Claude Broussard, Jason Theriot, Hewitt Theriot, Mrs. Bourrard:

-Broussard volunteered for the service as his brother (Paul) was already in it
-Was first sent to Camp Livingston or Beauregard; shipped to Fort Knox for basic training in 1942
-Went to the Louisiana Maneuvers at Camp Polk and was put in the 3rd Armored division; then cadre into the 7th Armored division

-Before being shipped overseas Broussard was cadre into the 697th Field Artillery
-They had tractors pulling the trailers for the10-in guns; tractors were to slow so they had to use tanks
-Put the tripod on one trailer and the barrel on the other; had to carry a crane to dig a recoil pit; dug a pit 6 feet for the recoil
-Hardly used those tanks in battle

-Left Christmas morning 1943 from Newport News, Virginia at 2 in the morning
-Had a year and half of training; drove a tank at Fort Knox
-Was shipped to California for 5 1/2 months to train for going to Africa
-Would go out every day at 12-3 to train; 120 degrees in the shade
-Was in the 7th Armored at this time; at Fort Benning was cadre into the 697th because they needed tank drivers
-697th had 2 40 hoteitzers with projectiles of 365 lbs.

Overseas (6:20)
-Went to Africa, Sicily and then into Italy
-Landed on top of sunken ship at Naples; Casino was their first real battle
-When leaving the U.S. they went through the Messina Straits to Africa; hit bad weather
-In Sicily made it secured and then up to Naples; had just been taken over when they landed, fired at Casino

-When leaving, the English made cardboard dummies to put up at night so the Germans would still think they were there
-Crossed over the Menturner River in the dark, twice; they had 5 tanks and pulled 2 guns
-Attached to the 3rd Armored Division, the 7th Army; they were known as a bastard outfit
-Their outfit was always being sent all over to push through lines

-From there went to Santa Maria, Italy to fire on Bologna; went on to Leghorn
-At Leghorn boarded LSTs with the tanks and guns; landed in southern France at Marseilles
-Loaded up the tanks and guns onto French flatcars (train) to Bessencorn, France
-Was with Patton 3 times: once in basic at California and twice in Europe

Artillery of the tank (17:30)
-Would go off at 25 yards off the ground, 365 lbs. of shrapnel; this was a radio fuse in the shells
-It was a new weapon and very accurate
-Leaving Rome chasing Germans, they ran for 5 days and 5 nights without sleep; 300 gallons of fuel and fuel trunks right behind them
-The tank was home, Broussard even slept in it
-Had an assistant driver but he rarely ever drove, always Broussard
-Took a four-man tray to carry the projectile; if you didn't have a good balance the concussion would knock you down

Casino (24:20)
-Could hear Anzio Annies going above them; had them at Casino
-Was firing at the Monastery, "the Abby"; ordered to "fire at will"
-Germans had a tunnel that would go to the railroad station under the Abby; so they (U.S) bombed the place
-Everyone went to the north; Broussard was 23 then

(28:38)
-Altogether Broussard thinks his outfit earned 8 battle stars
-Reached the Battle of the Bulge on Christmas Day of 1944
-Broussard's brother was a captain in the infantry at the battle
-Kept pushing north and eventually went over into Austria

-When the war ended they were able to take over Salzburg without a shot (32:47)
-Stayed there until the company was split up and took all the high-pointers (point system); Broussard was one as he had a child at home and had 112 points

-Recapping on when Broussard left the U.S. and his travels in the beginning

Back to the Battle of the Bulge (35:24)
-Germans made a push through Belgium where the Allies' position wasn't being defended
-Huge snowstorm came through, Allied planes couldn't land or help defend; Germans were going to the river Muse to cut the Allied forces into two but they ran out of gasoline

-That day (Christmas Day) they were eating turkey and all the trimmings; at night they left
-Broussard isn't sure where they were as he stayed with his tank to keep it ready
-At night when they left it was really a retreat as the Germans were coming, but they didn’t know that, no one told them

