Someone was wondering if an article they sent me was true. Someone had copied and pasted it into an email and forwarded it around. Well it IS true. Here is the original article from the New York Post Online. Betcha won't see this on TV folks!!!
Sent an email to Gilles regarding his photo of a 36th Combat Engineer's helmet. He has a photo site dedicated to the 36th Inf Div. I got this back today along with some photos. I am going to include these on the 36th's Engineer'sHistory Page too.
Oh my gosh, imagine my utter surprise when I actually ran across my dad's name from a journal I acquired this week from the NARA records. I just started perusing some of the docs that I got from Carolyn Billups this week (my private researcher). Started seeing some names I recognized and of course AM ALWAYS looking for anything on dad. Well five minutes ago I saw this entry, dated
May 24, 1944
This time frame is while the 540th were in Italy. A few weeks after the fall of Rome.
"Pvt. Hughes from hospital to duty. T/5 Poniedzialek from duty to 15th Evacuation Hospital which was in the line of duty. Pvt Arndt from duty to special duty with 469th Engineers at Naples. T/4 Graman, transferred from absent sick to 7th Replacement Depot as per Special Order F56, May 23, 1944 our headquarters."
Fantastic! Another family member contacted me regarding the 540th. An A-1 photo is included. The photo was taken in Italy in 1944.
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I found your website. Wonderful! My wife's grandfather served with the 540th Combat Engineers. Unfortunately he passed away several years ago. His name was Franklin Wisor of Woodland, PA. I have attached a photograph of him taken in Italy in 1944. He is the one holding the reins on the goat cart! I do not know the names of the other two men with him.
Regards,
Noel Poirier
Roseto, PA
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Here is Noel's second email to me. I was very impressed!
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Marion,
Thank you for your kind note.
I hold a Masters Degree in Military History and have published numerous articles on a variety of subjects. I will be more than happy to help out in any way.
While I was researching my grandfather's service in WWII with the 795th MP Battalion, I started writing an article on the OSS in North Africa. The article appeared in the January 2003 issue if World War II Magazine.
Again, if there is anything I can do to assist your project, I would be happy to do so...
Got a campaign book published by Osprey. Any of you who are familiar with military history will be familiar with the format. Small glossy book with maps, lots of photos.
Anzio 1944 - The beleagured beachhead
The book mentions the 36th and 48th Engineers. No mention of the 540th! Man that ticks me off. The 540th were integral to Anzio at the beachhead and throughout the entire campaign. But as anyone on this site knows, the role of the engineers was and is sorely neglected in the history books. I will try to rectify this so future readers and historians will know how important these men were to the war effort.
I am pleased that the 36th and 48th were brought into focus. There are a few good maps that show the position of the 36th Engineers and will share those with you later in the week if all goes well. Am in the middle of so many remodeling projects with the house, but I digress...
