On Sunday night I had the pleasure of speaking with a member of the 1251st Battalion Combat Engineers. That was my fathers unit and I've been struggling to find anything on the unit. One of the few sites that they were listed on the web, is about a monument in St Louis dedicated to Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. There they were.... listed with the Combat Engineers. So...I emailed the webmaster and asked where they got the info placing their name on the monument. Several weeks passed and I got a call from the president of the organization that had a phone number of a member of the 1251st. So I called the gentleman. It was a wonderful talk. He doesnt remember my father (there were 550 of them) and started by saying that it was a long time ago and he didnt think he remembered much. We chatted a long time and he had lots to tell me about where they were during the Bulge (on the road to Antwerp, in case the Nazi's broke through Bastogne), their time at bridge school, demolition work, and their building the bridge over the Rhine at Dusseldorf. We also talked about their work in building parts of Camp Tophat. They did a lot of the cement work (thus starting my fathers obsession with the gray stuff). We talked about the M-1, Ernie Pyle, Hitlers death....

He was pleased to hear the story of my fathers return to the Rhine: In the 70's my father was sent to Germany on business. He was in Dusseldorf and found a cab driver that had been there during the war and remembered where the bridge was. He took my father to the spot and my father got out of the cab and walked down the river bank a bit. I asked him how it felt to stand there after all those years. He smiled and said " It was nice to stand there and not be shot at". I hope that for every soldier in every war, that they get to return to the battle sites and stand in peace.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history...ryId=worldwarii

This Day in History - December 5, 1941

American carrier Lexington heads to Midway

On this day, the Lexington, one of the two largest aircraft carriers employed by the United States during World War II, makes its way across the Pacific in order to carry a squadron of dive bombers to defend Midway Island from an anticipated Japanese attack.

Negotiations between the United States and Japan had been ongoing for months. Japan wanted an end to U.S. economic sanctions. The Americans wanted Japan out of China and Southeast Asia and Japan to repudiate the Tripartite "Axis" Pact with Germany and Italy before those sanctions could be lifted. Neither side was budging. President Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull were anticipating a Japanese strike as retaliation-they just didn't know where. The Philippines, Wake Island, Midway Island-all were possibilities. American intelligence reports had sighted the Japanese fleet movement out from Formosa (Taiwan), apparently headed for Indochina.

The U.S. State Department demanded from Japanese envoys explanations for the fleet movement across the South China Sea. The envoys claimed ignorance. Army intelligence reassured the president that, despite fears, Japan was most likely headed for Thailand-not the United States.

The Lexington never made it to Midway Island; when it learned that the Japanese fleet had, in fact, attacked Pearl Harbor, it turned back-never encountering a Japanese warship en route or employing a single aircraft in its defense. By the time it reached Hawaii, it was December 13.

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Oh boy, soon they would find out the true significance of Midway Island just a few months later, June 4, 1942 to June 7, 1942. Talk about a strategic battle and turning point for the United States. A battle of so many what-ifs and close calls. Scary!!!!

Received this lovely letter from London, Ontario (current home) this evening and wanted all to see Margaret MacLeod's heartfelt thanks to all the veterans. Thank you dear lady.

Hello - being from Glasgow, I want to thank you, for your courage, and especially a thank you to your comrades who did not make it home. We are so very grateful for all that you sacrificed, never forget that we are humbled by all that you did - God Bless and my Sincere Thanks, from a senior who barely remembers the war.

Just when you think you've heard of all the crazy things that happened during WWII, here's one you might have missed. By Nazi law, anyone who was at least 25% Jewish was considered a Jew. The name they were given was "Mischlinge" ( the German word for Mutt), and at least 150,000 of them served in the Wehrmacht..some were drafted and others enlisted. I learned about them from a documentary by the same title: "Hitler's Jewish Soldiers." In this film four of these men talk freely about how and why they wound up in the army. Most said they knew nothing about the deathcamps until late in the war and most were booted out of the army by 1940-1941 anyway. However there was one man who won 3 Iron Crosses while serving in a Panzer unit and stayed in all the way until 1945. I could go on forever about the film but I don't read posts that are too long myself, so I will spare you the agony of doing it myself. This documentary is available through Amazon.com now if you are interested.

DD

PS- Happy Christmas to All!

Received this tonight from our dear friend Russ Weiskircher of the 45th Inf Div. Thoughts and prayers are sent their way. Janie get well my dear.

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Family and Friends: I am just back from the Habersham Medical Center hospital where I visited with my wonderful wife, Janie. She is there battling a severe case of cellulitis. This marks the third December that she has been hospitalized. Her theme song is "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and she is counting on getting out in a few days. She is bored, scared, misses bossing me around.

I am lonely and disoriented but praying for her quick and complete recovery. Join me if you will. Russ Weiskircher