My uncle served in WW2 with D battery 110th AAA, they landed on Omaha beach around noon on D-Day they lost some men due to machine gun fire from a pill box on a cliff and a church tower in Vierville sur Mer. One of the units half tracks with a quad 50 mounted took out the machine guns. The encounter was documented by Ernie Pyle in one of his books and also in the book 110th AAA “ Hitlers Crawlin Coffin “. When the unit made it to shore and into Vierville they set up their guns in the hedgerows, they met some resistance and killed several Germans. The men patrolled and “fished “ bodies for souvenirs. Ernie Pyle stayed the night with them in a gun trench and interviewed D battery Captain Julius Reivers. My uncle said he made the men feel at ease talking about home.

My uncle, Bernard Picinisco appears in the book, 110 AAA by Lonnie Spears. I remember in 7th grade my uncle came to stay awhile with us in California , I was watching the movie Battle of the Bulge and he came in and said, “I can tell you all about that, you know why ? Cause I was there. “ He watched the movie with me and told me how Robert Shaw’s character was Joachim Peiper.
He then told me that his unit set up at a crossroads between Spa and LaGleize to guard a fuel dump. Peiper sent a recon unit and as the Germans approached one of the quad 50 gunners opened fire before the order was given. My uncle recalls a tank returned fire that took the gunners head off . Historians claim there were no tanks involved only halftracks but my uncle said it was a tank. There was a short firefight and the Germans retreated. My uncles unit moved forward as the Germans retreated they were in Malmedy near the end of the battle and then into Germany where their next action was support at Remagen bridge. When the war ended the unit was used to guard the SS prisoners waiting to be tried for the Malmedy massacre, Peiper was arrogant and refused to take orders from NCOs . My uncle survived he was wounded a couple times by shrapnel, pieces remained in his arm his whole life.
I got my first German militaria from him which is why I collect .

John
Thanks for sharing your story. Your uncle was what America is all about.
I had two uncles in the war. Both under Patton, and was why I went into Armor when I joined in 68.
I wish I had the printed story you have.
Thanks
Ed

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yeah that was the Bulge movie with Fonda,,not bad... I'd believe your uncle about the tank instead of a author/historian ,,he was there!

I'm 2nd generation American. ALL my Grandparents brothers [and husbands of the women] fought in the ETW,, and as a baby boomer I'd bet this is how most of us got into collecting from the families stories/histories..

Thanks for posting John, great story/history,,,glad he survived it!