:19:03
He had a young corporal
with him who couldn't swim.
:19:07
There was a German sentry
up on the bridge.
:19:10
Bob went up to get the sentry
and was killed near Währsberg.
:19:17
So we had our losses
and hurts in the family.
:19:21
One out of two.
:19:23
Brothers liked to serve together,
:19:25
for obvious reasons.
:19:27
I know guys who had
brothers killed in Normandy.
:19:31
It happened. Most famously,
with the Sullivan brothers.
:19:34
Five brothers, one ship.
Ship sank, all five died.
:19:37
Policy then became, brothers
can't serve on the same ship.
:19:41
The Army kept them
out of the same division.
:19:46
But Army battles were so big,
:19:48
brothers always risked
being killed on the same day
:19:52
but in different battles.
:19:54
My grandmother
sent four sons to war.
:19:58
In our scrapbook, it says,
:20:01
"The Nilands are going to war",
:20:03
so-and-so enlisted when...
:20:04
It was a pride thing
among the Nilands.
:20:08
There were four Niland boys -
Edward, the oldest, he was 31 .
:20:13
Preston was 29,
:20:16
Robert was 25
:20:18
and Fritz was 24.
:20:22
Understand, these were
young, gorgeous men
:20:25
on their way to a beautiful life.
:20:28
They committed to being the
best damn soldiers there were.
:20:32
They wrote beautiful letters.
They worshipped their mother.
:20:36
And they wrote in one letter,
:20:38
"No one can say the four Niland
boys were draft dodgers."
:20:42
"Please, Ma, don't worry.
Everything will turn out fine.
:20:46
"Just watch, pray and hope.
:20:48
"Don't worry, Ma. All of your
boys will come back home safely.
:20:53
"This war will be over soon.
:20:55
"Some night we'll be together again
:20:57
"and it will seem like a big dream."