This was sent to me by Captain John Fallon of the 36th Combat Engineers WWII. He said this was sent to him from his granddaughter's husband who is an Army Major.
In a message dated 9/12/2005 3:10:38 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, H J Glutting writes:
Of course I didn't know. How could I?
Did you know that 47 countries have reestablished their embassies in Iraq?
Did you know that the Iraqi government currently employs 1.2 million Iraqi people?
Did you know that 3100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under rehabilitation, 263 schools are now under construction and 38 new schools have been built in Iraq?
Did you know that Iraq's higher educational structure consists of 20 Universities, 46 Institutes or colleges and 4 research centers, all currently operating?
Did you know that 25 Iraq students departed for the United States in January 2005 for the re-established Fulbright program?
Did you know that the Iraqi Navy is operational?! They have 5- 100-foot patrol craft, 34 smaller vessels and a naval infantry regiment.
Did you know that Iraq's Air Force consists of three operational squadrons, which includes 9 reconnaissance and 3 US C-130 transport aircraft (under Iraqi operational control) which operate day and night, and will soon add 16 UH-1 helicopters and 4 Bell Jet Rangers?
Did you know that Iraq has a counter-terrorist unit and a Commando Battalion?
Did you know that the Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000 fully trained and equipped police officers?
Did you know that there are 5 Police Academies in Iraq that produce over 3500 new officers each 8 weeks?
Did you know there are more than 1100 building projects going on in Iraq? They include 364 schools, 67 public clinics, 15 hospitals, 83 railroad stations, 22 oil facilities, 93 water facilities and 69 electrical facilities.
Did you know that 96% of Iraqi children under the age of 5 have received the first 2 series of polio vaccinations?
Did you know that 4.3 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary school by mid October?
Did you know that there are 1,192,000 cell phone subscribers in Iraq and phone use has gone up 158%?
Did you know that Iraq has an independent media that consists of 75 radio stations, 180 newspapers and 10 television stations?
Did you know that the Baghdad Stock Exchange opened in June of 2004?
Did you know that 2 candidates in the Iraqi presidential election had a televised debate recently?
OF COURSE WE DIDN'T KNOW!
WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW? OUR MEDIA WOULDN'T TELL US!
Instead of reflecting our love for our country, we get photos of flag burning incidents at Abu Ghraib and people throwing snowballs at the presidential motorcades.
The lack of accentuating the positive in Iraq serves two purposes. It is intended to undermine the world's perception of the United States thus minimizing consequent support, and it is intended to discourage American citizens.
---- Above facts are verifiable on the Department of Defense web site.
While I was at the 36th Combat Engineers reunion, several of the members highly recommended the book, Army at Dawn. So this weekend I visited Alibris Books and ordered it. I will give a synopsis on the book once I read it.
This World War II history focuses on the North African campaign, which was, at first, very difficult and costly to the American soldiers and their commanders (Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, et. al.). This learning ground toughened up the Americans, and prepared them for the European campaign.
I also ordered the book, First Across the Rhine: the 291st Engineer Combat Battalion in France, Belgium, and Germany.
Hi, my name is Joseph M. Pennachio. I recently came across your website about the 540th combat engineers of which my grandfather, Daniel F. Gallagher was a member of. About 10 years ago when I was 18 my mother bestowed upon me letters that she had kept hidden from my grandfather for years. He had passed before I was born, and these letters at the time, along with a few pictures, formed the only knowledge I had of my grandfather. I must have over 100 letters, dated from very early 1942 when he was in training until late 1945. After I recieved these letters I went on a search to find more information, at the time, little was available. I did however come across a copy of 'Overseas with the 540th combat engineers.' At $110 dollars it seemed like an awful lot for an 18 year old to spend on a book out of print for 50 years at the time. I bought it anyway and when it arrived I was completely and utterly blown away when I discovered on or about the 19th page that you scanned onto your website, showing pictures of engineers in Italy clearing mines, a picture on the lower right hand side of the page. My grandfather, Daniel F. Gallagher, holding a 'booby trapped' mine, complete with his bandaged hand. I have nearly this exact picture in my own possesion. Since then I can find very little info about where exactly he served and what he did. I have much more information to read about on your website but I wanted to let you know you are not alone in your search for more information. I will send you copies of my pictures once I retreive them from my safe and scan them into my computer. I havent even begun to scan letters yet. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for what you are doing , far too many people forget what has been lost and what has been given by one amazing generation of men and women.
