At long last, WWII veterans meet
Berks World War II veterans, both 99, served in the same division
They both grew up in Berks County, crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the same voyage of the Queen Mary and saw action in Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge during World War II.
And though they live only seven miles apart in Bern Township, it took 99 years for Edward W. Mull and Norman Reifsnyder to meet face-to-face.
That auspicious occasion took place Oct. 19 when the old soldiers, both 99, sat down for a two-hour chat at Mull’s house.
“You and I were in the same division, you live in my backyard and we’ve never met,” mused Reifsnyder. “My goodness.”
When Mull was featured in a recent Reading Eagle story, Reifsnyder was amazed to discover that a WWII comrade lived close by.
Subsequently, their daughters — Barbara Mull Miller and Rebecca Reifsnyder Schmidt — arranged the long overdue meeting.
“This is a great reunion of two people who never knew each other but have so much in common,” said Schmidt, who lives in North Carolina.
Seated at a dining room table, Mull and Reifsnyder traded war stories, looked at WWII photo albums and reflected on their service in a war that ended 75 years ago last month.
Both men served in separate regiments of the Army’s 80th Infantry Division — Mull in the 318th and Reifsnyder in the 319th.
At various times their units served under the overall campaign of Gen. George S. Patton in the European Theater.
“Yep, old blood and guts,” remarked Refisnyder, who saw Patton close-up once or twice.
Both former GIs had remarkably clear memories of a time when they were 20- somethings and the world was at war.
Both staff sergeants, they brought maps of their regimental campaigns, which they referred to in recalling operations in France, Belgium and Germany.
Remembering war
It was a moonlight night when Reifsnyder’s unit landed in Normandy about