August 10th - Date to remember
#31

Hey Chris! Gilles is right, those bracelets were made for the GIs to send home as gifts.

I'm so glad I have it!

 

It is SO COOL about your Dad's canteen being proof of the 36ths landing on Yellow Beach!

and also that you carried it till you were 20. Do you remember when you first began

to understand it's significance and your Dad's WWII service?

 

I remember looking at a box Dad had in the attic with a Nazi helmet & hats & flag.

I 'm sure that he had a german luger too, but my mother insisted that he had no such thing.

He probably threw it out so she wouldn't find it :pdt12:

I have everything else he saved , but that luger.

 

As a kid, we really had no clue what those things were. I was much older when I fully

realized what it meant that Dad was IN the war.

 

Mary Ann

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#32

Mary Ann,

Our little wooden box,addressed to my Grandma, was in the basement and contained a metalic gold fringed Nazi flag,an officer's dagger officer's hat ,armbands and a copy of "Road to Rome". I remember reading that little book when I was about7 or 8.My Mom made sure the Luger and Baretta pistols were gone by the time I had a chance to see them.

 

I grew up around alot of vets since Dad was involved with the American Legion, and remember the old WW1 guys. I didnt know too much about the 36th (Dad never talked about it) and was blown away when I punched it in Yahoo Search and a page came up that said "Elite Units of WW2", and listed them with the Rangers ond others. I never found much else until I found Marion's site in 2004. The rest is history... It's been alot of fun seeing everyone that has shown up here in the last 3 years.

Chris

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#33
Sure wish you could make it to the reunion next month Chris. Damn, sure would love to meet you in person. :wub:
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
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#34

Chris,

My Dad's box had "The Road To Rome" too. I remember looking at the Nazi helmet (which was too heavy), but it was all "mysterious"

stuff to me. I knew the word "war", but never really what it meant (of course, only the Vets

who were actually there can ever really know that). It's one of the biggest regrets of my life,

that I didn't know or understand. My Dad talked plenty about the Army ,"the fellows",

Camp Edwards & Fort Devens, but not about the war. My mother knew only a bit more that we did. If she said: "Dad was in N. Africa", this might elicit from my father a cryptic one

sentence proclamation like: "Those Arabs stole everything!". These statements didn't

invite further questions and my brother & I would look perplexed at each other.

 

Every June 6th without fail, my father would sit down at the breakfast table and solemnly

intone: "D-Day the 6th of June!" with misty eyes and my mother would say:"Now Frank...".

(to this day, every June 6th morning I say out loud: "D-day the 6th of June!". I now realize that

it was a prayer that my Dad was saying for those fellows who died there).

 

The only place we knew my father was - was Anzio. He told only this one story about the

beachhead. I guess the guys would come out more at night & had to get underground during the day because of the constant shelling. Towards daybreak, my father spotted a couple

of GIs in some kind of bombed out building (I think it had a second floor) and these guys

had a been having a bit of a "party" with some vino. My dad hollared at them: "Hey you guys,

get down outta there!" and they said :"Ok Sarge! We're comin!" and he said:"Well, get a move on!" and the shelling started & he got into a foxhole. Later, he found those

two guys dead. They hadn't come down after he yelled at them.

 

I now believe I know why Dad told just that one story. I think he blamed himself for

those guys deaths and thought he should've stayed & made them get outta there.

He certainly saw plenty of his buddies wounded or killed (he put their names in his diaries

with "KIA" next to em), but that was "war" and it happened because they were landing, or

advancing, on patrol, or at their posts. These two fellows shouldn't have died & I think he

felt partially responsible.

 

When I began the project of researching & archiving Dad's war years, I shared what

I found with my mother & read his letters to her. She'd often look at me with tears in her eyes

and say: "If only we'd known these things, we could've understood him better".

In a way, my research ended up to be an unexpected gift for my mother towards the end of her life. Before she'd be reunited with the man she loved, she'd come to understand him

in a whole new way (of course like all Vet's wives across America, she'd still have made

him get rid of his weaponry. HA! :pdt12:).

 

As for me, I still have much regret for rolling my eyes when Dad would talk about

the Army & not finding out more when he was alive. I was 29 & still stupid when he died.

I tell him all time: "Oh Dad, I'm so sorry! I didn't know & should've understood!".

 

In a way, I think that's what we're all doing here. All of us sons & daughters.

