The Real Locations of Ron Speirs' Run & Shifty's Sniper | American Artifact Episode 113
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- Опубліковано 24 січ 2024
- One of the most popular episodes in the Band of Brothers series is Episode 7, "The Breaking Point", which finds Easy Company attacking the village of Foy on the Bastogne perimeter. In this episode, we're taking a few artifacts from The Gettysburg Museum of History back to the battlefield to explore what happened with Ron Speirs' run and the actual spot where Shifty Powers took out the German sniper.
Learn more on the work of Reg Jans, visit regjans.com.
View the full episode from @TheOperationsRoom & subscribe to their channel here: • Battle of the Bulge, A...
This episode was produced in partnership with The Gettysburg Museum of History. See how you can support history education & artifact preservation by visiting their website & store at www.gettysburgmuseumofhistory...
Support the effort to expand history education on PATREON: / historyunderground
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⭐️ 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.
It was the Gettysburg museum that led me to your channel. Keep up the good work. Subscribed.
Hi, I watched another clip called "Shifty Powers tells the sniper story from the battle of Foy in this short clip" by Valor Art Studios. The man himself said : "I shot the German up here on the hill. He was up that way up there looking around, he was up there peeping around the side of that building and looking down here where we were to see us, but he made a mistake of standing up. Lke, so looking around the building if he'd been down low, I wouldn't have seen his breath because the snow was on the ground."
I accept he may have been incorrect about the location he took the shot from all those years later. However, the details about the sniper's breath isn't something he was every going to forget. How do you explain that his memory doesn't recall the sniper as being in an upstairs window? Had the German sniper been lying prone, the snow would have prevented the moisture on his breath making a tell-tale cloud.
He tells this story, standing at the opposite corner of the shed where you film the window from. So sheltered by the opposite gable, he shot back across the road you walked down. Which makes sense, if the road and junction were under fire, 3rd platoon pushed up behind those buildings you filmed. That road represents the line dividing Foy in two. East of the road is still under German control. 1st and 2nd platoons are pushing the North West, while Shifty's platoon are pushing from the South West. So your drone image at 20:44 shows the buildings the Germans were in, the bard to that red house. With Shifty shooting from the right hand edge into the center-middle of the frame.
My Dad just passed away last month and we bonded over our common fascination with all things WWII and wild west related. Your videos were key in my introducing him to the modern take/return to the sites of history. He was repeatedly amazed by your retelling and clarification of events. Thank you for using your talents, connections, and devotion to keeping history alive. Pops and I so appreciate what you deliver!!
I'm sorry for your loss. I also have that bond with my father. God Bless
I'm sorry for your loss, my dad died in 2005 when I was 21/22 and it's still tough and I still cry. Stay strong and my condolences to you and your family.
Sorry for your loss as well. We lost our father in August of two years ago just prior to his 99th birthday. What a blessing it was to have them so long.
Sad to hear about your loss. Stay strong!
Sorry to hear but he watches over you and keep an eye out for his signs. God bless from Ireland.
They REALLY are a Band of Brothers,A very rare breed, HEROES 🤔
My wife, adult daughter and I were just in Foy a week ago. I was in the 101st in Vietnam in 1966-1967 and wanted to see some of the sites where my "older" brothers fought nearly 80 years ago. I wish I had seen your channel before I went to Belgium. I would have made my journey much more enjoyable. I did greatly enjoy my journey from Omaha beach to Bastogne. The locals were friendly. The country side was beautiful. I is so peaceful now. Great job with your description of the events of that time. I subscribed.
Can you just imagine being Speir's family, and watching that series with him ?? Just wow ...
All these men who participated in this conflict are heroes. Some returned home and some remain on American soil in France. I had the opportunity to go to Normandy.. Arlington is beautiful, Normandy is absolutely breathtaking
I stood at Shifty's exact spot Jan. 2023 in a cold rain at night...gave me chills
I have been there twice..Ditto with me..
so good.
A cold rain at night will give me chills, too. 😆
But seriously, I envy your visit to Foy! 👍
It’s really a shame that all these men are now gone. Hopefully their memory and actions are not forgotten in the future, along with everyone else who fought in the war
Thanks for bringing to light a moment in American history that light needs to shine upon forever
Wow, Shifty must've had super eye sight just to see puffs of breath coming from the German snipers mouth. Story has it after the town was secure two members of easy company (can't remember their names) went to look for the snipers body and when they found him the sniper had a bullet hole right between the eyes proving shifty's expert marksmanship.
Story went that Shifty was in Bastogne, over a mile distant he noticed a tree that wasn't there the day before....
