Oh I would love to have that. Would be perfect for my collection. Thanks for the heads-up and BTW, welcome to our forum. Nice talking with you over at WBG.

How did you become interested in the 291st?

Went to their site and am perusing through their selections. Do you know the exact title? One book I see is around 40.00 and it's titled:

FROM SALERNO TO THE ALPS: HISTORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY, 1943-1945 (WWII UNIT HISTORY)

Oh I would love to have that. Would be perfect for my collection. Thanks for the heads-up and BTW, welcome to our forum. Nice talking with you over at WBG.

 

How did you become interested in the 291st?

I became interested in the 291st after reading "The Damned Engineers." It amazed me that blowing up that one little bridge over Lienne Creek had such a great influence on the Battle of the Bulge.

Went to their site and am perusing through their selections. Do you know the exact title? One book I see is around 40.00 and it's titled:

 

FROM SALERNO TO THE ALPS: HISTORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY, 1943-1945 (WWII UNIT HISTORY)

That's it. That copy was owned by an officer in the 504th PIR, and it has some of his personal notations in the margins.

Excellent. Will try and grab that one for myself. Hey I can use some of my Christmas money.

FROM SALERNO TO THE ALPS: HISTORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY, 1943-1945 (WWII UNIT HISTORY)

I can't find it. Who wrote that?

There is a book by a similiar name that is part of the US Army history series. It is the 2nd volume that covers the campaign in Italy. I thought the same author wrote both books; the one for the US Army and published by the GPO and the one he published for himself.

Martin Blumenson wrote the first volume: Salerno to Cassino (United States Army in World War II - The Mediterranean Theater of Operations)

Ernest F. Fisher Jr. wrote CASSINO TO THE ALPS / THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS / UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II .

I thought it was Fisher who wrote the History of the 5th Army. Some day I would like to get a copy of it but not right now.

Yesterday at the mall, the book store had a copy of "An Army At Dawn". The softbound copy was $16, but the hardbound copy was on sale at $8. Duh. I'm no dummy. I may go back and get a copy for my brother. This book is 750 pages on the Americans in North Africa. Can't wait to read it.

Steve

Several of the guys from the 36h CE recommended that I read An Army at Dawn, so I bought myself a copy last month. Haven't had a chance to read it yet. Looking forward to sometime during the holidays.

I will have to get back with you about the author below:

FROM SALERNO TO THE ALPS: HISTORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY, 1943-1945 (WWII UNIT HISTORY)

FROM SALERNO TO THE ALPS: HISTORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY, 1943-1945 (WWII UNIT HISTORY)

Starr, Liutenant Colonel Chester G.

This IS listed on the book store site. I just did a search for Fifth Army WWII.

FROM SALERNO TO THE ALPS: HISTORY OF THE FIFTH ARMY, 1943-1945 (WWII UNIT HISTORY)

Starr, Liutenant Colonel Chester G.

Yes. Thanks for joggin my memory. That is the book that I would like to add to my library. I don't expect it to be as good as the US Army history but it will fill in a hole in my collection.

I've been interested in "An Army at Dawn" but since it was a new release, I knew I could wait. But now that I've read it, I really like it. It has details like I like. No Organization Table--bummer. The reason I wanted it was to learn about the leaders who would later be involved in the Italian Campaign.

I was scanning thru the many photos and saw one of Lt. Col. Wm. Darby. I've read about him as a Geneal but I know nothing about his experiences in N. Africa.

Then there was one of Ted Roosevelt. Hey! I've stood at his grave marker at Normandy. Ted Roosevelt was on staff with 1st Infantry Division and then in II Corps(it seems) but he didn't sever in Italy to my knowledge. Next to General Roosevelt was buried Quentin Roosevelt. The book's index also had listed the name Quetin. But Quentin was a WW1 pilot that was shot down over France. Why would the book mention him? Well, it seems that Ted Roosevelt named his son after his brother. It was Ted's son that is in this book, as he was severly wounded in N. Africa(not sure yet if he died). The book describes how General Roosevelt was a real gung-ho guy. He walked on the beach at N. Africa with initial landing. He also landed at Normandy on D-Day, only to die 2 weeks later of a heart condition.

