Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Software, E-Resource Audio Recording Louis J. Zoghby Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: 194th Regiment, 17th Airborne Division
- Location of Service: Fort Dix, New Jersey; Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Kentucky; England; France; Luxembourg; Germany
- Highest Rank: Private First Class
On January 12, 1946, Private First Class Louis J. Zoghby marched up Fifth Avenue in the New York City Victory Parade to the cheers of a grateful nation. Though the city was cold that day, it was nothing compared to the bitter temperatures he had endured during the Battle of the Bulge almost exactly a year earlier. Part of a glider crew with the 17th Airborne Division, he made it through a winter in the Ardennes as well as the invasion of the Rhine in the spring of 1945. He credits his survival with simply being in the right place at the right time--no small feat as a glider-man. In his interview, he discusses the war fatigue of the German civilians he encountered, and their happiness at the end of the war.
Louis J. Zoghby Collection
Interview / Recording
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PlaySetup of a glider crew; what it feels like to fly in one; sense of pride as a glider-man. 00:13:17.2 - 00:16:27.8
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PlayWaiting to be pulled into combat; beginning of the Battle of the Bulge; pulling out on Christmas Eve; eating cold c-rations on Christmas Day, 1944. 00:18:21.1 - 00:21:58.7
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PlayExtreme cold during the Battle of the Bulge; ground froze solid so impossible to dig a foxhole; taking off overcoat to dig and finding it had frozen solid. 00:24:31.2 - 00:27:04.5
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PlayStrafing and mortar bombardments; people next to him getting hit; surviving with minor scratches; being in the right place at the right time. 00:30:06.2 - 00:31:42.4
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PlayTaking part in the invasion of the Rhine; flying over enemy territory in the glider; the guy sitting next to him getting shot in the leg. 00:47:56.3 - 00:52:26.5
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PlayChaos of landing and immediately after; diving into an irrigation ditch for cover; hundreds of planes and gliders shot down. 00:53:02.5 - 00:55:30.8
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PlayHappiness of German civilians at war’s end; father died in early spring, but couldn’t get transfer home; lacking necessary points to get home. 00:58:50.8 - 01:00:36.0
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PlayServing in Berlin during the German occupation; befriending a young boy; receiving a phone call from the German boy 38 years later. 01:00:45.0 - 01:03:14.0
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PlayMarching in the Victory Parade in January 1945 in New York City; being treated as heroes. 01:03:20.0 - 01:05:18.0
Transcript:
XML
About this Item
Title
- Louis J. Zoghby Collection
Names
- Zoghby, Louis J.
- Douglas County Libraries Archives and Local History
- Gray, Annette
- Belt, Barbara
State of Birth
- NY
Home State
- CO
Headings
- - Zoghby, Louis J.
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- Veteran
Service History
-
World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: 194th Regiment, 17th Airborne Division
- Location of Service: Fort Dix, New Jersey; Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Kentucky; England; France; Luxembourg; Germany
- Highest Rank: Private First Class
- Dates of Service: 1943-1946
- Entrance into Service: Drafted
- Military Status: Veteran
Materials
- Photograph: Digital print [6 items] -- Photograph (collected 1945-1946)
- Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 9/3/2003)
- Manuscript: Unit histories [3 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
- Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 9/4/2003)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/57833
Cite as
- Louis J. Zoghby Collection (AFC/2001/001/57833), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- audio
- online text