Standing proudly in his jeep, General Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army, triumphantly crosses a pontoon bridge over the Seine river on August 26, 1944. Later that day, Patton sent a wry message to General Eisenhower to mark the occasion: "Dear Ike: Today I spat in the Seine."

Reaching the Seine

A number of WWI era brass knuckled trench knives were kept in storage by the US Army and re-issued during WW2. The example shown is marked "Au Lion" on the blade, and was made in 1918 by a French company on a US government contract. It was issued to Joe Pistone of F/502. The photo above shows Frank Anness, the supply sgt of D/506th at the Port of Embarkation in mid 1943. In his belt is one of the WW1 knuckle knives, which Frank says were issued to D/506th just before boarding the SS Samaria. But Frank says the knives were confiscated within a day or two, because too many of the high spirited paratroopers were trying them out by 'dueling' with each other, resulting in an alarming number of injuries. 


US Knucle Duster knife

One of many Life’s photos of the Italian Campaign: American soldiers on a completely destroyed Apennines little Italian town flooded by mud after a storm. Victor Sierra