Oral History Interview with Eugene R. Cronin, February 1, 1972 Page: 49
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Cronin
49
night in this squad that kept me, I think there was
probably a corporal, or he had a stripe on his arm, and
he wasn't the lowest soldier, but he damn sure wasn't
very far up. And next to us they kept guards in this
jail, and he walked into a room, and the other ones
stood up and clapped their heels when this guy walked
in. I'd say he was probably a corporal. Now I later
saw and was told that if the men in charge were out of
action, killed, the next man could not step in, whereas
in the American Army I believe it's a matter of record
that you could take all the noncoms and all the officers
and kill them, and some GI back there will take a washing
machine motor and make some engine work. I think there's
that difference between the two countries, and that
basically is the reason that we can elect a president
and they follow one man. It's a political thing, but I
believe that's the difference. Now to the extent that
these people cannot think for themselves--and maybe they
really didn't have the opportunity like we did--I do
not feel sorry for them, but I feel sorry for anybody
that's getting his house bombed or who's in a war or
who's on rations. I feel sorry for anybody who lives
out of Texas (chuckle). So, you know, I feel real sorry
for those poor devils over there. But anyway, we were
in Frankfurt, and they took us to a place you want to
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Marcello, Ronald E. & Cronin, Eugene R. Oral History Interview with Eugene R. Cronin, February 1, 1972, book, February 1, 1972; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1529237/m1/51/?q=%22~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Oral History Program.