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 .