are doing make us proud to be Americans!
Thank you, sirs, for your sacrifices. You protected our citizens with your life's blood. Thank you more than you can know.
We're all crying-thank you so much for this video-and thank you to our veterans and active military-your bravery is humbling, to say the least.
Gret thank you to all veterans, this must have been a horrible fight! Huertgen is one of my favorite forests to go hiking, living in Belgium it is pretty close to our border, superb views up on those hills, and quite some interesting bunkers to see, it gives a good impression how difficult it must have been in WWII.
Been to the forest myself last year. It has some great hiking trails to explore the surroundings
This is so fascinating, especially with the veterans who remember all of this as if it happened yesterday to them , unreal
A moving and poignant video. These elderly gentlemen are such modest heroes and the indescribable sights which Jake Ruser saw as a medic must still haunt him today. It is humbling to hear the veterans' stories of their Hell on Earth in the Hurtgen Forest. I'm British and one of my other WW2 interests is Bomber Command; I would like to know where the two USAAF men were based in England. Thanks JD to you and your team for arranging this memorable trip. Merry Christmas from this side of the Pond!
I can't quite put my finger on exactly what it is, but jd brings a very special and extremely palpable quality t these videos that is simply dripping with boundless respect, and even more boundless fascination and curiosity. I think that whatever it is, it's the primary element responsible in large part for the success of this channel.
Another great video. You're doing us a huge service by making these. I'm looking forward to seeing the gentlemen return to the battlefield.
That was a very special moment. Huge thanks to all those who made it happen.
You’re the best at telling stories. Thank you so much for all you do for us!
What a special episode, thank you as always JD!
What an amazing experience to meet and speak with these great men. Thank you for making this video. Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and your loved ones. I look forward to 2024 and more videos.
I'm so jealous. Wish I could be there.
This is such a cool video! Amazing to see actual veterans, and to visit where they fought is just unreal.
What an outstanding moment captured. Thank you for this. Means a lot to see these veterans recognized for their enormous contribution to mankind.
Absolutely fantastic work JD. I know you haven't been feeling well and very much appreciate you working to get these out to us. Man, you really got me with this one. The end where it is revealed...that brought tears to my eyes. What you guys are doing by telling these stories is very special. Thank you!
Thank you 🙏🏼
101 years old, WOW. I can only imagine the stories and advice that young man could give.