My dad was an artillery spotter in the 20th Armored, seeing combat in southern Germany. Lots of good stories, and he brought home a rock from Hitler's fireplace in Bertchesgaden. But my mom never let him make a lamp out of the 155 casing he brought back. I did get to shoot his liberated Mauser rifle, though.
Good stuff. I wish I still had the demilled 37mm round that kicked around the household goods when I was a kid. I suspect it came from one of the great uncles who served in WWII. One fly into Normandy in a glider with a 75mm pack howitzer. Those guys didn’t get jump pay like the rest of the guys in the 101st; they deserved it, those gliders were no picnic.
I spent over 9 years in Germany during the Cold War (Infantryman). I came to know a number of former members of the WWII German military. They were terrified of American artillery, much more so than the Russians who had more, but who did not have the American fire control system. The spotter was the lynchpin in the system. They saved my rear end on many occasions in my days in Southeast Asia.