SOMEWHERE IN GERMANY: CARNAGE IN THE VALLEY I am including this article with misgivings. It relates to combat, but borders on being an atrocity. War at its best is evil. My outfit was attached to an Armored Corps on what we termed the "rat race" through Germany. Before our combat group would proceed through a town or village, we would come to a halt, and the Burgomaster or the ruling official would greet us with a white flag and white bed sheets would appear in the windows of the houses, indicating surrender of the town and assuring us of safe passage. In this one village (name unknown) our rolling equipment stopped on the crest of a hill, and as customary, the governlng officials came forward, waving the white flag of surrender. Our tanks,in the vanguard, slowly rolled down the hill with the turrets open and the tankers exposed. Suddenly, a shot rang out, and a sniper, hiding in one of the houses that ringed the village street, killed a tank commander. The convoy immediately backed up to the crest of the hill, ringed the village and for the next few minutes, we devastated the hapless area with tank artillery and machine gun fire. After the carnage was over, bulldozers were called in to clear the streets that were now impassable. The village was totally demolished. There were dead and wounded civilians everywhere, men, women, children. The devastation we created was beyond belief and our Armored Unit rolled onto the next town. When I remember this tragic incident in today's time frame, I feel a strong sense of guilt. This was not one of my finer moments, but then again, the state of war is replete with ugly incidents. The gods of war remain unchanged. Even as of today we have Bosnia and Rwanda. If you recall at the Nuremberg Trials, the alibi offered was, "We were following orders." We too, as members of the civilized United States Army, were following orders. return to top	War is filled with making choices