Python Tales

Decorated WWII veteran Frederick B. Karl recounts the thrilling, gritty, and chilling experiences of a young tank commander on the treacherous battlefields of Europe. "Python Tales" is a first-person account of a young man from a small town who left the comfort of his family and friends to take part in the terrible battles raging across Europe in 1942. Like thousands of other Americans, he willingly volunteered to leave his homeland and fight a war thousands of miles away, so that freedom and democracy would not be defeated. Before his 19th birthday, Fred Karl had enlisted in the army, earned a commission as a second lieutenant, trained in tank warfare, and was shipped overseas, where his stamina and personal courage were severely tested. As a young tank commander confronting the enemy at the Battle of the Bulge, he never knew whether or not he would ever return home alive. Mr. Karl's "tales" recall the particular events in Europe during the time he served in the army, specifically the 67th Armored Regiment - better known as Python, its wartime code name. The book does not chronicle the strategy of generals and admirals. Rather, it gets down in the foxholes and the cramped quarters of the Sherman tanks to vividly portray the day-to-day experiences of soldiers in combat. It is about regular people who were essential to the Allied victory. Mr. Karl describes the personal sacrifices of all the brave soldiers who participated in the war effort. "Our worlds were turned upside down," he recalls. "Some were killed, others were wounded, and most went home without physical evidence of having been in a war. But make no mistake: every single one who was called to participate in the shooting war was indelibly marked by that experience."