Fog rises, it's dark, and getting darker, the smell of pistol smoke radiates through the air. He doesn't see anything but hears everything. Screams in the darkness, the troubling sound of Nazi gun fire, the rumble of mighty Panzers crushing the bones of American Solders, and countless mortars crashing only feet away, causing his ears to ring and toes to cringe. His hands are frostbitten; gripping a rifle was much different than stirring a scalding pot of stew. He cries out “Kenneth” but no answer. Where is his brother? Keith is terrified that the next body he trips over would reveal that sickening question. The thought of Kenneth was strengthening Keith's hands, eyes, and trigger finger. He was a machine and his one purpose in life was destroying as many Nazi scum as he could lay his sights on, in pursuit of finding his beloved brother alive and well. This was The Battle of the Bulge.
On 9 June 1943 Keith and Kenneth McDonald were drafted into the United States Army, 687th Field Artillery Battalion. Their training took place in the heat of the Oklahoma sun at Fort Sill. Getting drafted together wasn't a new surprise, because they had been doing things together since they were born, you see Keith and Kenny were identical twins. They were so similar their parents had trouble telling them apart and once they arrived at Fort Sill there was no difference in confusion of which twin was who. During formation one morning Kenny decided that sleep was a little more important than formation. So just as if they were back home fooling their old school teachers at, Keith filled in for both of them and none of the drill instructors were the wiser. They always made sure they had the others back. Being Privates in the army didn't change their occupations either; they were both bakers by trade, and the army only honed in on the twins skill to fill hungry bellies of starving soldiers. Kitchen work was not their only expertise. They could shoot the feathers off a Buffalo nickle from 300 meters, making them lethal weapons and prepared to take on the Nazi forces. Their hands could whip up any delicacy in the Paula Dean cookbook and handle a gun like Dirty Harry. The Twins were ready for whatever came their way or were they. February 12th 1944 they left America, Germany bound on a journey into the vast abyss of enemy territory.
The brother’s kept their feet steady and minds clear. Keith recalled making it to Normandy, France, ten days too late but not late enough. No words could explain the devastation that presented itself on the ravaged one thousand feet of death drenched sand. President Ronald Reagan depicted the destruction of Normandy best in his speech on the 40th anniversary of D-Day. He said: ''Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After two days of fighting, only ninety could still bear arms." Even with that horrible visual image instilled in his brain Keith still had the strength to keep trucking on, and being with his brother, his best friend, and his right hand man it made the journey easier. They depended on each other, not knowing that soon Keith would be defending his tag team title solo.
Keith had faith to overcome anything. During the Battle of the Bulge the twins were defending their lives against the Nazi onslaught. They were taken by surprise forced to retreat. After the smoke cleared and the ringing of tank fire stopped Keith realized he had lost his brother, they had been separated. Neither brother knew if the other was dead or alive. Keith’s love for his brother kept him trekking on with the faith of God that he would see his best friend once again. The 687th Field Artillery Battalion moved towards Paris, France en route for America.
Standing in a soup line with zero appetite and his mind racing like Sea biscuit, wishing he knew where his twin was; suddenly was bumped into by the silhouette of man with the same stature as him. As Keith stumbled to his feet, trying to get his bearing, and hearing a voice that sounded like a beautiful song. The brothers made eye contact with their mirroring images for the first time in eight months. The McDonald's were once again reunited overcoming WWII together and apart.
