The first Chapter is an overview of the Huston family and the children of Harold and Frances Huston.

The second Chapter is a Memorial Chapter on our visits to cemeteries (on both sides) and honoring their sacrifice.

The next Chapter is Noorbeek, The Netherlands, where Dad's actual war experience started.  I am confident Dad had arrived in Europe by then (September 1944).  Noorbeek was the first town liberated in the Netherlands by the Allies.  The 119th Regiment was given the honor of liberating Noorbeek.  Nearby is Fort Eben Emael, which has a significant WWII history.  It was the largest fort in the world at the time and it fell to the Germans in their blitzkrieg through Belgium in 1940.  The 30th Division re-captured the fort in October, 1944.

From there we move to Aachen, which was a major battle of WWII.  The 30th Division (Old Hickory) and the 1st Division (the Big Red One) encircled Aachen and broke through the West Wall (the Seigfried Line).  It was the first major city in Germany to be taken by the Allies.

Next we move to Merzenhauzen, which was a major battle on the way to the Roer River (November, 1944).  Two additional divisions of German soldiers were thrown into the fray to try to stop the oncoming Americans.  Dad received his Bronze Star for valor at the Battle of Merzenhauzen.

Next we go to the Battle of the Bulge, which was the largest battle ever fought by the US Army.  More than 1 million men from both sides were committed to the campaign.  The Germans caught the Allies by complete surprise and pushed them back nearly 50 miles (the bulge).  The Americans were able to stop the advance through many battles and engagements.  The 30th Division was redirected from the north to engage the enemy on the northern flank.  The 30th Divison had a major battles with the 1st SS Division and Kampfgruppe Peiper at Stavelot/La Gleize/Stoumont.

The next chapter will be the drive into Germany and the crossing of the Roer and Rhine Rivers.  Many battles occured, even though the Germans were retreating.

I have added some additional Chapters - the first is on The Gun, which is a beautiful shotgun that Dad sent home in the middle of the conflict.  I added some other war stories to this Chapter.

Other Chapters include the significant battles of the 30th Division and the 119th Regiment prior to Dad arriving in Europe.  These included St. Lo, Mortain and the Drive Across France.   Note these are out of historical order.  I started with the areas that Dad was in during the war.  These Chapters are prior to his coming into Europe.

I also added a chapter on the battle at the Hurtgen Forest, which was fought over three months in the winter of 1944/45 just to the south of Aachen.  There were many casualties on both sides in this extremely difficult battle.  Another added chapter was the Battle of the Bulge, Southern Shoulder around Bastogne.  Dad was not at either of the last two battles, but he was fighting in the general area.

To be helpful on the size of units, a Division is about 20,000 men, a Regiment is about 7,000 men and a battalion is about 2,500 men.

The 30th Division was known by several nicknames, including "The Workhorse of the Western Front".  It was involved in more than 250 days of combat, continually engaging the enemy in battle.  The Division was rated the number one Division by military historians after the war, surpassing more famous Divisions, such as the Big Red One and the 29th Division, that landed on Omaha Beach.