i3rdinf,

Hi, how many pointsd did you have to get ?

In the Pacific we needed 95 pointsDo you have a name , mine is Art

and we are a friendly (Marion cntrolled) group. Glade you are aboard

papa Art

"Did you say that your brother and dad were both serving too? Wow, did everyone come home okay? That had to be very hard on your mom." Yes, quite true. Fact is my dad

(not reg. army and couldnt enlist again finally "volunteered for the draft" and was excepted at age 46.) The same time he was comming home on a hospital ship after being badly wounded in France I was heading over to the ETO. Took me about 10 weeks to find out his condition. Made me kinda unhappy with the Krauts to say the least.. And yes, my brother was a gunner in the Air Force, while I was just a dogface.

Kinda hard on Mom during this time, also shortened her life as she died about 2 years after the war. My dad survived after a stay in the hospital, and all three of us came home thank God. This was quite a reunion. Damn it, you got me thinking of things

that happened and will continue as memory serves and time allows. You really have me

thinking back a ways. And yes, my dad was a ww 1 wounded vet in France also. He was born Apr. '1898. Also had one cousin (Ray Kelly) who was a surviving member of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. He was also transferred to the Yorktown which was

bad news. But he survived the war also. All of this is actual facts and can be verified.

Oh My I just found this story and I am so glad I did! That is pretty amazing that they let your Dad in at that age.God bless all of you for your service.I just had to comment as this is as far as I ahve gotten but I am ready to read more so please keep posting and I cant wait to see photos. Thank you for sharing your life with us

Cindy

Yes, through the grace of God all 3 of us made it. Lost track of the Sgt. Ed Garrow

but corresponded with Johnny Moreal until about 2 years ago when something happened and cannot locate him or hear from him even though I have tried many times and searched for him. One more pic than I will cease for a while in posting. I am "guarding" ? about 20 Kraut prisoners who came up i a truck with white flags attached

on the last day of ETO war to surrender. We didnt really know what to do with them but

were stuck with them till some outfit came up and took them within 2 days. Pic shows

Sgt. Ed Garrow "checking his guard. Me"". Fact is I have his M-1 carbine as that damn

Thompson of miine was kinda heavy and uneeded as they probably got home before me

and we felt that was all they were interested in. This was in a village near Salzburg Austria after we were requested to leave Berchtesgaden after capturing and clearing it

on May 4 '45. Seems like "they" wanted us out for some reason.

My Dad was in Austria I think around the same time in Stier guarding POW's, he was with the 1st Infantry Div. He also assisted DP's somewhere around Poland. He was with Railway Security. Maybe you met!!! It wouldnt surprise me ..Here is one of the photos of my Dad in Poland

"Did you say that your brother and dad were both serving too? Wow, did everyone come home okay? That had to be very hard on your mom."  

Yes, quite true.  Fact is my dad (not reg. army and couldnt enlist again finally "volunteered for the draft" and was excepted at age 46.)  The same time he was comming home on a hospital ship after being badly wounded in France I was heading over to the ETO.  Took me about 10 weeks to find out his condition.  Made me kinda unhappy with the Krauts to say the least.. And yes, my brother was a  gunner in the Air Force, while I was just a dogface.

 

Kinda hard on Mom during this time, also shortened her life as she died about 2 years after the war.   My dad survived after a stay in the hospital, and all three of us came home thank God.   This was quite a reunion.  Damn it, you got me thinking of things that happened and will continue as memory serves and time allows.  You really have me thinking back a ways.  And yes, my dad was a ww 1 wounded vet in France also.  He was born Apr. '1898.   Also had one cousin (Ray Kelly) who was a surviving member of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor.  He was also transferred to the Yorktown which was bad news.  But he survived the war also.   All of this is actual facts and can be verified.

That is simply amazing and the first story I have heard that had a father and both sons in the war. Thank God he was with you and brought all of you home safely.

I am so very sorry to hear that your mother did not fair well. That must have been very hard on the three of you. After all she was very young at the time. My condolences to you.

You mentioned that your dad had a long stay in the hospital. How extensive were his wounds and how did he mend? How and where did he receive his injuries?

Oh my God, the Arizona then the Yorktown. I don't have to ask what happened there! Happy to hear your cousin got out of that one alive. Man talk about the toughest of assignments. Makes my head spin...

That is one fantastic story. Hey, looks like I got you started here and I think this is perfect for a stories page. What do you say everyone? Don't you think this info should be on his very own page? What do say you my dear? This sounds like just a beginning. I hope you say yes!

