Guy Dement
Subject: School Project
Message: What was it like to have your plane shot down? Being behind enemy lines? the fear of being captured
Name: Adrian Cavazos
Message: Dear Mr. Bussel,
I read about your story in an article. I know about PTSD all too well because I have researched it. Thank you for your service.
Sincerely,
Adrian Cavazos
Name: rebecca hoffmann
Subject: 447th BG Newsletter
Message: Good morning, Norm,
I have read your excellent article in the recent 447th BG Newsletter. You are an inspiration, Sir, that you continue to serve and to exercise your gifts helping others.
You may not remember me but I was the newsletter editor when Byron Schlag was head of the 447th BG. The last reunion I attended with my Mother and sis was in WA DC when Byron was still leading the group, and there was much tension and infighting going on. I hope things are on a smoother keel now.
Wishing you and Melanie all the Best,
Rebecca Hoffmann
Name: Jay Garrison
Subject: Article in Washington Post
Message: Thank you for your work with the vets that I read about the Post. My dad was in the 29th Division in WWII and participated in the D-day invasion. 95 years young! He told me the story of leading a convoy into St. Lo, having to stop his jeep on the hillside and watch the bombers go over before the infantry. Although he was miles away he could feel the ground rumbling below his feet. How brave you and your friends were. How brave all of you were. With respect, Jay Garrison, Centreville, Virginia. Oh, and I read a chapter of your book! Well done! Sorry about your stay with the Krauts though!
Name: Richard Hays
Subject: Thank you!!!
Message: I don't know where to beigin.
Please forgive my typo's and grammatical errors. My eyesight is rather limited.
I was a USMC helicopter pilot with a medical unit, following a ROTC program at college. I was offered a choice of units and I chose medical units.. As a 1LT I was heavily involved in moving KIA and WIA's out of the combat zoned. I only killed one enemy soldier - face to face - blowing his head off with a colt .45 while being over-run by an enemy unit. I see his face everyday.
After Vietnam, I went to seminary, graduated and was ordained as a Presbyterian Minister, serving as a minister. After eight year, I decided that this was not a vocation for me and went back to school, completing a 4-year residency in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. I started my own private practice and was finally confronted with my own PTSD as a result, not only Vietnam , but with my horrific memories of the abuse of my own alcoholic father as a WW II undiagnosed
PTSD soldier.
I am presently married to my 4th wife and feel that I have finally arrived. She seems to get me after a result of 7 years of therapy with a good therapist who specializes in PTSD.
I am quite happy today after a long experience with PTSD therapy. I have experienced avoidance of loud noises, small places, aisle seating , avoiding elevators, small places and etc., It all hit me in 2001 when I worked as a counselor at the World Trade Center "Pit" in NYC, were r I once had an office for 12 years.
Thank you for your stores. We have chewed some, not al,l of the same dirt.
Peace to you, brother in arms.
Name: Victoria Bippart
Subject: My site
Message: I thought you might be interested in seeing AboutFace, http://www.ptsd.va.gov/apps/AboutFace/. There is a WW2 Veteran who was also
Guy Dement
Subject: School Project
Message: What was it like to have your plane shot down? Being behind enemy lines? the fear of being captured
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Adrian Cavazos
Message: Dear Mr. Bussel,
I read about your story in an article. I know about PTSD all too well because I have researched it. Thank you for your service.
Sincerely,
Adrian Cavazos
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: rebecca hoffmann
Subject: 447th BG Newsletter
Message: Good morning, Norm,
I have read your excellent article in the recent 447th BG Newsletter. You are an inspiration, Sir, that you continue to serve and to exercise your gifts helping others.
You may not remember me but I was the newsletter editor when Byron Schlag was head of the 447th BG. The last reunion I attended with my Mother and sis was in WA DC when Byron was still leading the group, and there was much tension and infighting going on. I hope things are on a smoother keel now.
Wishing you and Melanie all the Best,
Rebecca Hoffmann
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Jay Garrison
Subject: Article in Washington Post
Message: Thank you for your work with the vets that I read about the Post. My dad was in the 29th Division in WWII and participated in the D-day invasion. 95 years young! He told me the story of leading a convoy into St. Lo, having to stop his jeep on the hillside and watch the bombers go over before the infantry. Although he was miles away he could feel the ground rumbling below his feet. How brave you and your friends were. How brave all of you were. With respect, Jay Garrison, Centreville, Virginia. Oh, and I read a chapter of your book! Well done! Sorry about your stay with the Krauts though!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Richard Hays
Subject: Thank you!!!