Through Europe (44:05)
-Landed in Naples and then went north to Bologna when they got word to move into France
-At the Bulge, which they didn't know until a reunion a few years ago that they were there
-In Salzburg, Austria when the war ended and the company was broken up

-Was put in CQ (chargers quarters) at an ammunition factory
-When men came through from Germany they'd stop there and then in the morning head out to Paris
-One day as CQ Broussard sees a friend from Jeanerette, Vince DeVeasay

-First person he met from the area while in service was Allen Landry at Casino, Landry was going to Naples
-Saw Elles LaGrange in Rome; ran into the entire National Guard group from New Iberia (156th Reg.) there too
-Never saw his brother while overseas, he went over before Brossard and came home before him

After being split up (52:40)
-On the outskirts of Salzburg; crossing borders into Germany and rivers
-Theriot tells a story from another interviewee (Prince from Loreauville)
-Went through Hitler's Eagle's Nest (Austria); 5-6 stories down in the mountain with hospitals, operating rooms, nurseries etc.

End of the War (56:17)
-May 1945 when the war ended; in Salzburg
-Railroad battalion gave them a bunch of stuff; like tents to sleep in
-Celebrated that night; near Salzburg so they went into town

Wine Story (57:20)
-Was in Italy and the German had vats that they pulled the plugs on in a wine cellar
-Someone found it and they filled as much as they could in their cans; used things from the tank to make a still and finish making bootleg wine
-Officer caught them one day, they bribed him and set up a trade with him; two whiskey bottles for a can of wine

Coming home (1:01:05)
-In the outfit he was in at the ammunition factory; made bullets
-Found a German rifle and took it apart and sent it back home through the mail; still has it
-After Salzburg went through Holland or France to a ship
-Landed in Newport News and got on another ship that sent him to Boston
-From there Broussard went to Camp Shelby and then took a train to New Orleans (Sept. 1945)

Transcription Begins:

July 30, 2001
Claude J. Broussard
New Iberia, La.
Born October 1, 1920.
Tank Driver-697th Field Artillery, Italy & Southern France
Interview conducted by Jason P. Theriot

I volunteered for the service. My brother Paul went in, so I decided to go too. I went to basic at Fort Knox in 1942. I drove a tank. I went to Camp Polk. From there I went into the 3rd Armored and from there I cadre into the 7th Armored. Then I cadre into to the 697th Field Artillery that was shipping out overseas.

They had tractors pulling the trailers for those 10-inch guns, 240mm; well the tractors were too slow so they used tanks. We pulled a trailer. We put the tripod on one trailer and the barrel on the other. We had to carry a crane to dig a recoil pit; you needed a pit dug 6 feet for close range.

We left X-Mass morning from Newport News, 1943. We had a year and a half of training. I was married in April of '43, and then they sent us to the desert in California for 5 and a half months. We were going to Africa you see. So we had to get in the heat every day at noon till three o'clock in just our boots and our shorts to get a tan in that hot desert. It was 120 degrees in the shade. When this was going on I was in the 7th armored. Then when we got to Fort Benning I cadraed into this outfit, because they needed tank drivers. So I had more experience than all the others did, so they put me this outfit (697th). We had two 40 howitzers. That's a big gun. The projectile weighed 365 lbs. We had it on trailers.

We went overseas. We landed in Africa, then Sicily, then Italy. We landed on top of those sunken ships (Liberty Ships) in Naples. Casino was our first real battle. We caught hell there… Ooh man… Mud, rain, and cold at night.

We went through the Messina Straits and hit bad water. When we got there Africa and Sicily had been secured. We had pushed the Germans back up through Italy. We had just taken over Naples when we got there. We were firing on Casino.

Then we pulled back and the English came there and made cardboard dummies of our tanks and armor. And when we left at night, the English put up those dummy tanks, so that the Germans thought we were still there. We crossed the Menturner River twice that night and I didn't even know. We didn't use headlights. We had five tanks in our outfit. We carried two guns on trailers; one trailer for the tube and one for the tripod. Then the spare tank was used to help get the guns in place. We were attached to the 3rd Armored Division, 7th Army. See we were a bastard outfit. We were used all over the place. When they couldn't get through, they would call us. Captain Fletcher was in charge of our battery.

