Hey Chris:

Had a few minutes this morning before work and have uploaded the documents you sent to me the other day re: the CIB and your father.

For anyone that read through those 6 document pages, you cansee it did not go well for "us". After discussing it with Capt. Fallon, I have to agree with him that the only way for this to ever happen is to get a US represenative to offer up an amendment to one of those pork bills and designate the 36th as an Infantry outfit from '43 -'45. There sure is enough documentation calling them Infantry. I do not think it would go over too well at the Pentagon.

Chris

I found another page from the old spiral binder that Joe Medina sent me. This is page 2 of a section on Commendations. I spoke to Joe about the PUC and other letters and he told me that he got them many years ago from someone that was writing a book on the 36th and could not recall the name. Any way, item # 7 references the Truscott letter from October, '44 that I had posted previously. I sure wish we could get our hands on that old binder

Amazing what we can uncover and bring back to life, after all these years. With all the latest efforts from everyone, we now have a very fine collection of army documents.

It certainly is wonderful reading the comments from such men as Generals Truscott and Dalquist.

Thanks you Chris for your outstanding efforts.

Re #5: Capt. Fallon has always said that it was the 36th Engineers who captured Velletri. Many historians have mistaken ideas giving all credit to the 36th ID. (Or they didn't know the difference in units.) Sure would like to know more about the origin and contents of the binder too. Thanks for sharing the docs with us.

Unfortunately, most history books don't even mention the OTHER units, such as the engineering regiments. If they are mentioned, it's basically a footnote, or a paragraph on one page out of 600. This is why I have this website, and the reason I'm creating a documentary. I want to make sure things change and due credit is given.

Anyone in any branch could easily get a CIB. Simply offer to transfer to a front line Infantry outfit, change your MOS to Infantry for good and qualify for it and become a Infantryman for your whole tour. Live in the dirt in a hole, no nice trucks to haul your bedrole and extra clothes ever. Eat K and C rations instead of 10 in ones or hot chow for long periods as per usual. This type of living was our day to day living, not a week or few weeks of it. That is why it is called a Combat Infantry Badge. And oh yea, we got $10.00 extra per month for living (existing) this way 24-7. Not just a occasional firefight but a expected continual string of firefights day after day was usual. No going back to your actual MOS for a change in living. Why was the

Infantry casualty rate so overwhelmingly high ?

Wow...I have to catch my breath before going on.

 

Marion...Those were words of passion.Keep writing like that and you will have a best seller.

 

Joe...the very last thing in the world I would want to do is see anything that would diminish the honor of that Badge. I am not the most eloquent of writers but this debate has been going on since 1944 as evidenced in the the following document-

Had a question posed the other day regarding this document. Since the copy is blurred in some parts, some of the words are not easy to read. The words from the last para read as follows:

5. It is recommended that the language of WD Circular #186 be broadened or interpreted to permit the award of Infantryman Combat Badge to members of the 36th Engineer Combat Regiment, otherwise qualified, and that such awards be made at the earliest practicable date in recognition of fine infantry service.

L.K. Truscott Jr

Major General, U.S. Army

Commanding

The arrow in the quote will take you back to the original post within this topic.

REGARDLESS OF WHAT ANYONE SAYS. THIS DOGFACE STILL AND WILL

ALWAYS STAND FOR THE COMBAT ENGINEER, SOMEONE ANSWER----WHAT

DID THE COMBAT ENGINEER DO DURING INVASION OF THE BEACHES ON D DAY, ALGIERS, NO.

AFRICA,INVASION SICILY, SALERNO, ANZIO, FOUR RIVER CROSSINGS THE

34TH MADE, CRAWLING ON THEIR BELLIES WITH A BAYONET LOOKING FOR.MINES.

I AM HEAR AND IN ONE PIECE BECAUSE THE C/E CLEARED THE WAY.

Roque Riojas, 1st Bn. 135th Combat INF. Regt. 34th,(RED BULL)Divn.

I will be sure to quote you in my future works.

Omit

CIB Awarded IAW WD Circular 269

Like to share something I discovered...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: KELLY LIZÁRRAGA

August 14, 2002

(202) 225-1766

MEDIA ADVISORY

ROYBAL-ALLARD WILL HONOR TWO LOCAL VETERANS TOMORROW

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard will pin medals on two local veterans tomorrow, Thursday, August 15th, in a ceremony at Patriotic Hall, 1816 Figueroa Street, in Los Angeles, at 10:30 a.m.

Mr. Serafin Venegas

Mr. Venegas will be honored for his service during World War II. Born in the United States, Mr. Venegas moved to Mexico with his parents at a young age. In November, 1943, he returned to the United States and enlisted in the U.S. Army, despite speaking no English.

