This photo of my father & motorcycle was taken somewhere in Italy.
Maybe Anzio area? The scan doesn't show how enormous the pile of
rumble is. In the actual photo, it's HUGE.
Don't know anything about WWII motorcycles. There's a star in a circle on it - does that mean anything?
Here ya go. We have a few posts regarding the Harleys the guys rode during the war.
http://208.109.212.45/forum/index.php?show...p;hl=motorcycle
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter 'Monday' Poniedzialek
540th Combat Engineer - H&S Company
Thanks for sharing that photo. My gosh, look at all that stuff piled up. My gramps got to help clean all that up 🙂
God bless those heroes who suffered and died, for plain folks, like you and me.
War is a crime. Ask the infantry and ask the dead.
Cool photo. The star in a circle marks U.S. Allied vehicles in part to avoid "friendly" air attacks. It didn't always work.
Just ask the guys shwacked during Operation Cobra.
Maj Todd O. USMC, Retired
Grandson of LTC John O'Brien
Just ask the guys shwacked during Operation Cobra.
NEVER SAW A MOTORCYLE WHERE I WAS AT.
DID THEY HAVE A SIDECAR ?? IN the pic. I noticed the scabbard but
no piece in it. The scrap pile in back had to be the port of, Anzio,?
I quess they wore leggings back there.
CaptO--God be with you on your next assignment. Roque
Roque J.(Rocky) Riojas
After Anzio on the way to Rome, the 3d ID suffered casualties when they got bombed by fighter planes with stars plainly visible on their wings. The ground soldiers had stars plainly displayed on their vehicles.
If our fighter jocks couldn't tell the silhouette of American equipment from 500M, I'm not sure how they would see an 8 inch star on gas tank of a moving motorcycle on the inside of some guy's legs!
On the other side of things, the "invasion stripes" put on planes at Normandy was a result of getting our planes getting blasted by ground troops in Sicily and other places by GI's nervous about LuftWaffe attacks.
(Un)friendly fire, I'm afraid can go both ways. Now-a-days there isn't much confusion from the ground to air side as anywhere we fought in recent years we have had air supremecy. Air to ground side, however, I am sad to say there are still incidents. How you can mistake a Marine AAVP7 for anything other than a Marine AAVP7 is beyond me. Here are some info about the AAVP7. On a side note, the Army's new Styker vehicle looks a lot like a BTR and the new Marine AAAV (Advanced Amphibious Vehicle - not yet fielded) bears an unfortunate resemblance to a BMP.
Stryker
BTR
AAAV
BMP
Maj Todd O. USMC, Retired
Grandson of LTC John O'Brien
M1! thanks so much for the motorcycle link! I especially love the photos in the "WLAs in Action In WW2" section. Great photos of MPs & their bikes. LOVE the photo of MP Pvt Zimmerman supervising Army traffic near St Lo. Those bikes sure had alot of stuff attached to them : "a M1928 Meat Can pouch is attached to the rear fender". What's a "meat can pouch"?
They also say : "note the position of the star behind the shifter gate on the gas tank".
The best part of the photo is the sign made out of a cardboard carton: "DAMN IT! USE SIGNALS!" 
Whenever I see stuff like that - all I can think is: GOD BLESS THOSE GUYS! They are why we won the war. 
http://www.theliberator.be/liberator3.htm
Capt O - you're right! I can't imagine that the star on the gas tank gave anybody a feeling of security that they wouldn't be shot at by our own guys. I know my Dad was strafed, but it was by the Krauts not us.
On a personal note - I'd recognize my father in that photo even if I couldn't see his face. I'd know him right away just by seeing his hands. One of the last things he said to me was: "We have exactly the same hands, dear." Indeed that's true - identical - except mine are a smaller version.
Also - Frank may've ridden Harleys in WWII, but there'd be no more of THAT after he married Helen Cole! His daring gave her enough heart palpitations when he had both feet firmly on the ground! 
206thMPCo - Frank's proud daughter
These are the pictures that i took in may 2007.
You can see motorcycles
The village of Avelin near Lille reconstituted a military camp american and organized
a procession of vehicles of times for the anniversary of May 8 , 1945.
http://picasaweb.google.com/waminvero/Avelin2007
http://picasaweb.google.com/waminvero/Avelin8Mai2007
Véronique
Under every white cross of American Cemetery of Colleville (Normandy), sleeps a piece of Freedom
Great post guys and dolls!
Wish I had a photo(s) of my dad on his Harley during the war. That is how he wound up in a hospital in Italy when he and his bike were hit by mortar fire. Ouch! But he wound up okay (thank God) and went onto fight in France and Germany. Those guys sure endured a lot of hardship and heartbreak.
Mary Ann, I could picture our dads flying through the rugged terrain together. Makes my heart skip a beat. 
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter 'Monday' Poniedzialek
540th Combat Engineer - H&S Company
I just found this link wonderful .
There is a video and photo by James W. CARROLL
He was the first scout of the 628th
Tank Destroyer Battalion attached
to the 5th Armored Division to enter
Belgium
http://www.ordi-web.net/harley.htm
Véronique
Under every white cross of American Cemetery of Colleville (Normandy), sleeps a piece of Freedom
Wow! Thanks Veronique! You can feel the joy and love the Belgian citizens showered upon this GI! His Harley looks just like a beautiful flower float in a parade.
None of us ever fully appreciate freedom until it's taken from us. Mr. Carroll got to be a harbinger of it's return and - clearly the people of Belgian showed him their gladness & gratitude. :freedom:
Mary Ann
I loved the short 40 second clip. What a joyous moment.
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter 'Monday' Poniedzialek
540th Combat Engineer - H&S Company
Under every white cross of American Cemetery of Colleville (Normandy), sleeps a piece of Freedom