Message: I don't know where to beigin.
Please forgive my typo's and grammatical errors. My eyesight is rather limited.
I was a USMC helicopter pilot with a medical unit, following a ROTC program at college. I was offered a choice of units and I chose medical units.. As a 1LT I was heavily involved in moving KIA and WIA's out of the combat zoned. I only killed one enemy soldier - face to face - blowing his head off with a colt .45 while being over-run by an enemy unit. I see his face everyday.
After Vietnam, I went to seminary, graduated and was ordained as a Presbyterian Minister, serving as a minister. After eight year, I decided that this was not a vocation for me and went back to school, completing a 4-year residency in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. I started my own private practice and was finally confronted with my own PTSD as a result, not only Vietnam , but with my horrific memories of the abuse of my own alcoholic father as a WW II undiagnosed
PTSD soldier.
I am presently married to my 4th wife and feel that I have finally arrived. She seems to get me after a result of 7 years of therapy with a good therapist who specializes in PTSD.
I am quite happy today after a long experience with PTSD therapy. I have experienced avoidance of loud noises, small places, aisle seating , avoiding elevators, small places and etc., It all hit me in 2001 when I worked as a counselor at the World Trade Center "Pit" in NYC, were r I once had an office for 12 years.
Thank you for your stores. We have chewed some, not al,l of the same dirt.
Peace to you, brother in arms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Victoria Bippart
Subject: My site
Message: I thought you might be interested in seeing AboutFace, http://www.ptsd.va.gov/apps/AboutFace/. There is a WW2 Veteran who was also a POW on the site - Al Perna.
I'd love to speak with you someday when you have the time. I'm always looking for Veterans to be on the site - currently for Veterans who have completed PE or CPT therapies. But you never know.
All the best to you and the work that you are doing,
Vicky Bippart
The National Center for PTSD
Executive Division
White River Junction, VT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Paul Donnelly
Subject: You were a Kriegie?
Message: Many years ago, I did the piece posted below as an Op-Ed for USA Today. Some months later, I was asked by the Kriegies if they could use it for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of their liberation, which was held in Cincinnati. I expect you may have been there. Of course I said yes, and along with my beloved and our then baby son (he's 6'3" now) we were honored to be invited to attend.
So I was delighted to read your piece in the Washington Post -- and I just wanted to say, sir, that you're still saving the world.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
- paul d
WW II: Saving the world
USA Today
May 26, 1992
The generation now passing deserves our respect.
They?re not getting any younger, and there are fewer every day ? America?s World War II generation.
They may seem like any other group of old people, mostly retirees now, just old men and women on porches, in nursing homes; parents and grandparents ? but they’re not. When they were young, they saved the world.
Remarkable how completely ordinary it seems. But no other generation in world history can make that claim.
Not the Founders of the American Revolution, the ancient Greeks and Romans, nor the baby boomers ? not even the early Christians.
Other generations had great struggles; other times had great challenges; but at best here and there were saviors of a town or country, vanguards of unfulfilled promises, dreamers of visions. America?s World War II generation did not, as a group, achieve the heroism of an individual like Joan of Arc, nor is there any evidence that their ?souls were touched by fire?, as Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., described the experience of the Civil War when he had grown old. But isn?t it fitting that victory in the most intense, deadly and important struggle in human history should seem sort of ordinary to those who won it, and those who benefited from that victory?
America?s World War II generation saved the world because it had to be done, and no one else was available to do it. It isn?t that America?s Vietnam generation, for example, both the pro and the con, couldn?t or wouldn?t have saved the world. They didn?t get the chance.
It isn?t that the Russians, who actually broke the Wehrmacht, or Chinese, who held Japan?s best troops in a death grip, or British or French or any of the rest of the world?s peoples, didn?t win the war. But they didn?t save the world from an unspeakable global evil. That was the Americans ? when, as Winston Churchill said, "the new world came to the rescue of the old".
But they weren?t vast forces of history, or legendary warriors. They weren?t even all combat soldiers, or Rosie the Riveter. They were ordinary people ? my Uncle Ed, and your Mom and Dad ? who lived in an extraordinary time. So they did what had to be done.