Well we went to Santa Maria Italy, we were firing on Bologna at the time. Then we went to Leghorn. We board those LST's with our tanks and our guns. We landed in southern France at Marseilles. We then loaded our tanks and guns on to French flatcars (railroad cars). From there we went to Bessencorn, close to the Chzeceslovocia border. (Right flank) I was with Patton three times; once in California at basic, and twice in Europe.

We were using a radio fuse in those artillery shells. This was a secret weapon that we had. We had captured a few Germans and the first thing they wanted to know was about this new weapon. It was quite accurate.

When we left from Rome we had the Germans on the run and we ran for 5 days and 5 nights without sleep. We had 300 gallons of fuel in the tank and we had fuel trucks following behind. The tank was my home, which is where I slept.

We had a four-man tray to carry the projectile to the gun. If you were walking by and didn't have good balance the concussion would knock you down. I saw a lot of guys get knocked down.
You could hear Anzio Annie, and the other big rail gun at Casino. We were firing on the Monestary at Casino, the Abby. At Casino we were ordered to 'fire at will'. So as soon as you loaded that charge, you would fire and then load up again, without stopping.

The Germans had a tunnel from the Abby to the railroad station where they had that big rail gun firing on us. We caught fire from them many times. After they bombed it every thing was gone. You could see heat waves, like radiator heat, all in the sky. After we pushed the Germans out we all moved north. I was 23 at the time. All together we had 8 battle stars. My brother was a captain in the infantry at the Battle of the Bulge. We had a good time, if you like that kind of fun.

When the war ended we took Salzburg, Austria without firing a shot. Then they broke up the company and took all the high-pointers, see I was a high-pointer because I had a child back home. I was in charge of CQ for awhile at an ammunition factory. Them boys would come and spend the night there and then ship off the next morning. I ran into Vince DeVeasay, from Jeannerette. I was in charge of the CQ that day and I saw him standing in line and I said, "whatcha doing here you dago. He look at me and said, "hey Bruce whatcha doing here." We talk about that every now and again when I go get a haircut.

I also met up with Allen Landry. It was near Casino, and he was passing on a jeep going to Naples. I met up with Elles LaGrange in Rome. I met up with that whole group, the National Guard group from New Iberia. (156th Reg.) They were MP's. I didn't venture out much like others. I stayed by my tank and wrote letters to my wife. Our great-granddaughter sat down here one night and listened to the stories and was mesmerized. I went through Hitler's Nest in Austria. It was about 5 or 6 stories down from the mountain. There were hospitals, operating rooms, nurseries, etc..SS troopers. This was his haven.

When we were in Italy, the Germans had pulled the plugs out of those vats in the wine cellar. Somebody found out they had wine down there. So we brought up some empty 5-gallon water cans. We went down there and the cellar was covered with wine. So these guys knew how to make a still and I had the cooper tubing from my tank, to clamp on the hose. So we made a worm and these guys, they were from the Carolina's so they knew how to bootleg stuff you know. So they'd put that worm in cold water and put the empty can on the side and let it drip. We would heat the water can and then the vapor would come through and fall in that can. It was red wine, but it would come out white, from the vapors, about 150 proof!

There was an officer who came and caught us. I had furnished the tubing so I was in with them. He asked what we were doing. One of those guys threw him a canteen full with that stuff. The officer wanted to buy some. We said it's not for sale. The only way you can get some is if you give us two of your bottles for one of ours. You see they'd get rations of liquor, the best. We only got beer every six months or so. He followed us until we left for France. He'd find us and come trade two bottles of whiskey for one of ours. One of those guys was a crane operator and he flipped it all drunked up. Those guys drank all the time.

At that German factory in Austria I found a German rifle, and I took it apart and shipped it to myself back home. As soon as I got home I put it back together. I still have it. From there I went through Holland and boarded a ship at Newport News. We went across the Atlantic and landed in Boston. From there I went to Camp Shelby and my wife and my daughter picked me up from the station in New Orleans.