Steve

B.Gen Teddy Roosevelt SERVED in Italy. I talked with him several times in the Cassino Area. He would visit with us as WE maintained the road way in front of Cassino. He was really down to earth, We looked forward to seeing him. always had a story for the GI's. He was liasion between 5 Army & The British. He had great praise for The Engineer troops. (Especially for THE 48th) He wore a terrible fitting WW1 CS Cap. He was sent to England for the Normandy Invasion. He died from a heart attack in France. AL

Then there was one of Ted Roosevelt. Hey! I've stood at his grave marker at Normandy. Ted Roosevelt was on staff with 1st Infantry Division and then in II Corps(it seems) but he didn't sever in Italy to my knowledge. Next to General Roosevelt was buried Quentin Roosevelt. The book's index also had listed the name Quetin. But Quentin was a WW1 pilot that was shot down over France. Why would the book mention him? Well, it seems that Ted Roosevelt named his son after his brother. It was Ted's son that is in this book, as he was severly wounded in N. Africa(not sure yet if he died).

Quentin Roosevelt, a WWII veteran who was decorated many times, was 29 when he died. He and his father, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., are the only known father and son to have landed at Normandy on D-Day. His wife and three daughters, one only a few months old, were in Shanghai at the time of the crash but returned soon afterwards to the U.S.A. where Quentin was buried. His brother Cornelius pursued a long career with the C.I.A.

Here is a page regarding all the Roosevelts that served in WWI and II.

http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/roosev.htm

B.Gen Teddy Roosevelt SERVED in Italy. I talked with him several times in the Cassino Area. He would visit with us as WE maintained the road way in front of Cassino. He was really down to earth, We looked forward to seeing him. always had a story for the GI's. He was liasion between 5 Army & The British. He had great praise for The Engineer troops. (Especially for THE 48th) He wore a terrible fitting WW1 CS Cap. He was sent to England for the Normandy Invasion. He died from a heart attack in France. AL

Thank you for your clarification and also for your illuminating glimpses into the man himself. We often hear about men's accomplishments, but not about their personalities, or how the men who served with and/or under them viewed them.

It brings people to life!

B.Gen Teddy Roosevelt SERVED in Italy.  . . . He wore a terrible fitting WW1 CS Cap.

Okay. What is a "CS Cap"? In "An Army At Dawn" it mentions and has photos of him wearing a wool cap. It said he could have been mistaken for a cook.

I had not read that he was in Italy(Cassino). This book only mentions N. Africa.

Quoting Marion

Quentin Roosevelt, a WWII veteran who was decorated many times, was 29 when he died. He and his father, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., are the only known father and son to have landed at Normandy on D-Day.  His wife and three daughters, one only a few months old, were in Shanghai at the time of the crash but returned soon afterwards to the U.S.A. where Quentin was buried.

"An Army at Dawn" mentions that Quentin was severly wounded. So, he must have recovered.

But what crash are you referring to? Quentin Roosevelt, the WW1 fighter pilot, was shot down in WW1 and is buried next to Teddy at Normandy. Was Teddy's son, Quentin, also killed in a plane crash? Or did you intentionally switch from WW2 to WW1 to get me confused?

Steve

No my information is correct and I am talking about Quentin II and WWII. Quentin II died in a plane crash, not during the war. His uncle Quentin was shot down behind enemy lines in WWI.

-----------------------------------------

Quentin Roosevelt

November 19, 1897 - July 14, 1918

Quentin, the youngest Roosevelt, quickly became known for his humorous, and sometimes philosophical remarks. To a reporter trying to trap the boy into giving information about his father, Quentin admitted, "I see him occasionally, but I know nothing of his family life." The family soon learned to keep him quiet during dinner where important guests were present.

In Washington, Quentin developed many friends of all ages and from all walks of life, but his best friends became known as the "White House Gang." Laughter rang through the White House halls, surprising the more "stuffy" visitors - though at times the boys did get carried away in their antics.

