Bob Byrne Remembers Austria Before V-E Day
Bob Byrne spoke about the 86th Division’s
arduous campaign towards Austria which culminated with V-E Day. After
the 86th Division cleared the Ruhr pocket in Germany, they proceeded
south and kept the Bavarian Nazis incapable of rallying their defenses.
“We started southeast of Nuremberg and six major water obstacles
were jumped. The 86th Division accompanied General Patton’s Third Army
over the Danube into Austria and the famed German redoubt. In the swoop
into Austria, the quisling Minister of Hungary was captured with the
crown jewels of the nation he betrayed,” said Bob. On V-E Day,
the 86th Division was only 23 miles from Hitler’s Eagle
Nest mountain retreat. Since Hitler and many of his officers were
already deceased, “the redoubt turned out to be something that
never happened,” said Bob.
Questions and Answers
During the three-part program in September,
audience members also had the opportunity to pose questions to
presenters. This interactive format helped people clarify any
misconceptions.
According to Jim Love, “World War II
veterans are dying at the rate of 1,000 per day.” These Patriots
Colony residents, all prominent officers who served their country, were
happy to provide their personal accounts in the various theaters of
war. Their actions helped to shape our nation’s history.
