C H A P T E T he Luck Factor R 15 Defining luck is tricky. It's a hard concept to pin down. It can mean different things to different people. We all have our own personal experiences with luck. For me, the most memorable began on Christmas Eve in 1944. L Company, 291st Regiment of the 75th Infantry Division was ordered to replace a worn- out cavalry unit in a holding position in the Ardennes Forest outside Manhay, Belgium. The temperature was below freezing and the accumulated snow was more than 3 feet deep over most of the landscape. Incoming artillery and mortar fire made the final hours of the march even more precarious, frightening, and uncomfortable. The foxholes were already dug, fortunately, but every building that could have provided protection from the elements had been destroyed. Fires were out of the question. There was no relief from the cold and wet of the foxholes and the terrain. After 10 days of exposure, while I was trying to dry my feet and get into some less wet socks before putting on my wet boots again, I noticed black blisters on each big toe and discoloration developing on all the other toes. I was sent back to the battalion aid station. It was 2 miles behind our position, and I limped the whole way. The medics took a look at my feet and put me on a cot, and I wasn't allowed to get back on my feet for four months. The diagnosis was severe frostbite. Fortunately, I still have all the parts I arrived with, although my fingers and toes rarely get warm. 213