Lawrence talked about Harold, his friend's father, who was a WW2 hero: https://buffalonews.com/news/harold-j-oconnor-inn-owner-war-hero/article_94e92c5c-4a45-5e15-a688-7b7d93b5901e.html
On Christmas Eve, an 82nd Airborne Division squad including Harold O'Connor of West Seneca was sent to an outpost ahead of the ridge that marked the American lines. Only a few squad members were still alive by Dec. 26, when the Germans attacked in force.
"I saw hundreds of German soldiers running toward us," O'Connor recalled. "I ran toward them to get to my machine gun, they were about 50 to 75 yards away from me. I heard nothing, I just ran, I hit the ground and then opened up on them. I saw hundreds of them hit the deck."
With the German return fire concentrating on his solitary position and "thousands of rounds chipping the farm house behind me," O'Connor set a demolition charge and crawled to the building. Once around the corner, he was joined by his squad sergeant, and they sprinted for the American lines.
Behind them, another trooper kept firing his mortar until the German rush engulfed him.
"I owe this to my buddies, who died needlessly," he said after relating his bitter memories.
"We were just kids."
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Thank you Harold, for serving your country at 17 years of age, and safeguarding a free world. RIP.
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My name is Mark. I'm an Uber/Lyft driver who enjoys talking to people. On every ride I meet someone new, learn something new, and love to share those conversations in this podcast. Not all conversations are happy ones; they are real life stories, and life has its ups and downs. Learning how people cope with difficulties in their lives and overcome them, is also inspiring to me.
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