My grandpa's older brother Tom has taken ill. He has been in the hospital for about 2 weeks now with internal bleeding and is not doing well. Tom is quite the character and is 84 years young.

Tom was in the 42nd "Rainbow" Division and was in Panama when war broke out, he served from April 1941 to August 1945. Among Tom's medals is the purple heart which he displays in a case with his others and on his combat wounded licence plate. His discharge papers mistaking list wounds received in action NONE.

Tom received a certificate last Christmas for his membership in the VFW ever since he came home. He has been active for years in the VFW and military funerals.

Tom was one of 4 brothers in the service.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Brooke

Received this from my friend Barbara. My heart goes out to you dear. I know how hard it is. God bless your dear father. Please take care and know that my heart, tears and thoughts are with you this day and always...

I just wanted to let you know that Daddy has passed away. He went to be with God at 9:10 PM Sunday Nov. 12. He had a massive heart attack Monday night and after being gone for 17 minutes he came back and three more times during the week he left and came back. He died with all of us at his bedside, holding my Mom's hand (June Schulte). We will miss him terribly. He will now be reunited with his buddies from the 1st Equipment Platoon of the 631st Engineers Light Company.

Daddy was 89 years old and a very proud Veteran. He will be buried in The Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis MO. with a Military funeral he richly deserves. He will be at Kutis Funeral Home 10151 Gravois St. Louis, MO 63123 Thursday Nov. 16 from PM until PM and his Burial will be at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Friday with full Military Honors....time unknown right now as it has to be coordinated between the funeral home and the cemetery. On Monday the Charless Home on South Broadway where he and Mom resided is having a Memorial Service in the Chapel and they want me to sing the "Our Father" which was Pop's favorite Hymn. I am going to do my darndest not to cry and mess it up.......I want him to hear me loud and strong for him and make him proud.

I am not sure if Gene Fiducia is still alive or not as I have somehow lost his address but if you could let him and any others who may have known him, know, we would appreciate it. Thanks so much. Continued Blessings to you and all involved with your website and those who so valiantly serve and have served our Country.

Love-Barbara Grofe (Schulte) bereaved daughter of Roland Schulte

I just received three books this week (yes I'm treating myself!). I am always searching for any book that relates to the 540th Combat Engineers, and found three on the internet last week that make mention of my dad's unit.

The three are as follows:

Operation in North African Waters - October 1942-June 1943

Written by Samuel Eliot Morison

This is Volume II in the series - History of United States Naval Operations in World War II

Allies - Pearl Harbor to D-Day

Written by John S. D. Eisenhower

Yes you are correct this is Dwight D Eisenhower's son. He writes about the very successful Anglo-American military Alliance of WWII.

With Utmost Spirit - Allied Naval Operations in the Mediterranean, 1942-1945

Written by Barbara Brooks Tomblin

I got the books through Amazon.com. I can usually find really, really good deals there and once again it was proven to be true.

Since I just got them, I've only had time to do a rudimentary perusal, but will let you know what I think. Of course I am thrilled anytime I find more history of my father's unit, regardless of how big or how small. Ah, more research books for my book!

Received a letter this evening from a gentleman requesting info for his father who was a member of the 387th Infantry Regiment.

Hello my name is Steve,.....I'm not too knowledgeable on computers.

I'm looking up some info for my Dad.

He was in the 387th Infantry Regiment.

How could I get pictures when he was in Europe and Japan?.....How can I get more info on Commander, Col.William Long, such as hometown and where he settled after the war.

Anything you can give me I will greatly appreciate.

thank you,

Steve Robles

Well, here's some info for you and your father. First off the 387th was part of the 97th Infantry Division.

97th Infantry Division - World War II

Activated: 25 February 1943.

Overseas: 19 February 1945, for the ETO; 28 August 1945, for the Pacific Theater.

Campaigns: Central Europe.

Days of combat: 41 (ETO).

Awards: MH-1; DSC-1; DSM-1; SS-61; LM-2; SM-3; BSM-206.

Commanders: Maj. Gen. Louis A. Craig (4 February 1943-19 January 1944), Brig. Gen. Milton B. Halsey (20 January 1944-24 September 1945), Maj. Gen. Herman F. Kramer (24 September 1945 to inactivation).

Returned to U.S.: 26 June 1945, from the ETO.

Overseas: 16 September 1945, to the Philippine Islands.

Inactivated: 31 March 1946 in Japan.

Combat Chronicle

The 97th Infantry Division landed at Le Havre, France, 2 March 1945, and moved to Camp Lucky Strike. On 28 March, the Division crossed the German border west of Aachen and took up a defensive position along the west bank of the Rhine River opposite Dusseldorf, engaging in patrolling. The 97th entered the battle of the Ruhr pocket, crossing the Rhine near Bonn, 3 April, and taking up a position on the southern bank of the Sieg River. It crossed that river, 7 April, against light resistance and fought a street-to-street engagement in Siegburg on the 10th. Pushing on toward Dusseldorf through difficult terrain and heavy resistance in densely wooded areas, the Division captured Solingen, 17 April. Dusseldorf fell on the next day and the Ruhr pocket was eliminated. Moving to protect the left flank of the Third Army on its southern drive, the 97th took Cheb, Czechoslovakia, on 25 April 1945 and attacked the Czechoslovak pocket near Widen, Germany, on the 29th. It had advanced to Konstantinovy Lazne, Czechoslovakia, when it received the cease-fire order on 7 May. The Division left for Le Havre, 16 June 1945, for redeployment to the Pacific, arriving at Cebu, Philippine Islands, 16 September, and then sailed to Japan for occupation duty, arriving at Yokohama 23 September 1945.