Private First Class Venegas served in Okinawa, Japan under the 382nd Anti-aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion. After three years, Mr. Venegas was honorably discharged from the military on August 12, 1946.

Mr. Venegas will receive the following honors:

Bronze Star Medal for his meritorious achievement in ground combat against the armed enemy in the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign during World War II;

Good Conduct Medal for distinguishing himself among his fellow soldiers by his exemplary conduct, efficiency and fidelity;

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal for being on permanent assignment outside the continental limits of the United States, and for active combat against the enemy;

World War II Victory Medal, for service during World War II;

Combat Infantry Badge for engaging in active ground combat; and

Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII for honorable Federal Military Service.

________________________________________________________________________

When I inquired about members that participated in the Battle of Bataan, the Army Awards Branch stated all members authorized the CIB are required to be infantrymen.

According to the War Department Circular 269, dated 27 October 1943, the requirement is to serve as an infantryman.

Faxed an inquiry to the Congresswoman to determine justification for the CIB to Venegas.

Perhaps a member that lives in California can do the same.

Robert E. Johnson

Thank you Robert. My friend Joe Medina lives near LA and we will contact Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard ASAP

Received the following:

I contacted John Fallon who was Company Commander of H Company 3rd Battalion 36th Engineers in World War Two and he stated he had in the past sent the letter from MG Truscott along with a few other things to DOD several times and got a routine computerized rejection.

He stated that he eventually sent his own records to his Congressman including a copy of the morning report on the day he was wounded showing he was fighting as infantry and got a CIB. He stated he had tried for a couple of years to get the entire Regiment eligible on the basis that they were not Engineers for the 45 straight days at Anzio and that did not work either.

He stated that he had seen SOs awarding the CIB to Engineers but they were written during the war before the chairborne commandos in Washington got so strict. It appears that the letter from MG Truscott has been arround since 1944 to no avail so my recommendations would be to present any records that an individual has to their own Congressman.

Thank goodness that has finally been taken care of with the Combat Badge of today that does not require infantry recognition. Best wishes for the Holidays.

Robert

News-Info-Alerts

Re: Long Overdue War Medals Awarded

From: POW-MIA InterNetwork

Date: January 06, 2003

"Pawtucket veterans receive long-overdue war medals

Joel Furfari

PAWTUCKET -- More than five decades after narrowly escaping death while fighting against the Japanese in World War II, two longtime Pawtucket men were finally recognized by the U.S. government and given new medals for their service.

James Brennan and Robert Kerle, both of Pawtucket, received a total of 11 new medals after Rep. Patrick Kennedy and his staff worked with the federal government to get the awards that the veterans had never received.

"I’m very thankful to be alive, and this is the greatest country in the world," Brennan said Monday evening after Kennedy presented the medals to he and Kerle at his Pawtucket district office.

Mike McCarthy, an aide to Kennedy, said cases like this aren’t unusual for World War II veterans.

He said a 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis is behind many of the delays in obtaining medals they have experienced.

"This was a massive fire that destroyed a lot of the records of World War I and World War II vets. So now they are just getting around to awarding the actual medals," he said.

Kerle said he told the Democratic congressman about the oversight and that he didn’t hear anything back until recently, when he was notified that he would receive the Good Conduct, American Defense Service, American Campaign, Asiatic Pacific Campaign, World War II Victory and Philippine Liberation medals and the Honorable Service Lapel Button.

Brennan received the Prisoner of War and World War II medals, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Honorable Service Lapel Button.

"They want to make sure that history isn’t forgotten and that people -- particularly their families -- remember the sacrifices they made for their country," Kennedy said during the event, which was attended by members of the men’s families.

Both men survived their tours of duty despite incredible odds and harrowing war stories.

Brennan was a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps at the start of the war against Japan in 1941 when Gen. Douglas MacArthur turned him and other airmen into infantry soldiers to fight on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines.

"I never fought in hand-to-hand combat, but the Japanese were as close as the other side of the street," he said.

During that time, Brennan was captured and forced to walk almost 90 miles in what is now known as the infamous Bataan Death March.

Later he was put on an unmarked freighter and sent to Thailand even while American submarines were routinely sinking such ships. Brennan was forced to work for two years in Japanese steel mills before being liberated by the Allied forces.

Kerle was also one of the first soldiers to engage the Japanese during the war. He began fighting in 1941 in New Guinea. While in that country, Kerle and his unit were attacked by Japanese snipers hiding in coconut trees, and he survived an intense bombing raid by taking refuge in a foxhole.

"It still shakes you up a bit," he said Monday.

"I endured a lot of narrow escapes. They say cats have nine lives, well I think I used all nine of mine."

©The Pawtucket Times 2003 "