Marion: Thank you for your kind offer, however I am not that great a writer and too

much is locked in my "selective memory" about the fighting we encountered. Mostly I

try to bring back the unusual and humorous parts and things like food, conditions, equiptment, weapons and the likes so I probably would be boring everyone. If wished I

will post pics of ww2 both from mine and 2 friend of nine who was also in the 7th Reg..

Hopefully I can con my friend Russ Cloer (Platoon Ldr. of the 7th Reg. I&R platoon to

join in if you can stand another dogface here. Now he is a writer of his experiences.

He goes as recon 3-7-I when he writes. By the way. Did you read the article about

the capture of Berchtersgaden in May's WW 2 History'a magazine. It really brought in

the truth for the first time. Not the fiction that has been told and shown. Both myself and Russ were part of that capture. By the way, my dad was in Intel , part of O.S.S.

I believe and was on a mission in a small plane which was shot down by A.A. and badly

wounded. As he spoke fluent French he was aided in keeping free and shortly got back to friendly territory, hospitilized and shipped home to a Mil. hospital here for 2 months,

returned to duty till discharged at wars end. Then, back to his old civilian job. Same

for myself and my brother once getting out.

Cadet A-2: In ETO it was 85 points as I thought it was world wide but not sure about the world wide bit though. Actually, we never thought the "point system" was quite

fair for a dogface that was in combat. But thats just a opinion.

Well my darling, I think just what you have written so far would be a fine for a page. It certainly doesn't have to be all about COMBAT. If you look at some of the other pages I've done for the vets, you will find that some of them have very little about actual combat. Some just have basic recollections or humorous anecdotes. Actually all of it IS interesting to me and to many people. Even the little facts about food and clothing, etc. are of interest because many do not know anything at all and the day to day factors are sometimes the most interesting. Those are the things that the "normal" population do not even think of.

What I was thinking of doing is collecting many of the things that you write about here and also including your photos, etc. Many of the vets just throw things my way and then I compile all the info and write something up, so you really wouldn't even have to do much of anything. It sure would be a nice way to preserve your memories all in one spot. See, see, I just won't leave you alone.

So, your dad was a member of the OSS. How interesting. We don't get to hear much about intelligence and/or the underground, so it always peaks my interest.

Yes, I began reading the article on the capture of Berchtersgaden in May's WW 2 History'a magazine. Yes there has always been controversy surrounding it's capture and who was REALLY there. It's just like the concentration camps. So many claim to have been the FIRST and boy does that flare a lot of tempers all round. I will let you know when I finish the article and we can discuss it here on the forum.

Please do lure your friend here. That is what this forum is really for; you vets. That was my hope from the beginning to hear from as many of you as possible and to have you talk about whatever you wanted. Without sounding morbid again, if we don't hear it from you now, then we won't have the chance again later. So please feel free to speak and don't EVER think that you are boring us. It pleases me immensely!

Marion: One of my many friends stopped over this afternoon and brought over a old old

booklet (by Life Photographer Robert Capa) with about 55 pages of maps, photos, and

many personal photos of the men, mostly with names. This was about the 84th Chem.

Bn. (mainly Company C with roster and pic). Looks like a 4.2 mortar Bn. Anyone interested contact me. Looks like strictly Italian Campaign from Anzio to wars end in

Italy.. Too many pics to post as there are over 100 pics of people. I really dont quite dont know just what to do with it but will repro all pages prior to returning it just in case.

By the way, did you find the ww2 history magazine article in this May's issue interesting on Berchtesgadens capture?? It went into more detail than even I knew as

to the hows and whys and why we were "requested to leave so quickly". I feel it sorta

"busted some myths"..

Hi:

Well I just added a 3rd Infantry Division pin to my collection today. Now I have either patches or pins for the four main infantry divs that my dad was attached to or in support of (3rd, 34th, 36th and 45th).

I just finished reading the article that you referred to:

By the way, did you find the ww2 history magazine article in this May's issue interesting on Berchtesgadens capture?? It went into more detail than even I knew as to the hows and whys and why we were "requested to leave so quickly". I feel it sorta "busted some myths"...

The article was excellent and I too gleaned a lot of information from it. The nice thing to find out was that the 101st don't begrudge the 3rd Inf Div their rightful place "in the sun", and that they freely admit that the 3rd was the first to the Eagle's Nest and that you guys were there a full day ahead of the 506th PIR as stated in Rendevous With Destiny.

I am going to copy the article right now and then place it here so everyone can read the TRUTH about Berchtesgaden. It is a shame that Stephen Ambrose did not confirm the facts before publishing his book. Don't get me wrong, he is a great writer and Band of Brothers is fantastic, but he erred on who was first to arrive at this Allied prize!

Here's the link to the article. It's a great read everyone.

Eagles Nest - Who Really Captured the Final Prize?

