Communications work for the US Army could be dangerous, especially when setting up operations in enemy territory.

The Handie-Talkie from Galvin Manufacturing Company (later Motorola) was the state-of-the-art portable communication technology of its day. This army radio operator keeps in contact with headquarters during battle.

They were called “The Communicators” and radio men like my 101st Airborne father did not just flip a switch and turn a dial, they learned Morse code, and transmitted critical battle details. If their information was not properly relayed, it could mean the loss of life and battle.

Fast forward from 1944 to 2004, my brother, David Snell, visited Bastogne, Belgium and sought out Chateau Rolle in Champs on the outskirts of Bastogne which was used as the 101st Airborne headquarters during the Battle of the Bulge. Madame Rolle answered the door and invited my brother inside when he told her that our father was a radio operator in her chateau during WWII. She was only a young girl at the time and instantly recalled, “Oh, yes, he was a pleasant young man who kept talking to someone named Roger!” She remembered Dad being set up with his radio equipment in their foyer which is exactly where this photo was taken in 2004.

Comes A Soldier’s Whisper, remembering our past to protect our future.

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Photo Source: America In WWII Magazine & David Snell