A Reluctant Hero's Footsteps
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My father, Thomas Richard Scales, rarely talked of his military experiences but the Army was a shadow always present when I grew up. His left tibia had been shattered in northern France in 1944 and he always walked with a limp. He could not run. In his closet, however, were items fascinating to a young boy such as me: a Nazi dagger and cap, a German camouflage poncho, patches, ribbons, and other bits of clothing. Among other influences, these inclined me towards a military career. In 1994, the 50th anniversary of D-Day, I proposed to take him to Europe to visit the places he had been, but he waved me away—not interested. Five years later he died and I thought the opportunity to see it through his eyes was gone forever. I had some of his old personnel records that gave some insight but the real details were not there. In 2011 by chance I discovered the after action reports of the 329th Infantry Regiment, his wartime unit, on the internet. An idea was born: use these to reconstruct my father’s path in World War II. I would take my three children, Richard, Mary, and Stephen, on a trip to retrace those footsteps. For several months I worked on the records, transforming them into a guide to the ground. Final arrangements were made for September of 2011. Richard would take vacation from his job. Stephen would use the trip as the kickoff for his wanderjahr. Mary’s study of art restoration in Florence would have already started, so she had to drop out but was able to join me on a subsequent trip. This book is about our trips, but it is much more. It documents the story of a man and his family, the story of a unit, and the story of two trips. As far as possible I tell the tale of my father’s life with pictures and artifacts from that life. In parallel I relate the history of the unit he joined in combat, inserting pictures where I can. In fitting all the records together with the trip itself, I discovered my father in new ways and built a memory for my children. John Scales Huntsville, Alabama October, 2012
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About the Book
In 2011, by chance I discovered the after-action reports of the 329th Infantry Regiment, my father’s World War II unit, on the Internet. An idea was born: use these to reconstruct my father’s path in Europe. I would take my three children, Richard, Mary, and Stephen, on a trip to retrace those footsteps. This book is about our travels, but it is much more. It documents the life of a man and his family, the history of a unit, and how, through research and luck, we were able piece together the story. As far as possible, I tell the tale of my father’s life with pictures and artifacts from that life. In parallel, I relate the history of the unit he joined in combat, inserting pictures where I can. In fitting all the records together with the trip itself, I discovered my father in new ways and built a memory for my children. In an appendix, I give you a guide as to how you can do this for your veterans as well.
About the Author
John Scales is a retired Special Forces brigadier general, living in Huntsville, Alabama. A veteran of both Vietnam and Afghanistan, he is a senior systems engineer for SAIC. The Naval Institute Press published John’s previous book, Sherman Invades Georgia, in 2006, and currently he is preparing two more books.