"Man these recordings are a HOOT! As an ex-Cold War tank commander, these WW2 vets are lovable and easy to relate to. This is an absolute must for the military history student. Boy do these guys make my 1-hour commute go quick." -- Joe Reeder, Plymouth Meeting, Pa., after purchasing "The Tanker Tapes."
Once Upon a Tank in the Battle of the Bulge
an audiobook on CD
At dusk on Jan. 10, 1945, two tanks from the third platoon of Company C, 712th Tank Battalion, were sent to clear out a "small pocket" of resistance. The lead tank was knocked out and its tank commander wounded.
Forty-seven years later, four of that tank's five crew members sat around a table in the hospitality room of the battalion's reunion and relived those fateful moments during the Battle of the Bulge. Oral historian Aaron Elson also interviewed each of the crew members individually, and visited the tanker who wasn't there at his home in Pennsylvania.
The result is "Once Upon a Tank in the Battle of the Bulge," a ten-hour, ten-CD audiobook that shows through the voices of the courageous men who were there a deeply human side of World War II rarely seen in documentaries or books.
Of the veterans interviewed in this audiobook, only D'Arpino, 88, and Goldstein, 90, are still alive. The most recent to pass away was Jim Gifford, in 2007, at age 87.
The two-CD interview with Bob Rossi was included in The Tanker Tapes, but has been migrated to Once Upon a Tank 2 because of his role in the story.
Listen to some excerpts from "Once Upon a Tank in the Battle of the Bulge"
Excerpt 1 real audio mp3
Excerpt 2 real audio mp3
Excerpt 3 real audio mp3
Excerpt 4 real audio mp3
Excerpt 5 real audio mp3
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"Once Upon a Tank in the Battle of the Bulge" contains some graphic language and descriptions of violence that may not be appropriate for younger listeners.
The set of CDs comes in a sturdy plastic spindle case, and make a unique gift for any history buff.