I'm Roy Queen, a new member of this forum. I thought that I would say hello, and introduce myself. Why am I here? I'm a former member of the 844th Engineer Battalion, USAR, and have a strong interest in anything relating to the US Army Corps of Engineers. My great uncle served in the 163rd Engineer Battalion in France and Germany, a distant cousin served in the 2nd Engineer Battalion and was KIA in Korea, and another cousin served in the 305th Engineer Battalion, and was KIA in France in October 1944.
I'm currently employed as a ranger for Georgia State Parks. I look forward to participating in the forums!
Yesterday I received a phone call from Marge Baszner of Whitinsville, MA that her husband Gerald (Jerry) had died. Jerry was a member of our Central Mass. Chapter-22 Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. He was in England as a Medic when the call came that the 82nd Airborn Div. was in need for Medics for the anticipated Invasion of Normandy.As told to me 1st person from Jerry himself. .." they picked some us out and we were told to get in these 'deuce and half trucks', and were driven down the road about 20 miles per hour and told to jump out and roll over a few times"....this happened a few times and then we were told."OK!...You are now paratroopers in the 82nd Airborne Div."..."Later we had a couple of practice jumps"....Jerry jumped on D-day as a Combat Medic with his unit landing over the beaches of Normandy.
He eventually fought his way upon the village of Sainte Mere Eglise where paratroopers of other outfits got hit pretty bad descending in their chutes into the village Square. As told in the book and movie, "The Longest Day". by Cornelius Ryan (the battle of Normandy); John Steele a paratrooper got hung up in his chute on the steeple of the church at St. Mere Eglise. He was wounded in the foot but still alive until rescued later by fellow paratroopers. Jerry Baszner told me he was the soldier that went up into the steeple to cut down John Steele. Jerry was a little fellow about 5'5' and was selected for the job.
After this battle Jerry was transferred to the 130th General Hospital Group, which occupied the Christian Brothers Monastery in Ciny, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge, just previously occupied by the Germans. It was on Christmas eve, 1944 during the height of the battle that a pregnant Belgian woman was brought to the makeshift hospital to be delivered of child. Jerry Baszner assisted in the delivery.
For many years after the war Jerry had tried to find this now mature woman. It was only during the 60th Anniversary of the Bulge in Dec. 2004 that Rose Young of Billerica, MA, also a former nurse who served with the 130th Gen. Hosp. at Ciny, but didn't know Jerry at the time...through the efforts of our Historian Chris de Marcken, doing much research in the area had been able to find the woman, born that Christmas Eve by the US Medics.. Both Rose and Jerry belonged to our Cent. Mass. Chapter and enjoyed swapping their stories. Jerry was not able to attend the 2004 Anniversary, but Rose Young did and had a personal audience with King Albert of Belgium. I am shown to Jerry's right in this photo.
Best Regards to All, and Happy Thanksgiving Day !!
This was sent to me by my friends, Jesse and Ellen. Jesse is a member of the 82nd; Korea, etc.
Hi,
We rec'd the following from Manny DeJesus, Executive Director of the 82nd. I'm don't know if you've already been contacted or not.
This is the letter they forwarded to me:
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Most of you know me, but for overall consistency, a quick intro..... I am LTC Elizabeth Coble. While I have served in two Airborne units, I have never been assigned to the 82d, but I am a life member of the 82d Airborne Division Association. I have two masters degrees. My first one was in History. My specialty is 20th US Military History. I did my thesis on LTG James Gavin. I am currently a student at the U.S. Army War College. I wrote a Strategic Leadership paper on LTG Gavin for a recent class requirement.
I am doing my Strategy Research Paper (thesis equivalent) at the War College on Operation MARKET GARDEN, specifically the 82d's AO. I was also approved to do an Elective on 82d Veterans' Oral History of MARKET GARDEN.
It is my goal in these two projects to help capture more of the 82d's history, especially from Veterans who have not yet told their stories.
I am asking for your assistance in finding men who are still alive who participated MARKET GARDEN and would be willing to talk with me about it. I am also interested in any unpublished accounts of MARKET GARDEN that I could use. This could include audio or video tapes, handwritten notes or letters, or typed documents.
I am willing to travel to do interviews, if the Veteran is not willing to do a telephonic interview. I would also pay for any associated costs, like photocopying or audio tape copying, that may be required.
I can use the info and do the interviews through late February 2009. Then I would have to stop to be able to write my findings in time to meet the suspense date.
If you support this effort, request that you send this out to your 82d Veterans, Family and Friends members, or others who might be willing and able to help.
I apologize in advance if I am not sending this to all of the correct people. For example, I know that I should have sent this to Steve Frazier and Manny DeJesus, but I do not have their E:Mail addresses. Please forward as required.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Liz
LTC Elizabeth Coble
cell 703-344-4016
I can provide her email addy if anyone is interested