As long as I am the only one in my web siye I can dream alone
Art Morneweck and Belle Isle.
How we met – the love of my life She was 19,,,,I was 20
Early in 1943, I went on a double date with a friend and the Matthews sisters to Eastwood Amusement Park at Gratiot and 8 mile. It was a long drive from Detroit's west side. I was paired with Blanche, but her sister, Charlotte (Micky) was a great looker and I thought she was the one for me. We all had a good time together. It was more like a friend's outing than a date. Two nights later, Micky was on her way home from her job at G.M.C. She stopped at Simone's soda fountain shop where I was having a frozen Power House candy bar. We talked a while and I asked her to go for a ride. We drove to Belle Isle in my father’s 1940 Ford and one section was a parking that you faced the river and watch the boats go bye. There was no open parking space so we had to ride around the island. When you come to the bridge there was about 5 or 6 driving lanes that all turned right and takes you back off the island. Luckly I was in the 6th lane that took you over the bridge or you could drive straight and go around again. Something in my heart said go straight and I did. This time there was a parking space open. I parked and we had our first kiss. We watched the boats and then Micky said she had to go to the bath room. We left and stopped at first bath room and it was pad-locked, I looked at my watch and it was after mid-night, so was the second bat room locked.Going across the bridge Micky said she really had to go. I new if we turned left to go home we would not find a restaurant so I turned right and found a restaurant about two blocks away. I stopped and Micky used their bath room. About four months later we got engaged just before I left for Army Air Corps cadet training. I returned to Detroit to get married during a week long furlough.
Micky and I were apart for the next two years as I was sent to the Philippine Islands and occupation duty in Taegu, Korea. I returned home to her in July, 1946. We celebrated our 57th wedding anniversary May 15, 2001. Then Dec. 30, 2001 my Micky went to be with our Lord. Our daughters and son-in-law are Toni Ann Morneweck, Terry & Jack Ellis, and grandson Tim 16. We all live in same neighborhood in Novi. Micky's sister Blanche Rosendale, now lives in St. Clair.NOTE:BLANCE DIED Aug. 21, 2005.
WW2 Marriages: A short “I do†and off to war
WW 2 marriages did not have tuxedos and long gowns but did have ever lasting love. As a cadet we finished our tour at Gettysburg College and was given one week furlough Friday May 12,1944. From "Old Dorm" I called my fiancee and asked if she would marry me. She said yes, I jumped on a bus to Harrisburg, bought a new cadet hat, jumped on train for Detroit. On the train the porter looked at me, with wings on my shoulder, wings on my new cap, and humming our song "You'll never know how much I miss you". The porter said "Sir we have a better seat in the car ahead of us." I arrived home Saturday morning and found out we needed some papers filled out but offices were closed. Luck was with me, my future father-in-law had friends downtown, so everything was copasetic. We were married Monday May 15,1944 at 7 PM. We went downtown to the Hotel Fort Shelby. Shortly after arriving there my wife's sister and our best man came with White Castle Hamburgers. We spent the rest of the week on cloud nine floating around visiting friends. Sunday May 20, 1944 I left my love (boy, is this hard to write) and did not see her for two years while I went to Philippine Islands and Taegu, Korea. My wife is with our Lord now, looking down here and I can still hear her saying "Roy you are going to make yourself sick". Name Roy is another story, my middle name is LeRoy.
May 20 I was back to Gettysburg College and we were shipped out to Maxwell Field, Alabama for Pre-flight. After pre-flight we went to Avon Park, Florida where we started flying the open cockpit Bi-wing PT-17 Stearman. Then to Lakeland Florida with same type of plane. Then to Cochran Field at Macon, Georgia flying the AT-6 Texan. January 1945 I was given check flight by a Captain and one by a Major. (I had my pilot’s license before joining the Air Corps.) The Major said I did OK but they had too many pilots and I was put in the Army Infantry. I went to Gainesville,Texas for infantry training. Finished training and went to New Jersey and then by train to Pittsburg, California and shipped out June 1, 1945 for the Philippine Islands.
