Jim Dorris displayed an equal measure of courage and compassion in WW 2. His deep Catholic faith provided him with a moral compass that guided him through combat at the Battle of the Bulge, Ingolsheim, Wurzburg, Schweinfurt, and Furth. He was a true light in the darkness of WW 2 resisting senseless cruelty whenever he saw it regardless of which side – be it the Nazis or the US GIs – who committed it. Nearly six months of combat wasn’t enough to prepare Dorris for the hell he witnessed when he walked through the gates of Dachau concentration camp to liberate it. Still, his deep faith guided him even there, and enabled him to find a sign of God’s love in the darkest of places. I am thrilled that Jim’s son and my good friend, Stephen Dorris, is joining us for these two episodes. Stephen will give voice to all of Jim Dorris’s quotes in both episodes.

Jim Dorris - My View of WW 2

Young Jim Dorris in uniform

Jim in basic training - picture taken to be sent to his mother

Jim and Charlotte Dorris church photo

Jim and Charlotte Dorris

Jim, his wife Charlotte, and all of his grandkids

Jim, John Ulferts, and John's daughter, Ashley, during our last visit

As a Jewish American, Murray Shapiro couldn’t wait to volunteer in WW 2. He was well aware of the Nuremberg Laws and the racist treatment Jewish people received in Germany. He lost his spot in officer school though because he objected to the racist views his Major Carvell held towards black people. During the Battle of the Bulge, Shapiro would receive the Bronze Star for his actions organizing a rear guard and defending it until his outfit was able to withdraw. In doing so, Shapiro was left completely surrounded behind enemy lines and had to make a harrowing journey back to his platoon. From the Battle of the Bulge to the Colmar Pocket to the crossing of the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, this episode focuses on Murray Shapiro’s harrowing WW 2 experiences.

Young Murray Shapiro

Photo young Murray Shapiro sent home to family

Murray Shapiro

Murray and his wife Shirley Shapiro

Murray Shapiro - twilight years

Colonel Lloyd G. Huggins landed on Omaha Beach three weeks after D-Day as the replacement officer for Easy Company’s Infantry Regiment. They were in continuous combat for nearly one year fighting through France, the Siegfried Line, the Hurtgen Forest, the Battle of the Bulge, across the Remagen Bridge, until VE Day. No one had more respect for his infantry men than Huggins did. Through it all, he put his men first and foremost in his mind. This is his story, as told in his letters to the podcast host and his unpublished 1988 autobiography that he sent to me.

Colonel Lloyd Huggins

Newspaper article - Ft. Wolter

Hurtgen Forest

Hurtgen Forest

Hurtgen Forest

Battle of the Bulge

Battle of the Bulge

Battle of the Bulge

Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen