The General seconds that motion! ![]()
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter 'Monday' Poniedzialek
540th Combat Engineer - H&S Company
Fred: (Sarge Leo): Come on guy put on the pics. Dieing to see them. Any first hand WW 2 pics are a must. I find it funny that you, me and Roque can "pull each others chain" and not get all riled up as we know its in jest. Other
forums it would start a war. I think it is because we each knows what each of us went through and it was the same damn thing day in day out for us. We had been trained in only one thing and we did it well or we wouldnt be here. (plus a lot of luck and Gods help).. We were dirty, ground pounding Infantry Dogfaces and damn proud of it.
SonofanMP and Everybody Else Interested
You asked - You got them.
This is a very accurate representation of the Hedgerow(Bocage in French).

Hedgerow Tank Devised to Cut through - by a GI Sgt - Awarded Medal for Idea that saved Lives.

Me on the left and one of my very close Buddies on the right. KIA.
Only way in in is opening behind us and Krauts had those Zeroed in - Deadly
OK J3rdinf I know I don't have my "Pot" on!!

Sgtleo ![]()
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Sgtleo 
Joe did you notice !!!!! DRY GROUND!! Some people have all the luck. Roque
Roque J.(Rocky) Riojas
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Roque:-
Take another close look at my boots. That ain't shoe polish on them!!!
Sgtleo ![]()
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Sgtleo 
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Tactics Class 101 for those that need it. PAY ATTENTION TROOPS!!!!
I should have told you "Why the "Rhino Tank" was important".
A major problem with our tanks was that they would "ride up" on the
Bocage and expose the lightly armored belly to the Kraut fire as they
were trying to crash through. But rather than crashing through, they
were bouncing off and getting stuck with their guns pointed up to
the sky. Some actually turned Turtle and landed on their backs. Also
once on the road in the Bocage Area the tanks could not traverse their
guns but only fire straight head the roads were so narrow.
Sgt.Curtis G Culin Jr.(a farm boy) finally solved the problem by welding
a set of steel plates to the front of his tank and managed to cut through
the Bocage with his guns blazing. At the end of July, 3 out of every 5 tanks
in the Bocage area of Normandy had been fitted with these "horns" and
given the name "Rhino". Sgt. Culin was awarded the US Legion of Merit
Medal for his invention.
Sgtleo ![]()
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Sgtleo 
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Roque:-
Take another close look at my boots. That ain't shoe polish on them!!!
Sgtleo
Hell It looks like you're barefoot. or maybe dust. Right Joe!
OH yeah, I do see a speck of ,--mud,I think. Sarge you're AOK in my book !!!!!!!! Roque
Roque J.(Rocky) Riojas
O.K. you two (or us 3 ) enough already before the people here think we aint just "funning" each other and are
serious . Now here is a picture of a few of us (I am second from the left) that shows us as "real soldiers". Notice the clean uniforms, caps, even neckties. Even smiling.
Of course its about 2 months after the war in ETO ended and in front of our nice private house billets in Austria and
two months of hot food and no one shooting at us anymore. Real luxury. Beds, hot water, indoor plumbing and
bathtubs. 2 men to a bedroom with clean sheets. Talk about feeling like a civilian again and slowly getting civilized,
We are standing in front of our temporary billets and stayed here for another month after this pic. (drool you 2 guys). Then to Fulda Germany in the Bliedorn Kaserne which was also damn near as nice while waiting to go home.
I know, we were very lucky and it was probably unusual but it is fact. But now, we even looked like soldiers ready
for inspection. what a difference a couple of months make .

Nice picture Joe, You guys look sharp. When I came home we were North of Bologna and
it took 2 days to get to Salerno but no one had a camera so the only picture of me in
uniform was after I got home. Nice to be back home,right Joe? Roque
Roque J.(Rocky) Riojas
shined like a jewel in a goats' ass.
Wow Rocky.... that 's pretty shiny! ![]()
Los of love guys!!
Brooke
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.
Sarge: Interesting pics of those tanks taking up the hedgerows. Now back to uss'n guys. Last pic I put on should have us ready for your inspection. All but weapons as the "Natives" were friendly after the war being damn glad they were not in the Russian Zone of occupation. Wepons were usually lef back in our BEDROOMS. ( but clean).
Cant figure how and why we were billetted in civilian housing for these months but not ours to wonder why, just enjoy as we did. Maybe you have the answer.
Sarge: Interesting pics of those tanks taking up the hedgerows. Now back to uss'n guys. Last pic I put on should have us ready for your inspection. All but weapons as the "Natives" were friendly after the war being damn glad they were not in the Russian Zone of occupation. Wepons were usually lef back in our BEDROOMS. ( but clean).Cant figure how and why we were billetted in civilian housing for these months but not ours to wonder why, just enjoy as we did. Maybe you have the answer.
You were a PFC right (That means a Personal Friend of the Commandant). That's where billets came from.
If you are ready to stand Inspection, you better take your hand out of your pocket; have the man on your left put his arms by his side; all of you put your heels together with feet (toes)at a 45 degree angle and better yet Dress Right Dress! You guys look like a bunch of newbies not BTDTs. None of you get a pass this week-end and I want to see the weapons.
If you don't pass "Mess Sgt." has a Range you can ride(remember)!!
When you are ready call me again!!
Sgtleo ![]()
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Sgtleo 
The moderator approves wholeheartedly! Super thread there soldiers. Just what I want to see! ![]()
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Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter 'Monday' Poniedzialek
540th Combat Engineer - H&S Company
The moderator approves wholeheartedly! Super thread there soldiers. Just what I want to see!
***********THANK YOU QUEEN M-1******************pfc rjr
Roque J.(Rocky) Riojas
You were a PFC right (That means a Personal Friend of the Commandant). That's where billets came from.
If you are ready to stand Inspection, you better take your hand out of your pocket; have the man on your left put his arms by his side; all of you put your heels together with feet (toes)at a 45 degree angle and better yet Dress Right Dress! You guys look like a bunch of newbies not BTDTs. None of you get a pass this week-end and I want to see the weapons.
If you don't pass "Mess Sgt." has a Range you can ride(remember)!!
When you are ready call me again!!
Sgtleo
You guys had Billets. What the hell is a Billet. WE had tents. After the fireworks ceased I
wasn't there long enough to see anything, including Rome. Would have loved to have seen it.
Billets, some guys have all the luck. Roque
Roque J.(Rocky) Riojas