World War II Jeep driver survives blast from mine
EVANS CITY — For Philip Hirschy, a good share of life's early lessons were accompanied by a Jeep.
Take that February day in 1945, when Hirschy — a Jeep driver for the Infantry during the heat of World War II — was tasked with transporting a cargo as precious as any: pancakes, sausage, syrup and giant thermoses of hot coffee. The breakfast was destined for H Company troops protecting the Schwammenauel Dam in Germany.
To avoid gunfire, the delivery was scheduled for pre-dawn, and unbeknownst to Hirschy, enemy troops had sneaked in overnight and planted a mine along the route.
Hisrchy and his fellow drivers had flipped a coin to determine lead, and he'd lost. The mine destroyed his vehicle, sent sausage scattering everywhere and put him in a Belgium hospital for a few weeks.
“I got a new Jeep after that,” said Hirschy, now 90 years old who was prompted by this year's Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival in Butler to revisit his memories.
Hirschy, who lives in Evans City, grew up in that same small, rural community where his father was a Baptist minister. He was the high school quarterback, and big games against rival school districts were about as much conflict as he'd ever encountered.
He enlisted just months after beginning college. He requested to be a pilot in the Air Force but instead was assigned a driving job in the infantry.
He already was assigned a Jeep when he got a wartime eye opener. Also in his motor pool convoy was one of those giant trucks, so filled with the bodies of same-aged men that blood literally dripped out.It was then and there he realized the graveness of the war and what might happen. He prayed for his outcome to be good and continued about the duties of transporting military officials, supplies and cargo and sometimes civilians.“I didn't do much shooting because my main job was driving the captain, but I got shot at a lot,” he said.And he got hit.Just weeks after the mine incident, on March 16, 1945, Hirschy recalls he was in Honnef, Germany, standing next to his Jeep eating a lunch fit for Thanksgiving from his mess kit. “We had real turkey that day,” he said.As the troops were dining, German forces zeroed in on them and dropped shells on their location. He recalls saying, “'Fellas, I've been hit.' And then I went down.”Hirschy was struck by an 88 mm airburst. Other servicemen put him on the Jeep's hood until he was rushed to a field hospital. Later he was transported to a plane stacked with 20 other wounded soldiers to a facility in England, then finally he went back to the states.To this day there's a piece of shrapnel in his chest so close to his heart the difference between life, death or paralysis was just centimeters.Having merited two Purple Heart medals and an honorable discharge he returned home where in 1946 he married his high school prom date, Fae Wahl. Together they built their house and raised four children. They also have nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.A strong advocate of education, Hirschy earned two master's degrees before spending 35 years teaching physics, math and chemistry at Seneca Valley before retiring in 1983. Fae also is a retired teacher.Although he would have liked one, Hirschy never got a Jeep of his own. However, he did eventually get that pilot's license and has logged in a serious amount of hours in the sky.Nowadays, his hobbies have slowed a little but his quick smile and positive demeanor haven't. Every visitor still gets a handful of his trademark chocolate candy kisses.“There,” he says proudly. “You've been kissed by Mr. Hirschy.”