Shifty reported it, turned out the tree was camouflaged artillery.
So yes his eyesight and environmental awareness and acuity was extraordinary.
A person will tend to notice a lot of things when their life depends on it.@@pixiniarts
Shifty lived not too far from me and I met him a couple times. He gave a couple talks at a local community college that I attended. I wish I could remember everything from them. I do remember the story about the sniper though.
Imagine watching for the breath. Waiting til a shot was fired knowing you had a few moments to get your shot off as the enemy is reloading. Thank you for the detailed explaination as well as the artifacts. I appreciate those that preserve historical pieces from all fronts. May we never forget
Glad that you enjoyed it!
Just love that the citizens there still remember and respect the soldiers who served there so much.
I am so glad you guys told the real story about my dad and the sniper. Thank you.
It was an honor to be able to share his story. Hope that it does some good. Thanks!
@@TheHistoryUnderground yes, it's important to get their stories right. Thanks again.DW Powers.
Your father is a true American hero. I hope you have some solace in that fact.
Was on the recent tour with Reg Jans for two days. He was very passionate about these events. Highly recommended the tour.
Ronald Speirs is my favorite "Brother". His career after WWII is amazing in it's self.
Dick Winters apparently called him “Sparky,” his nickname. I remember an interview where Winters was concerned because the inference that Spiers killed POW’s was to be shown in the TV series. Winters said he called Sparky to see if he was OK with the portrayal. Spiers said it was no problem he seemed to not mind that he was linked to shooting those Germans.
@@Chiller11 Spiers actually wrote a letter describing and confirming that event!
Can you even imagine the pride, the strength and power of families watching Band of Brothers with the very people who did such amazing things?! Wow, I bet the grandkids never stopped talking about it. These people brought greatness to their families that will last forever.
Sobel's family wasn't thrilled. 😅
you're like the only one on UA-cam who gets this story exactly right... Good job!!!
👊🏻
Crazy to know that. German sniper was in that specific window and had taken out Many Americans then met his maker there. The horrible history that little window saw. I wonder what it is now? Apartment? Amazing to think how many other unremarkable little windows exist out there that served as key moments in the war and that we will never know. Amazing video as always and thanks for posting.
Clearly, the Shifty sniper window drew a lot of attention. The window frame obviously rebuilt and in stark contrast to the two windows below it. Add to that, the notable structural repair work done from the roof peak down to the window.
What an absolutely spine tinkling episode!!
Those men were honorable and, have meet several…humble is an understatement.
Thank you for putting all this not only into proper context, but in modern color. We all know much has changed but isn’t it most somber, how much remains the same and, how gracious and appreciative of Americans, the local folks still are today. I think that is a testament to the men who were there during WWII, and is absolutely incumbent on us today, today, to never diminish their honor.
Just dropping a comment to let you know how much I appreciate you keeping the stories of these heros alive for newer generations, having it be over 20+ years since the mini-series, and 80 since the actual event, I fear many of today's youth have little appreciation for the greatest generation, and what they were fighting for. Thank you.
Thank you!
@InDadequate
I’m glad I’m not one of today’s youth that doesn’t appreciate the Greatest Generation. I am ever thankful for what they did, and they are heroes. They’re the reason why we’re here today. It tears me up when people joke about the sacrifice made by any veteran. I always tell them how it isn’t funny and they should respect those that died for the service of our country. My great grandfather was a paratrooper in the war. He served with the 2nd Battalion, 509th Parachute Regiment in Algeria and Tunisia. Then he was transferred to the 505th Parachute Regimental Combat Team from the 82nd Airborne Division and jumped into Sicily. Then, he was transferred to the 101st Airborne and jumped into Normandy and Holland. He also served in the Battle of the Bulge and into Germany. He volunteered for the Army’s railway service in Europe for around 3 years after VE-Day. He came home with a Walther P-38 and a Luger, which I got to shoot with his son (my grandpa) a few years ago. He passed away in 2006 before I was born. Because of his service, I want nothing more than to be a United States Army paratrooper.
It's so surreal how peaceful Foy looks now, and next you see all the bullet holes in the sniper house. Then the reality of what happened here hits you. Crazy. Great video!
JD, you have got to have the greatest job in the world. Thank yo for these videos.
Thanks!
I was there some weeks ago and visited the same places. Also all the places around the wood and Bastogne. Your real location visits helped me a lot to visually understand and hold on for some minutes without saying anything to truly understand. Its one thing to read and watch all the content, but absolutely different once you are there. You can stay there for hours without being bored, fantastic.