While Archie was terribly ill, it was Quentin (with the help of Charles Lee, a White House coachman) who brought the pony Algonquin to his room by elevator, sure that this would make his brother well.

As a young adult, Quentin displayed an incredible mechanical aptitude to the extent that he could fix almost anything, and even rebuilt a motorcycle to present to a friend as a gift.

Quentin was a sophomore at Harvard and showing promise as a writer. With American entry into World War I, he thought his mechanical skills would be useful as he joined the U.S.Army Air Corps. Just engaged to Flora Payne Whitney, he set out, winning admiration from fellow flyers.

On July 14, 1918, his plane was shot down by German aviators and he crashed behind enemy lines. Determining his identity by love letters from Flora Whitney, Quentin was buried with full battlefield honors by the Germans. After his grave came under Allied control, thousands of American soldiers visited it to pay their respects. Quentin's resting place became a shrine and an inspiration to his comrades in arms. Even though he was the son of a president, he died as a soldier nobly in the service of his country.

----------------------------

Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. and his wife, built "Old Orchard" in 1938. "It had always been the family plan for Ted to inherit Sagamore Hill" recalled President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter-in-law Eleanor Alexander Roosevelt. "By 1937 we had been married twenty-seven years and were tired of living here and there in rented houses."

In her memoir, Day Before Yesterday, Eleanor recalled that at some point during their marriage, they would move into Sagamore Hill, since it was her husband's, Theodore Roosevelt Jr.'s, inheritance. As the years went on, she came to see that Sagamore Hill was too big to maintain or to heat. Sagamore Hill was also the home of her mother-in-law and Theodore Roosevelt's widow, Edith Roosevelt who would continue to live there until she died in 1948.

Therefore, Ted and Eleanor decided to build their own home. The loved the design of the Georgian-style home of their son-in-law, a Baltimore architect, so they asked him to design a similar house for them.

The Sagamore Hill estate apple orchard was the setting for the Roosevelt's new home. As it was finished, the home was richly decorated with mementos of Ted Jr.'s public career as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, governor of the Philippines and Puerto Rico and with items from their many travels and adventures.

Eleanor's attention to detail during the construction process left her very nearly exhausted in early 1938. So Ted Jr. suggested she travel to China as he supervised the final details of the construction job. Traveling with her son, Eleanor never found the relaxation she sought. Instead, she was in a war zone. As storm clouds of World War II rolled over Asia, China was in open conflict before Japanese occupation.

With the all the excitement and cloak-and-dagger adventure of a Casablanca-style movie, Eleanor and her son traveled in a low key and quiet manner. When they left China, they purchased antique Chinese furnishings because they suspected Japanese authorities would confiscate their cash. In returning to Old Orchard, Eleanor furnished the newly completed rooms with many of these artifacts.

Ted Jr. lived at Old Orchard for only three years. In 1941, he reentered active military service several months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He became a deputy commander of the 1st and 4th Infantry Divisions during World War II. A few weeks after directing the D-Day landing on Utah Beach on the Normandy coast of France, Ted Jr. died of a heart attack on July 11, 1944.

--------------------------

Quentin II was named after his uncle who died in France in World War I. Quentin II served in the Army in World War II, rising to the rank of Major. He participated in the North Africa campaign and the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944. He was wounded and was three times decorated for gallantry and valor. Quentin and his father both won the Silver Star. April 12,1944 Quentin II married Frances Webb of Kansas City at the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Blandford, England. His father served as his best man. After the war Quentin II and his wife Frances lived in Shanghai, China, while Quentin worked for two years for the China National Aviation Corporation, an affiliate of Pan American World Airways. In late December 1948 on a business flight to Hong Kong, the pilot was blinded by a sudden fog. Quentin II and 34 passengers and crew were killed in the crash and resulting fire on Basalt Island in Hong Kong Harbor. Frances Roosevelt returned to Old Orchard at Oyster Bay with her three daughters.