Apologies to Prof. Deutsch

Men of Easy Company, 506th PIR, in Normandy

Guilt, perhaps as much as anything else, sparked Stan’s interest in World War II history, which has now inspired a September study trip to retrace the assault on Europe by the famous 101st Airborne Division.

Stan skipped virtually every lecture and ignored all required readings for Prof. Harold Deutsch’s "History of the Second World War" at the University of Minnesota. There were excuses. It was a miserable cold winter quarter in 1969, the lectures began at 7:50 a.m. in a huge anonymous auditorium on the West Bank -- plus, he worked full-time as a night dispatcher at the Blood Bank. He had other priorities — like maintaining a 2S deferment.

Prof. Deutsch was a gifted lecturer and internationally-praised author. Well-respected for his command of fascinating aspects of the war, from cloak-and-dagger spy stuff to the horror of the Eastern Front. Stan skipped it all.

He had enrolled in the course as a Pass-Fail proposition to fulfill some graduation requirements. With help from a friend who had already taken it, Stan passed and received his ill-gotten credit without cracking a book.

Was it a guilty conscience that sparked a life-long interest in the topic? The countless books, movies, documentaries, museums over the years? Even Winston Churchill’s ponderous five-volume work devoured. And now this.

In September Stan will join 35 like-minded souls on a “Band of Brothers” study trip that begins in Taccoa, Georgia and terminates in Hitler’s Eagle’s nest in the Bavarian Alps. The group will meticulously relive the experiences of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Division on its epic path through six countries.

We'll retrace E Company route from Georgia to Hitler's nest.
(We won't parachute into Normandy, however.)

The "students" learned today that they will be accompanied and lectured by renown historian Ronald Drez, author of numerous books on the topic, and also the interviewer and personal friend of many of the surviving heroes of this airborne company. Ron was Stephen Ambrose's primary researcher for the book, Band of Brothers. They were great friends and Ambrose was Ron’s mentor. It was Stephen Ambrose’s book that caught the eye of Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and HBO. Ambrose was an executive producer on the HBO series, which was based on his book.

Now Stan is studying hard, motivated, reading and re-reading materials, looking forward to chatting with experts.

Were Prof. Deutsch alive today, we’re sure he’d say “Enjoy your extra credit, all is forgiven.”

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Photo, left. 

In 2014 Stan met Tom Blakeley, 90, at the World War II museum in New Orleans. A member of The Greatest Generation, Tom jumped into Normandy with the 82nd Airborne, landing in a cemetery near St. Mere Eglise. Stan will be there in September.