My Father-in-Law is Mike Sharik (he passed away in 1999). He never spoke of his war-time experience, grisly as it was, to any of his children. It may have helped them understand who he was and why he made the choice not to attend Ranger reunions. He maintained a life-long friendship with Bud Portratz, A PFC who served under him at Hill 400, and made the Army his career, although those who served with him in Europe and Turkey were unaware of his bravery under fire .- he just didn't feel the need to recount a story where he watched his friends and comrades being slaughtered in the most gruesome fashion. His children and I only found out that he was an Army Ranger at his funeral, where he was honored with a 21-gun salute by an Army honor guard and his tombstone was emblazoned with his unit designation - 2nd Ranger Battalion - a title which I subsequently discovered was a designation treated with very close to the respect that a CMH awardee is afforded. A Green-Beret from Viet Nam, as well as a Ranger Captain from the same era expressed a solemn admiration for what these men did at Hill 400. They knew about the Hill 400 action, because it was covered in a training course in Ranger School as the model of how Rangers should operate, not only from a "valor" standpoint, but also from a tactical standpoint. Grit, determination and brains - combined with some indispensable artillery support - all combined to allow the Rangers to do the impossible.
Thank you very much for this. Bob Drury and I already had an appreciation for the Army Rangers before we wrote "Last Hill," but after the research and writing were done, our admiration was off the charts. One byproduct of doing a book like this is it helps family members like yourself fill in some blanks, such as Mike Sharik's bravery (and trauma) -- especially since the Greatest Generation can also be called the Silent Generation.
Thank you. It's hard to express the level or degree of thanks - but the fact that you are easily reachable says a lot about who you are and what you believe. The one interesting fact that none of the historians know is how Mike Sharik's life unfolded after the war. He ended up starting a new life and that new life involved a young German girl named Anna, who he met while stationed in Europe in the 60's. He fell in love with this girl, and she took him home to meet her father. It just so happened that her father was in the 6th Fallshirmjager Regiment, whom the 2nd Ranger Bn faced at Brest, as well as at Hill 400. The fighting was hand-to-hand at Hill 400 in some places, and even the firing was at close quarters. These guys may have actually shot at each other during this pitched battle! I expressed that I would have like to have been "a fly on the wall" during THAT meeting! These types of warriors take their tasks seriously and I was gratified to learn that, according to Anna, the two men sat and toasted one another ... they were soldiers who did their jobs to the best of their abilities. That would be a nice story to tell someday. You just can't make-up stuff like this!
My Father-in-Law is Mike Sharik (he passed away in 1999). He never spoke of his war-time experience, grisly as it was, to any of his children. It may have helped them understand who he was and why he made the choice not to attend Ranger reunions. He maintained a life-long friendship with Bud Portratz, A PFC who served under him at Hill 400, and made the Army his career, although those who served with him in Europe and Turkey were unaware of his bravery under fire .- he just didn't feel the need to recount a story where he watched his friends and comrades being slaughtered in the most gruesome fashion. His children and I only found out that he was an Army Ranger at his funeral, where he was honored with a 21-gun salute by an Army honor guard and his tombstone was emblazoned with his unit designation - 2nd Ranger Battalion - a title which I subsequently discovered was a designation treated with very close to the respect that a CMH awardee is afforded. A Green-Beret from Viet Nam, as well as a Ranger Captain from the same era expressed a solemn admiration for what these men did at Hill 400. They knew about the Hill 400 action, because it was covered in a training course in Ranger School as the model of how Rangers should operate, not only from a "valor" standpoint, but also from a tactical standpoint. Grit, determination and brains - combined with some indispensable artillery support - all combined to allow the Rangers to do the impossible.
Kevin:
Thank you very much for this. Bob Drury and I already had an appreciation for the Army Rangers before we wrote "Last Hill," but after the research and writing were done, our admiration was off the charts. One byproduct of doing a book like this is it helps family members like yourself fill in some blanks, such as Mike Sharik's bravery (and trauma) -- especially since the Greatest Generation can also be called the Silent Generation.
Thank you. It's hard to express the level or degree of thanks - but the fact that you are easily reachable says a lot about who you are and what you believe. The one interesting fact that none of the historians know is how Mike Sharik's life unfolded after the war. He ended up starting a new life and that new life involved a young German girl named Anna, who he met while stationed in Europe in the 60's. He fell in love with this girl, and she took him home to meet her father. It just so happened that her father was in the 6th Fallshirmjager Regiment, whom the 2nd Ranger Bn faced at Brest, as well as at Hill 400. The fighting was hand-to-hand at Hill 400 in some places, and even the firing was at close quarters. These guys may have actually shot at each other during this pitched battle! I expressed that I would have like to have been "a fly on the wall" during THAT meeting! These types of warriors take their tasks seriously and I was gratified to learn that, according to Anna, the two men sat and toasted one another ... they were soldiers who did their jobs to the best of their abilities. That would be a nice story to tell someday. You just can't make-up stuff like this!
Kevin:
Thank you. I emailed a separate reply. No, you can't make this up. Tom
Wonderfully written--so easy to visualize. Quite a list of heroes!
Sure is a great list.
The stories of the brave men who fought in this war always brings a tightness to my heart and a tear to my eye for their bravery and selflessness.