A: Young people usually don’t grasp things like that till they get older. I was only twenty-two when I was injured during an assault of a fortress at the French-Italian border in 1945. I had a lot of time to reflect—over a year in the hospital. It was during the long period of recovery and rehabilitation that I began to appreciate what a privilege it had been to know, work for and interact with Winston Churchill. Without him, I don’t want to imagine what would have happened to the world.
- Treasure the exceptional education you’ve received from your tutor and the Jesuits.
- The discipline and motivation you have learned will allow you to accomplish anything you want in life.
- Your persistence and creative thinking will help you overcome every obstacle you face.
- Believe in yourself. Be proud of who you are.
- Never doubt you will be victorious.
- Always be honest with yourself.
- Try to make others’ lives better. Don’t be selfish. You’ll be well-compensated by how you feel about yourself.
- Give all of yourself whenever you do something.
- Deep within yourself, make a decision to conquer what is evil and the enemy will be eliminated.
- Don’t marry somebody you don’t love. Look for the love of your life, someone who you are proud to be with. Never settle.
A: It was an enormous problem. Often, you didn’t know which side people were on. I could not understand the mentality of a French citizen who collaborated with the Germans. I had no sympathy for collaborators.
Q: When did you first learn of the death camps, and were you and others aware of the full extent of the genocide involved?
Q: Where were you with Patton and Operation Torch in Morocco? Did you land at Port Lyautey, Fedala or Safi during the 1st 3 days of fighting? Or did you first approach the French at Casablanca, where most of their 50,000 man army was?
A: He had a strong English accent, but I understood everything he said.
Q: How did you adjust to life in the “civilized” world after the war?