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Thursday, March 28, 2024

A Veteran's Voice: E.T. Roberts

Credit: 23ABC News | Bakersfield
Duration: 02:37s 0 shares 3 views

A Veteran's Voice: E.T. Roberts
A Veteran's Voice: E.T. Roberts

It was 75 years ago today that Nazi Germany surrendered to Allied Forces, bringing the war in Europe to an end.

96-yr old veteran E.T.

Roberts was in Holland on that day.

It's one he'll never forget.

And through all the death and destruction he witnessed first hand he said he still wasn't ready to leave.

ALLIED FORCES..

BRINGING THE WARIN EUROPE TO AN END.96-YR OLD VETERAN E-T ROBERTSWAS IN HOLLAND ON THATDAY..

IT'S ONE HE'LL NEVERFORGET.

AND THROUGH ALL THEDEATH AND DESTRUCTION HEWITNESSED FIRST HAND..

HE SAIDHE STILL WASN'T READY TO LEAVE.NATS - HARRY TRUMAN ANNOUNCEMENTSOT - :15 - EVERONE SAYING WAROVER..WE'RE GOING THRU TOWN, WAR ISOVER WITH..

BUT E.T.

ROBERTSDIDN'T BELIEVE IT..

HE WAS STILLWATCHING FORTHE ENEMY..SOT - :35 - KEPT MY EYES GOINGSIDEOTHER, DIDN'T WANT THEM COMINOUT BEHIND WALL..THEN..

SLOWLY..

IT BEGAN TO SINKIN..

SOT - I KNEW GETTING CLOSE,WE MOVINGUP, GETTING CLOSE, ONE DAYMAN...WHEN HE HIS UNIT FINALLYREALIZED IT..

THEY STARTEDPULLINGOFF THEIR UNIFORMS.2:15 - PULL PATCHES OFF, BADGES,LET'SFORGET IT NOW AND LIVE...AS SOLDIERS BEGAN ROTATING BACKTO THE STATES..

E-TVOLUNTEERED FOR M-P DUTY INGERMANY..

EVEN THOUGH HE WASAT THE FRONT OF THE LINE TOLEAVE..SOT - I HAD MORE POINTS, 178DAYS INCOMBAT, ASK ME..

HEY WOULD YOUMIND..

LET GUYS COME HOME THATHAD FAMILIES.IT WAS BECAUSE OF THAT..

HE GOTTHE CHANGE TO GET TO KNOW..THE REAL GERMAN PEOPLE..SOT 1310 - WE GOT READY TO COMEHOME, GERMANS FILLED STREETS,HUGGING NECKS, THANKS FOR JOB WEHAD DONE, WE DIDN'T WANT THISMORE THAN YOU DID.

FOR E-TROBERTS GERMANY SURRENDERED ONMAY 8TH, 1945...BUT IT WAS SIX MORE WEEKS BEFOREHE SAID GOODBYE TOEUROPE..

FOR A THREE DAY CRUISEBACK TO THE U-S..

ON ANOLD GERMAN BOAT.WHILE THIS DATE MARKED THE ENDOF FIGHTING IN EUROPE..

ITWOULD BE ANOTHER FOUR MONTHS..BEFORE JAPAN OFFICIALLYSURRENDERED..

BRINGING AN END TOWORLD WAR II.THE I-R-S IS NOW URGING PEOPLETO GIVE BACK STIMULUS CHECKSTHEY GOT ON BEHALF OF A DEADTAXPAYER... BUT LEGAL EXPERTSSAY YOU MAY NOT HAVE TO.THERE IS NO LAW REQUIRING THATTHE MONEY BE RETURNED.

THEACCIDENTAL CHECKS WENT OUTBECAUSE OF AN I-R-S LAG INREPORTING DATA.TAX EXPERTS SAY IT HAS ALSOHAPPENED WITH PAST FEDERALSTIMULUS PAYMENTS... AND IT'SALMOST INEVITABLE.HOWEVER -- THIS IS THE FIRSTTIME THE I-R-S HAS ASKED FOR THEMONEY BACK.THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT HAS NOTYET RESPONDED TO THE COMMENTSFROM LEGAL EXPERTS.APRIL IS EXPECTED TO BE THEWORST MONTH FOR AMERICANUNEMPLOYMENT SINCE THE GREATDEPRESSION.THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICSIS EXPECTED TO DROP THE REPORTTODAY AT 5:30 THIS MORNING.ECONOMISTS ARE EXPECTING THATTHE U-S ECONOMY LOST NEARLY 22MILLION JOBS IN APRIL ALONE.THAT WOULD BE THE LARGEST NUMBERON RECORD BY FAR.

IN FACT, THENUMBER IS SO BIG -- IT WOULDWIPE OUT THE TOTAL NUMBER OFJOBS CREATED OVER THE PASTDECADE.ECONOMISTS ARE PREDICTING ANUNEMPLOYMENT RATE OF 16PERCENT.SOME BELIEVE IT COULD BE AS HIGHAS TWENTY PERCENT.COSTCO'S APRIL SALES FELL ASCONSUMERS EASED OFF PANICBUYING DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.THAT'S THE FIRST MONTH COSTCO'SSALES HAVE DROPPED INYEARS.THE COMPANY SAYS THE NUMBERSWERE DOWN IN APRILBECAUSE OF STAY-AT-HOME ORDERSAND SOCIALDISTANCING RESTRICTIONS.THERE WERE ALSO MANDATORY STORECLOSURES IN SOME AREAS.POPULAR SERVICES LIKE FOODCOURTS AND TRAVELBOOKINGS WERE CLOSED.PRIOR TO APRIL, COSTCO PROFITEDFROM SHOPPERS PANICBUYING IN BULK TO GEAR UP FORTHE CORONAVIRUSPANDEMICCOSTCO'S DIGITAL SALES SOARED INAPRIL, HOWEVER, RISING 87-PERCENT AS CONSUMERS HUNKEREDDOWN AT HOME.LET'S CHECK IN NOW WITH 23ABC'SALYSSA FLORES FOR AFIRST LOOK AT YOUR STORM SHIELDFORECAST.MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND WELLABOVE NORMALAFTERNOON TEMPERATURES CAN BEEXPECTED OVER THECENTRALCALIFORNIA INTERIOR THROUGHSATURDAY.

HIGHTEMPERATURESWILL TREND LOWER SUNDAY ANDMONDAY.

A COLD FRONT WILLBRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS TO THEDISTRICT TUESDAY, MAINLYFROM FRESNO COUNTY NORTHWARD.OTHERWISE,TUESDAY THROUGHTHURSDAY WILL BE MUCH COOLERWITH BELOW NORMALTEMPERATURES.COMING UP ON 23ABC NEWS...WEBROUGHT YOU THE STORY OF ASTABBING THAT LEAD TO A DEPUTYINVOLVED SHOOTINGWHAT FAMILY MEMBERS SAID ABOUTTHE INCIDENT.23ABC IS CONTINUING TO RECOGNIZELOCAL STUDENTS WITH OUR CONGRATSTO GRADS SEGMENT...THIS IS NATHANAL MARTINEZ FROM.LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL CONGRATS TOYOU NATHANEL AND TO THE CLASS OF20-20.OF FIGHTING IN EUROPE..

IT WOULDBE ANOTHER FOUR MONTHS..

BEFOREJAPAN OFFICIALLY SURRENDERED..BRINGING AN ENDTO WORLD WAR II.THE I-R-S IS NOW URGING PEOPLETO GIVE BACK STIMULUS CHECKSTHEY GOT ON BEHALF OF A D

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