Paul Eugene Magnuson August 3, 2007
Posted by Marty Bird in : 4. Paul Magnuson , trackback
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Magnuson Family History
For the descendants of Claes Magnuson & Anna Gustafva Johansson.
For the descendants of Claes Magnuson & Anna Gustafva Johansson.
Posts and comments for descendants of Paul Eugene Magnuson
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I have read all of Paul’s writings again and his time in the Military really intrigued me as I have thought for some time that I would like to read what History had to say about WW11. In talking about it to a friend she told me she had a couple books written by Stephen E. Ambrose that I should read. So I borrowed them from her, and folks, I’m telling you that if you have the inclination to know more about what our soldiers went through during that war — these are the books for you! It was HELL! And I mean just that. His book “Band of Brothers” is about the Paratroopers role in the war and “Citizen Soldiers” takes you from D-Day to the end of the war. Actually Ambrose put the books together from interviews with the soldiers — both American AND German! So it gives a factual account of what happened and how our boys often didn’t have enough food to eat or clothes to keep them warm and oftentimes didn’t have gas to propel the tanks, trucks and other equipment. Paul never wanted to talk about the War but I remember one time after he had come home when Jean & Jackie were fighting over a piece of candy and Paul reprimanded them by telling how as a POW, they were put into cattle cars on the RR and the Germans threw a couple loaves of black bread at them. He told how these starving men would fight each other for a little something to eat, as there was never enough to go around! He told several other things that he glosses over in his writings because as he said, “”you wouldn’t believe it anyway”. Anyway with the conditions they worked under, one wonders how we ever won that war and how the boys that did come home ever kept their sanity — from any war, as far as that goes! I do heartily recommend those books — but be sure you have a strong stomach if you do read them.
“Band of Brothers” was made into a movie, which was excellent, though I don’t know how closely it followed the book. I’ll have to check to see if “Citizen Soldiers” is also available in movie form. PBS has been showing a fantastic and utterly believable series called “The War”, put together by Ken Burns, about World War II from start to end. Some very graphic scenes lack nothing except the smell, which had to be horrific. It’s meant to be a true representation of the war, garnished from actual footage (even from Japanese and German photographers), and from interviews with survivors. (I wonder how anyone survived!) It is very moving. We’re watching it for the second time; I imagine PBS will be showing it for some time yet. Another excellent book about the Pacific Theater of the war is by William Manchester, called “Goodbye, Darkness”. Wonder how it is that we haven’t figured out yet just how stupid war is. Just knowing how Paul suffered made me fearful for years that one or all of my children would be called to serve.
We haven’t yet watched “The War” by Ken Burns but opted to buy the Video to do it. Barbara and I were just visiting yesterday about Stephen Ambrose and his books. Undaunted Courage was about the Lewis & Clark expedition. Don has read that, plus Americans at War, Citizen Soldiers, Band of Brothers , Eisenhower, Nothing Like it in the World What an endeavor! (Both the author and reader) We did see Band of Brothers (the movie version).