There was a fair amount of ballyhoo last December, at the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, although it got sticky with tensions in the current U.S.-Japan relationship. In a few years, there will be lots of half-century anniversaries of V-E and V-J Day, maybe some prayerful ceremonies honoring liberation of the death camps. But there will be fewer alive then who actually did those things, though. So what that 50 years ago today, or last week, or next year, a lot of people killed and died for famous victories?
This isn?t about anniversaries, or the all-World War II newsreel channel that every cable TV system seems to have. It?s about the old guy you see on the street, with a little poppy in his lapel, or the blue-haired woman who forgets things and who rides the bus. Let?s take a long last look at these people now, while we still have a chance.
No one has ever done anything like their achievement before ? and God willing, no one will ever have to do it again.
Paul Donnelly is a Hyattsville, Md., writer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Frank Pasquill
Subject: Request to reference your writing.
Message: Dear Norman,
I read your story in the Washington Post and agreed with your comparison between today's veterans and those from WWII.
I would like to reference your article along with the story of my father who died during a flashback in 1952, see http://www.emotionaltuning.com/FLASHBACK-WW2.html.
Thanks for helping other veterans by sharing your own story.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Frank
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Joel Laty
Subject: What happen to Red?
Message: Hello Norm,
After you became separated in March 1945, what happen to Red ? I hope he made it home !
thanks,
Joel Laty, CAlgary, Alberta, Canada
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Joel LATY
Subject: THANK YOU FROM A FRENCHMAN
Message: Thank you Norm for writing your story which I just finished reading here in Calgary, Canada. It's an emotional well written tale with a good ending fortunately. I could feel what my dad went through during and after his 5-year captivity as a French POW at the OFLOG XVIIA in Austria . He has always been very grateful to the American Air Force for his quick repatriation to France from Austria in May 1945. A B17 group flew the POWs from Linz, Austria to Orleans, France.
Thank you again on behalf of my dad and myself to all of the US soldiers and nation for the liberation of France and Europe in WW II.
Joel Laty
PS; I will send your book to my brother in law who his an English teacher in France.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Drew Gordon
Message: Hi Norm,
I'm contacting you from Melbourne Australia.
I've recently finished reading your book and thank you for putting your POW experiences into print.
My late father was a bomber pilot in RAAF 445 Sqn flying out of the UK.
In 1941 he crashed in Belgium on his first mission and was a POW for over three and a half years. Most of that time spent in Stalag Luft 111 in Poland. He took part in the winter forced march to Mooseburg as the Russians advanced.
In 1998 I visited the site of the camp in Sagan and also Mooseburg.
My Dad won the war....but never the peace ,taking his life in 1968 when I was 14years old..
He was "old" as a pilot, 28 years, similar to your pilot., "Daddy"
Your book has answered many questions that I never asked and now will never ask.
The effect of a fathers POW experience on the next generation is certainly an area of study that needs to be done. At 62 years of age I ask daily to myself...if only we had known!!!
Thank you for your book and the work you are doing re PTSD..
Thank you also for your war service that ensured the freedom my generation was given at such huge sacrifice and pain.
Best regards mate
Drew Gordon
Name: Karen Kirk
Subject: My Private War
Message: Dear Norman Bussel,
My deceased husband, Henry C. Kirk, was also a POW in Germany. I have read your book and have been able to obtain only one copy from Barnes and Noble. I have two children that would each like a copy. Any ideas where I might find one more.
Sincerely,
Karen M. Kirk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Emily Pacella
Subject: So nice to meet you
Message: Hi Mr. Bussel! I met you today at Hotel Thayer at West Point. It was so nice to meet you! I look forward to reading your book and learning about your horrible ordeal! I noticed that your card mentioned speaking engagements- I am a high school teacher (English and Social Studies) at Middletown High School, and I wondered what your fee was for speaking. I would love to share this part of history with my students. Please let me know. Thank you so much! Emily Pacella
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: morton kinzelberg
Subject: your book
Message: dear Norm, I would like to read your book .The chapter that I read was very interesting where can I get a autograph copy? I was in the service during the Korean conflict ( never designated a war, it was called a police action.). I have my father's dairy from W.W.1
Say hello to your B.W. Morton Kinzelberg
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Trishy
Message: Hi...looks good.