Here is true story of WW2 and Korean Warrior

Recieves D.S.C. and Silver Star same day

I worked with this man for over 30 years ad just discovered these facts

Ray Gonzales D.S.C. and Silver Star the same day

Ray had 5 brothers all in service. Army Navy, Air Force Marines,Airborne and his father was classified 1-A

Ray enlisted in paratrooper in 1944 when he was 18 years old. January 1945 he was sent as replacement to Europe and served with 80th AA, and 82nd Airborne before being assigned to 155 AA Abn,17th division. The war ended and volunteers were being sought for South Pacific with a 30 day furlough.. Ray had a bad case of jaundice and after 10 weeks in the hospital at Ft.Bragg he rejoined the 80th in New York and played football on the division team.. After his dis-charge he worked in auto plant in Detroit and played semi-pro football for the Windsor (Ontario,Canada) Rockets.

Hostilities broke out in Korea.. In 1950 Ray re-enlisted ,got his shots and clothing at Ft. Knox,Ky., given 19-day delay en route and then reported to Ft. Campbelll,Ky. He was assigned to G-Company 187th .It has been 5 years since he jumped, he now made 1 jump and was sent to Korea. While in Korea he received the DSC and Silver Star the same day.. The citation reads “Cpl. Ray Gonzales distinguised himself by extraordinary heroism in vicinity of Naigonggum,Korea.. In January 1951his patrol approached the village when large enemy force opened fire. Ray and four comrades were cut off from their main body of the patrol.. Before the enemy banzai the enemy threw two grenades. The first one landed about two feet from the BAR man, Ray said not to worry the pin was still half way in. The second one came in cooking,Ray yelled to the men to start shooting as soon as this one went off because the enemy was going to rush his group. Ray jumped up and was between the grenade and the BAR man, his name was Sullivan.The genade went off and the enemy came down the mountain. Ray felt the concussion behind him. He had to expose himself to see where they were coming from.. They were trying to get behind us so Ray yelled to the BAR man to the right, they were getting behind us. That kid was one hell of a Bar man, those suckers didn’t stand a chance he cut them right down. Ray received a head wound and his right elbow was shattered. Disreguarding his wounds he took command and deployed the men for effective fire on the enemy. When the enemy launched a “banzai†attact Ray firing his carbine with his left hand personally killed two of them. They repulsed attacts until dark. . Ray led them in a successful withdrawal. They had to go over steep snow covered mountains in sub-zero temperatures. Ray wounded helped carry another man wounded in the leg, and could not walk.. Ray, by his insistant demands that the group keep moving ,led them through the nights intense cold to arrive at company area at 0600 hours. All of his little group safely returned to the platoon head quarters.

Ray had been recommended for the Medal of Honor but the recommendation was downgraded somewhere a long the line.

After his discharge Ray went to work for Friden Calculator Co. witch eventually changed to T.R.W.

Ray does not have a computer, if you e-mail me I will get it to him

I have a picture of Ray with General Moreland

Art papa@twmi.rr.com

O.K. people. Hopefully this is anoher pic. Taken about the end of Aug. '45 of 4 of us in

Austria. All 7th Reg. 3rd Bn members who had finished the ETO war. Notice the smiles.

Not the dead pan looks. At wars end within 2 weeks we were supplied complete new uniforms. NEW ONES. The house in the background was one of the houses we were billited in prior to moving to the Bliedorn Kaserne in Fulda Germany while waiting for our

"points" to come up for shipment home. Only thing was, we had to go back to our TOE

of weapons. My "illegal" Thompson along with many other of our weapons had to be turned in. Also anthing not in line with the Inf. company's TOE equiptment was gone.

We were back to civilized soldiers again, I guess. However the benifits were great.

No more casualties, 3 hot meals a day, great to be living in a house. Plenty of free time. I guess they tried to civilize us. Ofcourse the time in Fulda Gap was a little worse

but still not wartime conditions. We just waited to be sent to Le Harve France and home

for discharge. In the pic I am second from the left, Stan Manross is 3rd from the left.

Cant recall the other 2.

"We just waited to be sent to Le Harve France and home."..thats where my Dad landed when he went over there. Thanks so much for sharing your story and the wonderful photographs. It is very appreciated . We can learn so much from the veterans that were there. My thanks again for your service and for sharing it with us

Cindy

13rdinf

I am half Air Corp,,what plane was your brother a gunner in

cadetat6

Cadet A2: Believe it was a B-25. He also mentioned about them trying out a 75 mm cannon in the nose? of them. Ever heard of this?

Just in case anyone wonders what happens to a jeep when hitting a anti tank mine, here

is the answer. No survivors and almost no jeep.

Nasty repercussions!