Star Tribune –At the end of World War II 70 years ago, America finally got back to baseball, boxing and all the games we love.
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George Smilanich ’49, the son of a miner, became a tank driver. His armored division helped Gen. George Patton race English Gen. Bernard Montgomery across Sicily. From there he went to Europe, where he landed on Omaha Beach three days after D-Day. On his way to the beach, the landing craft next to him was destroyed by a mine. By that night, the tanks had reached the hill above the beach, where the Normandy Military Cemetery is now.
In his time, Smilanich lost three tanks. He and his crew escaped the first tank after it was hit. The second time, hit by a bazooka, four crew members were lost. The third tank caught fire after a hit. His tank commander was hit in the leg. With the tank exposed to enemy fire, Smilanich went back, dragged his commander out of the tank to safety and applied a tourniquet.
Read more: http://www.startribune.com/a-time-to-serve-not-play/304876281/
