This date in history - VJ Day - The surrender of Japan - THE WAR IS OVER!
What an illustrious day. If you were living you know exactly how your felt and exactly where you were. If you weren't alive, then you have to imagine all the emotions that were running rampant that day. Oh glorious day!
Rocky sent me the newsletter he receives from VetFriends.com, and I am sharing some of it here with you. I took screen shots to display here.
Here is a tour pamphlet from the 540th's time in Berchtesgaden. It was shoved in an engineers' formula book of my grandfather. Can you imagine being there so shortly after the end of the war? I'd like to visit now, but seeing that place with the SS barracks still smoldering must have been mind-blowing. I guess it's like the pictures you see of the Marines and soldiers sleeping in Saddam's place chairs!
I received a phone call from Major John Ladd this week looking for historical info on the 253rd Combat Engineers as the unit is being re-activated as a National Guard unit in Phoenix, Arizona. He is the operations officer for the unit. If anyone would like to contact him, please email me and I'll provide the info.
Also, if anyone would like a DVD of the film of the 253rd C E in WWII that was shot by one of it's men in A company, let me know. It is around 25 minutes and is silent. We believe we know who shot it but haven't been able to confirm that yet. This is an extremely rare look at the travels of the 253rd from basic training and in Europe from 1943-46. I'll make them available for a very low price to cover the costs of the disk and mailing.
And, I have a second DVD which is an interview with Mr. Normal Russell (Pvt Russell back in WWII) who's memory is perfect and has excellent recollections of his time with the 253rd. I runs an hour and 34 minutes.
