“I still see him in my dreams.”

World War II veteran Joseph Robertson tells his son-in-law, John Fish, Jr., about a soldier he killed in combat.

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Recorded in Columbus, OH

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Facilitated by Brett Myers.

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Interview transcript

I was hid behind a big tree that was knocked down or fallen. And I could see these Germans in the woods across this big field and I saw this young kid crawling up a ditch. Straight towards my tree. So I let him crawl. I didn’t fire at him. But when he got up within 3 or 4 foot of me I screamed at him to surrender. And instead of surrendering he started to pull his gun towards me which was instant death for him. But this young man, he was uh blonde, blue eyes, fair skin, so handsome. He was like a little angel. But I still had to shoot him. And it didn’t bother me the first night because I went to sleep. I was so tired. But the second night I woke up crying because that kid was there. And to this day I wake up many nights crying over this kid. I still see him in my dreams and I don’t know how to get him off my mind.