103-year-old Pittsburgh native and World War II veteran shares his stories: "Don't forget it"
BETHEL PARK, Pa. (KDKA) -- Many who served in World War II are sadly no longer with us. But if you look hard enough for members of the greatest generation, you will still find them -- people like Herman Skerlong of Bethel Park, who at the ripe old age of 103, is still full of stories.
Skerlong was born in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh in 1920 and was drafted into the 80th Division of the U.S. Third Army. This, of course, meant that he got to serve under the famous General George Patton, who Skerlong says was a good commander.
"I liked the guy myself," said Skerlong. "I liked him because he was a gung-ho guy. And I kind of liked him for that reason. Some of the guys didn't care for him, but I didn't care about that."
Skerlong was a machine gunner and in one of the first waves of soldiers to hit Omaha Beach during the Normandy Invasion. It was while fighting in France that he received the Bronze Star for dragging a wounded sergeant out from under a German gun emplacement and saving his life.
"I got all the way up there and I told him, I said, 'Don't make any false moves. Don't holler. Don't do anything because if they pick you up, noise or anything, they might open up and kill both of us.' It took me a good while, but I got him back there and the captain stood up and said, 'Herm, I don't know what to say about you,' he said, 'but I'll tell you what, you're a recipient of the Bronze Star.'"
During the winter of 1944 and '45, Skerlong found himself freezing in a foxhole during the Battle of the Bulge. It got so cold in fact, that he got frostbite on his feet and legs and had to be taken from the front to a hospital. Miraculously, doctors were able to save his feet and legs from amputation, but he spent the remainder of the war recuperating back in the States.
Skerlong and just a few other living World War II veterans will be the guests of honor at Saturday's Veteran's Day Parade in Downtown Pittsburgh. He says that he hopes the people of future generations who will come out this weekend and who will study the war in years to come will learn and remember what he and his band of brothers did for our country and the world, so many years ago.
"I just hope they remember some of this stuff, some of this stuff, and what guys went through," he said emotionally.
"I hope they remember half of what is said and keep it in mind. Don't forget it. Don't let it go out of your mind," he said.
The Pittsburgh Veterans Day Parade steps off at 10:30 a.m. rain or shine on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 10th Steet and Liberty Avenue and then proceeds along Liberty towards Point State Park.
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