. >> we got through gechlt ilenkierken and we got on the road we thought was taking us straight to berlin. we felt great and were pretty excited about being in the war. after we had gone about 500 yards up the road, the 88th started coming in. all of us tried our best to dig into the ground. we used our hands to just try to claw the dirt, trying to dig in. in the meantime these shells were coming into the trees and bursting all around us and our friends were being hit and we were screaming for medics. this lasted, it seemed for about half an hour. i suppose it lasted for about five minutes. >> i am fritz kramer. i was with the 84th divisioner as a rather elderly soldier for my 35th to 37th year. i do remember very clearly now the feelings we had, like all men who go into battle for the very first time, we uncertain. we unsure of ourselves. we knew very well that combat was very different from training. and i remember this excitement. and i may frankly say for all soldiers who may come after us, we were also full of fear. not necessarily fear of the enemy. but fear of our own making it or