Assignments in the ETO

30 January 1945: Fifteenth Army, 12th Army Group. // 28 March 1945: XXII Corps. // 1 April 1945: First Army, 12th Army Group. // 10 April 1945: XVIII (Abn) Corps. // 19 April 1945: Third Army, 12th Army Group. // 22 April 1945: XII Corps. // 28 April 1945: First Army, 12th Army Group. // 30 April 1945: V Corps. // 6 May 1945: Third Army, 12th Army Group.

General

Nickname: Trident.

Shoulder patch: A vertical trident in white on a blue background.

Here are the division components:

303rd Infantry Regiment

386th Infantry Regiment

387th Infantry Regiment

97th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)

322nd Engineer Combat Battalion

322nd Medical Battalion

303rd Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)

386th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)

922nd Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)

389th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)

797th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company

97th Quartermaster Company

97th Signal Company

Military Police Platoon

Headquarters Company

Band

Here are some contact numbers that you can call and/or write to:

387th Infantry, 97th Infantry Division

Mr. Harold A. Rice

Route 1

Hickman, KY 42050

(502) 236-2754

387th Infantry Regiment, Co E

Mr. Joe E. Chaves

2040 Fair Park Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90041-1992

(213) 255-8575

Here are some other links of interest:

This one names one of the men of the 387th as a 2006 honoree:

James A. Faulkner (Bountiful)

U.S. Army: World War II

James A. Faulkner served in World War II, Company B, 1st Battalion, 387th Infantry Regiment, 97th Division. Faulkner was a platoon sergeant who usually went on patrol by himself because he didn’t want his men out there. Once, he saw a German who shot at him and nearly killed him. He survived the war and was awarded the Soldier’s Legion of Merit, Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

http://www.unews.utah.edu/p/?r=103006-1

http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/...ration1945.aspx

Here is a 97th Inf Div site:

http://www.97thdivision.com/

Here's a real interesting site. It states the following:

97th Infantry Division was credited with firing the last official shot in the European Theatre of Operations during World War II. This shot was fired by PFC Domenic Mozzetta of Company B, 387th Infantry Regiment, 97th Division, fired at a German sniper near Klenovice, Czechoslovakia shortly before midnight, May 7, 1945, thus ending the greatest war in the history of mankind.

http://www.calegion.org/html/last_shot_memorial.html

Man Depicts WWII Through Memorabilia

By BETHENY HOLSTEIN

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Tony Ankrom has just about every piece of World War II memorabilia available — even a pack of 1940s Pall Mall cigarettes given to him by a veteran.

Ankrom, a Moundsville resident, is one of the area’s biggest collectors of WWII-era items, a fan of the stories and times those brave men served in. He’s also one of the most knowledgeable when it comes to the items soldiers used each day.

Take the cigarettes: How many people know that Pall Mall cigarette packages used to be green before the war? Ankrom does.

“A lot of people don’t know the packages used to be green, but they started printing them in white to save the green pigment during the war,†Ankrom said.

Ankrom doesn’t let his collection and knowledge go to waste. For the past 10 years, he has been taking his display to public places across the Ohio Valley to share the stories hidden in those items. To observe the Veteran’s Day holiday, a large part of the collection is being displayed today and Sunday at the Ohio Valley Mall in the JC Penney court.

“I do it for the World War II veterans while they are still alive to appreciate it,†Ankrom said, adding that members of the group are dying at a rate of about 1,000 per day. “They’re a walking history book. ... I’ve talked to thousands of World War II veterans, and after a while, you really start to relate to their stories.â€

Ankrom started collecting WWII items to memorialize his father and many of his father’s friends who were veterans of the war.

The collection includes everything from guns and ammunition to arm bands worn by concentration camp prisoners to fringed, satin pillowcases sent home to mothers of soldiers. Ankrom also has uniforms worn by members of every military branch.

Ankrom related a story of a veteran who visited his display with his grandson. The man pointed to a mess kit and told the boy he had used the very same item during the war but had lost it in the landing at Omaha Beach. Ankrom pulled the boy aside and gave him the item.

“He told me, ‘Thank you,’ and I told him, ‘No, you thank your grandfather,’†Ankrom said.

When he takes his display to schools, Ankrom always tells students to talk to their grandparents and older relatives and learn about their history.

“I always say to them, ‘If you don’t tell me, then how can I tell the next generation?â€â€™ Ankrom said, referring to time spent talking to World War II veterans.

“At this point, about 3,000 soldiers have died in Iraq, and on D-Day, 3,000 soldiers died in an hour,†Ankrom said. “It puts things into perspective. I mean, they really had it rough. ... If people would really stop and talk to World War II veterans, those people would understand why they are the Greatest Generation.â€

The majority of Ankrom’s collection has been given to him by widows and children of WWII veterans who simply don’t want to keep the items.

For some people, “sentimental things just don’t have the same value that they used to,†Ankrom said, but he has taken great pains to talk to as many World War II veterans as he can. In fact, he attended the opening of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., so he could talk to the veterans there.

Talking to Ankrom reveals that every piece in his collection is held dear. The way he unfolds a story with every item he touches displays the amount of emotion and effort he has put into his collection.

“To me, World War II was more up front and personal. It was eyeball to eyeball,†Ankrom said. “They gave it all. At the drop of a hat, they were there.â€