I have discovered that sometimes (perhaps often) some of the better accounts of WWII are the ones written long ago. This is one of them, written in 1959, a day by day account of the Ardennes offensive that I found "hidden" in a used bookstore recently. John Toland traveled all over Europe and the US to interview the principals in this battle while they were still living, including Baron Hasso von Manteuffel.

The book is 367 pages, some photos (not alot), maps and etc. Published by Random House 1959.

Jim

Interesting tidbit taken from a letter from Captain Al Kincer of the 48th Combat Engineers.

"...The 4th of October we are expecting house guests from Atlanta, a friend of mine from Alaska, 1949--52. He is Col. Frank Gleason, an OSS commander who worked behind the Japanese lines from 1944 to the end of the war. Novelist Jacoby wrote about a 23 year old Major that commanded the detachment for over a year. I think the book was titled "Thunder out of the East" It was primarily about him. In 1952 he was ordered to Hollywood to advise on the movie The China (Or Burma) Road. His part was played by Jimmie Stewart. More if they do get to visit, he is 86 years old. OBY he is 5'7 & Stewart was 6'4"...."

Well I did a bit of research and found the book on Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=4602295704

Also found the book on Alibris' site and ordered an original hardcover with jacket for $2.95. Yup $2.95

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Did more searching and came up with the name of the film. Here is an excerpt from a site on Jimmy Stewart:

But in 1959, Shelton said scouted locations for 1960's The Mountain Road, a World War II movie of the China-Burma-India Theater.

"The studio asked if I could find a piece of country that looked like China but was close to Tucson," Shelton said.

"I did a lot of sniffing around down near Patagonia and found this place off Harshaw Road. It was exactly what they wanted."

While filming in Nogales, Stewart was promoted from colonel to brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

Stewart played a major in the film. According to one newspaper report, two soldiers from the Fort Huachuca Military Police "arrested" Stewart on the set for being out of uniform, wearing civilian socks and displaying the wrong insignia.

The practical joke was revealed when retired Brig. Gen. Frank Dorn, the film's technical adviser, pinned the real stars on Stewart's lapels.

"Stewart was very patriotic," said film historian Fred Goodwin. "Most people don't know that he was one of the very first people to volunteer for service in World War II."

"He was a big-time Hollywood star when he volunteered," Goodwin added. "He went in as a pilot and flew a lot of missions. He was a bona fide pilot. He wasn't one of those guys who just sat by the side. He saw combat in World War II.

"In fact, when he got out of the service in 1945, he didn't know if he wanted to go back into acting or not."

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Here's another lin, this one to NetFlix

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808737690/info

This from Custerman. Good stuff!

Marion,

Here is another little tidbit that I'm putting together. I didn't learn this from the Reunion but from the son-in-law of a Vet who found my website.

Check this out. The 85th Infantry Division was in a Hollywood WW2 production.

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Tunisian Victory by Frank Capra (at imdb.com site)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037404/fullcredits

Sgt. Winfred Tolbert was a member of the 310th Engineer Battalion, 85th Infantry Division. He was killed in action in Italy in April 1945. Upon his death, a lady sent the family all the letters that he had written during his time in service while they were pen pals. The lady was Wanna Lee Zavitz, the daughter of Lee Zavitz. Lee Zavitz had done special effects for "Gone with the Wind" (but wasn't listed in the movie's credits) and later he went on to do special effects for "Pink Panther" and "The Alamo".

So, how did Sgt Tolbert meet Lee Zavitz's daughter? It appears that while the 85th Division was in training at the Desert Training Center in California(near Yuma, AZ), about 20 soldiers were selected from the 310th Engineers to help with the special effects for a movie being filmed by Frank Capra entitled "Tunisian Victory" (or also called "Desert Victory" below).

Para 1 is a letter from Sgt Tolbert. Para 2 also quotes from an interview with Frank Capra's son. What I found interesting is that they did use P-38 aircraft in the movie but used older model tanks.

Biography of T/Sgt Tolbert:

http://members.aol.com/Head0Class/Bios/Sgt...fredTolbert.htm

See what you think.