I’m a very intrigued by WW2. Thank you so much for spending your own money and time doing these video. God bless you!
In the village of Heteren in the Netherlands there is a tiny museum called the Betuws war museum ''the island'' 1944-1945. There they have a signed pass giving permission to 6 Dutch farmers to cross the front line into Randwijk to go milk their cows. That pass was granted and signed by Ron Speirs.
If anyone is ever in the neighborhood, the museum is well worth a visit. The owner can tell you stories for hours.
How incredibly brilliant that you and Erik teamed up. These videos are fantastic! Absolutely first rate. I can barely consume them fast enough.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks.
Thanks for clearing that up about Shifty Powers taking out the sniper! Much appreciated!
"Wow! Did I do that?"
Yes, you did.
I was there this last July, just an amazing and special place. Bastogne itself is a beautiful and historical City, from the Sherman tank on the Square, bullet holes still on the buildings in Foy and the Nuts Cafe on the Square where Bastogne beer is served in American WWIi ceramic helmets.
As a OEF 2010-2011 101st Veteran myself, i appreciate this content. I would love to do what you do!
It has to be hard to figure out what happened where after 80 years. Not even the participants are sure. I do know on thing JD your video is 110% more info then any school I ever attended! Thanks great job again
Thank you for this video and many others. You take viewers to an actual site as you tell the story. While I will not have the opportunity to visit these historic sites, your videos take me there. I am so pleased that i can "travel and learn" because of your efforts.
Videos from Bastogne/Foy are some of my favorite to watch. This was great. Fascinating story about shifty!
I remember running across a roof and small bridge under fire to my guys in Afghanistan I say remember I don’t recall much of it at all. In combat it’s all a blur and you act on instinct most of the time .
I can't say enough how much I really love the work that you and Erik do. As I have stated before, these history lessons are very important to understand what happened and in this case, to set the record straight from what is Hollywood vs what actually happened. This would make for a great segment of the old History vs Hollywood series from the History Channel! I think it's important that you keep doing this JD. Not that you are trying to discredit Band of Brothers, but just that you are showing us the actual facts instead of the "bending the truth" that was done for television. Very important distinction. Great job! I hope to get Erik's book about Spiers signed when I visit the museum in late July if I am lucky enough to catch Erik there!
Nice shout-out to The Operations Room. It's a great channel.
Loving all the Ardennes coverage!
Thanks!
Thanks JD and Erik! It’s always been clear to me that ordinary men did extraordinary things. 💪💪🇺🇸
Ron Speirs is my hero! God Bless them all. Wonderful video and explanations.
The artifacts a plus.
👍🏻
Thank you, must have great to get invited by the grandson of the original owner of the house and to see the pictures and come away with a box of cookies. Thanks for shedding light on the sniper incident. Appreciate your efforts.
thanks for clearing out what exactly happened with Shifty and the German sniper. and of course Speirs' unbelieveble run.
This is my favorite WW2 channel . You all do an awesome job at showing history . To walk in the footsteps of the past must be amazing . Thank you for taking us with you on these awesome jouneys .
Great episode. Band of Brothers was an amazing series and sparked so much interest in WW2 history. It’s my understanding that Lt. Dike was wounded during the attack. He was incapacitated by being hit and the attack stalled. Dike was apparently awarded a bronze star for his actions during Market/Garden and a second bronze star for actions at Bastogne for dragging three wounded soldiers to safety while under fire. I need to do a little more research to gain a better understanding of the engagement at Foy. Apparently Dike did order the ill advised flanking attack but for now I’m giving the benefit of the doubt to Norman Dike. It’s unforgivable to accuse a soldier of cowardice if you’re not 110% correct.
Obviously Lt Dike was not killed at Foy but went on to serve in Korea. Similar to Albert Blithe who did not die of his wound but served in Korea. What does Stephen Ambrose have against Korean War vets?
Not sure if he has a gripe against any particular group of veterans but is a terrible historian. His work on the Pegasus Bridge assault angered a lot of UK airborne veterans as he embellished and changed the accounts to 'create' a story that he didn't own. I'm not sure if his bias following that backlash affected the nuanced criticism towards the British in both Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers where he was the 'go to' historian for accuracy (Royal Navy veterans have voiced their distaste at being airbrushed out of the US landings). Added to that the treatment of both Pvt Blithe and Lt Dike, both men deserved their stories being told with care, honour and accuracy yet sadly found their way into the mini series without due care of conducting proper research
The is a story coming from a B-25 Group in Italy during the war. A newly assigned officer who had never even seen a German, much less done anything heroic, insisted that before one of the other members of the group (possibly an Enlisted Man) receive a well deserved medal that he also be awarded a medal, possibly either the Air Medal or the Bronze Star. Needless to say, he never got his award, but neither did the individual who richly deserved said award..