Steve

1. Excerpt from Winfred's letter of 7 August 1943 (punctuation and capitalization is as written):

"One reason I haven't written you was that about two day's after I got here, even before I was settled I had to leave. We went about 145 miles out into the desert to make a movie. Yes, a real hollywood movie. About twenty from my outfit had to go. We were gone about three week's and you should have seen me. We had to grow a beard and let our hair grow long! Boy! I looked like a real tramp. It was a war picture all about the battle in Tunsia. I didn't get into the picture myself in fact none of my crew did but what we did got into it good. We made all the explosion's that will be seen in the scene's. A lot of the picture we didn't have anything to do with for it was actually made in Africa but when you see the picture, and I understand it is for civilian consumption look for the P-38 airplane's attacking some tank's and we helped with that. The scene where the tank's are advancing with soldier's behind them we blowed up all the explosions in those scene's. One scene which was taken at night where the big gun's are blasting a hill and the infantry is marching into the hill when you see the flare's go off in that scene you can tell everybody that your little brother fired those. And the scene's where they are marching up the hill and the explosions are going off, well I was standing right beside the camera telling the men when to let them go. I worked with Lee Zavitz the man who did all the special effects for "Gone With The Wind". I even have a standing invitation to his home in hollywood but I don't know when I'll be able to accept it. He really is a fine fellow. The name of the picture will be "Hill 609" or "Operation Acrobatic". They called it both while they were making it so I don't know which one they will use when they release it. It was directed by Frank Capra yes the big hollywood director who has won the academy award. Directed "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and a lot of other good picture's. I've actually met him and talked to him and worked for him you can tell Piedmont that. John Huston the son of Walter Huston the great actor was the ass't director. We really had a lot of fun and learned a lot too. We just got back the other day."

John Huston's role is confirmed in the IMDB.com entry; interesting that he was identified as "ass't director".

2. Desert Victory was broadcast on the Discovery Channel in July 1991 as one in a series of Frank Capra's wartime documentaries. Each of the films in the series was introduced by Frank Capra, Jr, the director's son. About Desert Victory's production he said in part:

"Frank Capra's 834th Photo Signal Detachment had access to literally millions of feet of rare film footage. In its vaults: Hollywood film, Navy and Air Corps combat film, captured German and Japanese footage and, of course, U.S. Army Signal Corps film. But when Tunisian Victory was being produced my father discovered that no film existed for many of the key events of the North African campaign. So, he and his camera crew, along with Army soldiers and tanks, headed for the desert outside Hollywood to recreate certain combat scenes which had not been captured by the combat photographers. The scenes filmed in California were intercut with actual combat footage. They blended seamlessly into the body of the film."

Actually, to the viewer, the blending is not "seamless". When viewing the film the added footage of US Army men, tanks, and planes is easy to identify. The usual differences in film stock (grainy vs. smooth), camera technique (handheld vs.mounted camera), and inclusions of staged footage are as noticeable in Desert Victory as in any number of other films of the era. The fact that the U.S. Army's participation is mainly depicted in the last third of the film also helps in finding the scenes Winfred lists. Winfred's catalog tells the viewer just what to look for and all of the 310th contributions do seem to be present in the final film. Because of editing, some of the night sequence footage is slightly rearranged and the tank/troop/explosions sequence is especially cut up and spread out. The P38/tank attack sequence seems to be largely untouched.

CLIPS from the Movie.

Wrote to St. Louis about 20 years ago for a reissue of my ww 2 medals. which I lost in moving. They shorted two of them as they did not show on my discharge. Wrote to them and was sent them and a addition to my discharge to be attached. A few months ago I requested to know what medals I was awarded to check to see if they were added to my discharge. Instead, they sent the list and another complete set of medals from my CIB down to the "ruptured duck". No complaints. I recently sent in copies of my dads WW 2 discharge and his WW 1 discharge. Also the form. Got a phone call from

NARA today claiming things were not in order and could not be sent. Here is a C&P from this question on another forum. "Sent in to St. Louis Mo. for my dads medals from WW 1 and WW 2. Granted, his name on his WW 1 discharge was Ernest G. Fournier and his Ser. # was 151305. He served from 1914 to 1920 then.

During WW 2 he was not able to pass the physical

for enlisment but did volunteer for the draft and was accepted for duty in 1942 . His new serial # was 32391608. His ww2 discharge shows his name as George E. Fournier and shows most of all of his previous service with the excetion of about one year of his ealier service. I was called by St. Louis and told that even though his place of birth was the same (Quincy Mass.) he should have kept his old serial number when drafted and they will not verify and send his medals. His birth date does not appear on his WW 1 discharge and shows his age in 1914 as 22 1/2 (which is incorect). Is this serial number bit they told me correct, that he should have still kept his old WW 1 serial # showing a enlistment number even though being drafed in WW 2 which I believe should start with a 3 as it did. Talk about utter confusion. Need some help.".

His WW 1 discharge shows "Service honest and faithfull. No absence under 107".

His WW 2 discharge is a Certificate of Disability Discharge having been badly wounded in France in WW 2, on battles and campaigns "no record available" , and wounds recieved, "no records available". And yet he was recieving V.A. compensation.. What a bunch of B.S.. and blaming the "great fire" at NARA and a

change of his first name and middle initial even though I sent a copy of both his discharges which were recorded at our County Clerks Office. Makes one wonder.

Thank you Marion for the link to your wonderful site, I have to say im very impressed and it was great reading about your Dad Walter A/K/A Monday. Anyway im Mike and I live in New york and I can see There is alot of history to learn here. Keep up the great work and always Remember our Vets, Peace and Love to all

Mike