Lt. Dike may or may not have deserved the Bronze Stars that he is supposed to have received, I do not know, but there were individuals who walked away without a single medal for heroism despite seeing a LOT of combat, whereas there were many others who eft the military with "numerous" medals, only a few, if any actually deserved.
Also, one ribbon almost every member of Easy Company (and for that matter, the 101st Airborne Division) would have been eligible for was the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and those who were with the unit throughout the war would have been authorized to wear four Stars on said ribbon, meaning that they had seen combat in 4 separate campaigns.
I was there in 2019, 75th anniversary. The only one in the woods was a guy from UK.
Otherwise alone on nice summer day. Great experience.
What a shot by Shifty. To see the real area and distance he made the shot from. Very cool!
Thanks for sharing another fine video. Thank you for keeping the memories alive.
Amazing video! These little towns are absolutely beautiful, hard to believe they were the sites of so much fighting.
I spent some time in Foy a couple of years ago, have some great then and nows. As time goes by, I become more fascinated with the church and what story it has to tell.
cant wait to go back to Normandy now armed with all this knowledge from your channel ;)
last time i was in Normandy was 2005 and only for 1 day, even then it had not changed much from the war and was amazing to walk through, it reminded me of every ww2 game id ever played and every movie id ever seen about the war. It must have been an amazing time while also being horrific.
Ive told my wife we are going to spend a month there next time I visit :)
I will be visiting these locations in about 2 weeks. Thanks for the info!
Great video! Clears up Carwood Lipton being in two places at the same time. Some think that if it is in "Band of Brothers" actual history. The actual battle for Foy took hours not in minutes as in the series.
Great video as always!
I was lucky enough to get to tick off some of my bucket list of places to see, and in 2022 visited Bastogne, Foy and other significant sites as well as Normandy, St Mere Eglise,Brecourt and the beaches. I'll never forget the atmosphere and the moving experience it was.
I recall a story regarding Foy, that the small barn next to the house that the sniper was in, was an American aid station earlier in the Battle of the Bulge. When the Germans retook the town and forced the Americans back to Bastogne, they massacred the American wounded that were left in the aid station.
I truly believe many a young man will wish they where there, want to be brave, want to do their part and willful to sacrifice. Thank you for keeping the history and the story alive. So much has lost and faded and no longer spoken. Deo vendice
The building owners were very gracious to allow you into their house.
And give me cookies!
the perfect cookies for dropping in youre Coffee Bastogne... world famous 😂😂
Fantastic, thank you. I could watch Band of Brothers 24 hours a day lol.
Hahaha, same!
Brilliant job lads
I admire your work, bet it's the best job that you have ever had!! I've been watching you for several years now, stay with it!!
Wow, thank you!
Reminds me of Enemy at the Gates where Zaitsev says he puts snow in his mouth so they can’t see his breath. Good advice as it turns out !
Amazing video! I love ww2 history and the band of brothers. Such a great insight to the battle and so much information I learned from this! Thanks for the awesome content, I wish more people my age would have the same appreciation for American history.
Amazing history, thank you JD..
What a great documentation of past events. I always appreciate your detailed and in depth videos.
Crazy cool!! And just love the maps!!! Makes it all so much easier to follow! Good timing at the house and enjoy your cookies!
The videos you and Eric produce never disappoint! Excellent work! Fierce Valor, excellent book!
JD and Erik fantastic video. Thank you. One of my favorite episodes in Band of Brothers
These videos are priceless. Thanks for taking the time to help clarify history.
LOVE THIS STORY
The new and correct battle information that you guys provided in this video and many others is outstanding. I look forward to watching the series over again through a different set of eyes. Thanks so much and I look forward to visiting the museum in Gettysburg. I have been close by several times but many times it was closed that day or I had no time to stop.
Another great video JD!
Was amazed that Shifty could see the breath of the sniper. He had really good eyes, as we all know. But from that distance is amazing!
Amazing J.D. I love this series it's so informative and I learn so much from your videos! I just can't get enough of easy company, since I watch the band of brothers I have know about each and everyone them and it's very fascinating to learn about these hero's and what they sacrifice to give us our freedom, every time I learn something more about them! I love it! Also I just finished watching Hacksaw Rigde which I have never seen, Desmond Doss what strong continuous objector with no weapon to save him! Outstanding! Real hero !!
Amazing! Thank you for unfolding history!
Good job. I liked the movie Band of Brothers. Thanks for clearing that scene up.
No problem!
Entertaining and informative, as always. Thanks JD & co.
Great video. Thanks for clearing up some of the confusion.
Me and my partner watched Band of Brothers this year again. It's her favorite series and she doesn't like watching war films. Also love informing people that Dyke was wounded according to Winters.
I never heard that Dykes had been awarded two Bronze Stars before.
Another great video! Thanks for what you do!
Thanks again!
Why are people jumping all over you because of a minor mistake? Do people even realize what you must go through just to do what you do? As a Veteran, I am deeply grateful for your videos. More than the videos, it is the Respect and the Honor in which you make your videos. I can't stand it when I see stuff out there that glorifies or highlights the deaths of those who fought in these Wars. We owe so much to those who made the ultimate sacrifice and I would not doubt for a millisecond that Shifty would've cared less whether the sniper was in one spot or the other. In War, we're always looking after our brothers and taking out that sniper was all that mattered to the man. Don't pay the trolls any mind. I appreciate what you do and thank you.
Thank you. I don’t let ‘em bother me. 🙂
Great video as always! Thanks for clearing up the Shifty Powers sniper story. Reg is a wealth of information on the Battle of the Bulge and Erik has the best artifacts. Definitely check out Erik's museum in Gettysburg folks!
Just gotta say, along with the fantastic content JD...your music selections in these recent videos have been fantastic. It has definitely helped shape tone and mood for the videos. Keep up the amazing work.
Thank you!
Yhe owners of the home were extremely nice and generous to allow you into their home!!! Thank you for this and all videos!!!!
Belgian hospitality. They got coffee (tray with sugar lumps and milk), quality (LU) cookies and if they had stayed any longer would probably have been served a full diner.
Great video, as usual. Thanks for all your efforts!
I love these location videos! You do such a great job laying out the battle. One of my favorite videos from you!
Incredible as always
I’m very happy to have found you videos! Your information is very well described and I feel very accurate! Keep up the amazing work thanks!
👊🏻
Great episode, JD, as usual. Love the stories around little known aspects of the major actions. Just keeps getting better and better.
👊🏻
Awesome vid as always. I've recently finished reading BoB book second time(not to mention that how many times I saw TV series heheh) and this year I'm preparing to visit Bastogne if everything will go well. Last year I was in Normandy and 80% of spots I knew were from your videos that I found out very helpful and infromative, so again big thanks. And greetings from Slovakia, Europe. :)
Thanks!
fantastic as always JD !!!!!!!!! could watch this content for hours !!! thank you so much ...Shaun.
Glad you enjoyed it
absolutley JD !!!!! @@TheHistoryUnderground
After seeing this episode numerous times in Band of Brothers, you’ve given me fresh insight and helped me understand those actions that day. Those maps were fantastic. Well done as always JD.
Thanks!
Another great video! Thank you for clearing up the confusion on the sniper.
I love your videos they are the type I’ve waited soo soo long for! Keep it up brother.
Your content is excellent JD...Keep the Faith and the good works you do...
Fantastic video JD love the story of Foy and of Ronald Speirs Thank you
Great job. Again anything with the Band of Brothers is amazing. Thank you
Thank you very much for this excellent presentation.
You certainly cleared up a few misunderstandings I had regarding the assault on Foy.
I really enjoy the level of detail you go into.
Having read Ambrose's book and seen the Band of Brothers series, I find it odd how certain facts were changed or ignored when the truth is often stranger and more dramatic than any fiction ever could be.
Keep up the good work and high quality content. It is very much appreciated.
I did a self planned tour of the Battle of the Bulge last september and visited the areas featured in this clip. Nice piece of info was that Lipton wasn't a sniper decoy! Some of the areas visited came from watching your channel.. Keep up the good work!
I've seen other "history" channels attempt this same thing, the real location, the true story yada yada, but you've done it so much better. Those other channels, I put history in quotes because they have a lot of anti-Hollywood and some even anti-America narratives. I'm not interested in their rants. With the graphics and with Reg and the owner too, your video truly stands out. Your whole channel does honestly.
Thanks! I really appreciate that.
Love the American Artifact series keep up the great videos
Another great video. Thank you, gentlemen.
This is a Great video! Thanks for the work you put in on these.
The part with shifty's shot, I've seen a clip with Dale dye and a few e comp vets standing where you are. They claimed it was the window in the building not the church.