We're telling their stories, honoring them and sending our love.

There's alot of fun & alot of good that comes from that. I'm so glad I found the "VI Corps Combat Engineers"!

We all have MARION to thank for THAT, don't we???!!

 

:armata_PDT_37::armata_PDT_37: MARION, MARION!!!

Walt is surely strutting around heaven talkin' about his girl (and rightly so!)

 

mary ann

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#35

Mary Ann; your father was dead RIGHT about Anzio ! Sure brought back memories, and

some tears, thinking back. WE my platoon was in a dry creek bed, so we dug holes in

the creek walls. Spent my b/day with my kids and their kids and some asked questions

but all I said was, things were a little rough back then and changed the subject.

Mary Ann just hang on to the memories of your father and don't forget them.

That is what I tell my kids, including my oldest son, Jr. (Vietnam Vet.) Rocky

Reply
#36

Rocky,

 

It's hard for you guys to talk about it & understandably so. Dad's pre-war

Army memories were in his comfort zone so he could talk a bit about

training, the Field Artillery, hikes, or the rifle range (he didn't earn a

rifle sharpshooter badge, but he got marksman). We didn't understand

that if he talked about the war, he'd start reliving things in his mind.

As children, we didn't know that behind his eyes was a world we couldn't

enter & he couldn't explain.

 

The few times he said anything, we had no clue what it meant.

I asked him once about landing on the beachhead & he shook his head

and said: "I wasn't in the first wave". Huh? We had no idea

what a "wave" meant. Now I realize he believed the heroes

were in the first wave of LSTs onto the beach.

 

Eventually I came to realize that ,though he was careful to hide it, the

war was always in there with him. When my Dad was sick & in the hospital,

I'd go to visit him before work, lunch hour, after work, and often through the night.

My mother was also usually there around the clock. This particular day at lunch

she wasn't there and, as the elevator doors opened on his floor, I heard him

yelling my name all the way down the corridor: "Mary Ann! MARY ANN!".

(I haven't thought of this in a long time & I have a lump in my throat as I tell it now).

I RAN, yelling "Im coming Daddy!" at the top of my lungs. When I got to his room,

the nurses were just changing the sheets of his bed& he'd become disoriented. As soon as he saw me, his expression

changed from fear & he said: "Thank God you're here, dear! I thought they were going to

take me out & shoot me". I said: "No Daddy, and I'm here with you now & I won't let

ANYTHING happen to you!". A few minutes later, he fell peacefully asleep.

 

I needed & wanted to do SOMETHING for my father - to get the chance to show him

I loved him, to be there for HIM (and not the other way around). I believe the Lord

gave me that chance & many others (what were the odds that I'd walk out of the elevator

at that moment?). I tell you this too, because you guys are so incredibly strong

and you got that strength from all you've done & all you've been through. Your kids &

grandkids see it & admire it (as I did in my Father) & ask questions because - they're looking

to be close to you, to get to love you. It's also sort of the natural thing when someone

has a "wound" to say "where does it hurt?" and asking for your stories is an attempt

to take any pain you have away.

 

I was so blessed to have Francis for my father - as I'm sure Rocky Jr & all your children

feel about you. One of the things I treasure most is that my dad came to know

how much I loved HIM. Don't forget now, that your kids & grandkids want that chance

and - even though you may not know it - they're looking for any opportunity to let you know it.

 

Tell Rocky Jr that I thank him very much for his service. Good men must run in the Rojas

family! :pdt12:

 

Mary Ann

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#37

Mary Ann, thank you for those kind words. I just tell my kids,g/kids the nice things that

happened. Others I sidestep the questions but they understand, especially when I show

them my scrapbook. unfortunately I don't have souveniers to show. That's another

story. I certainly like your way of putting things down in writing. Yes my family (Riojas),

was involved, My youngest brother,(Joshua), Korea, the other,(Henry), battle of the Bulge,

of course my son, Jr. Vietnam, Grandson, (matthew), Desert Storm. My Dad, Mexican Revolution 1910, died 1974 and

 

still an immigrant, all he had was a green card. No matter what anyone says WE ARE PROUD. AS an after thought--- I got a call at 11am today. The supervisor of the K.C.Mo.

Public Library is going to take me to the NBC TV studios on Sept. 17 to do a live interview

on The question of the neglect of Mexican American WW 11 Veterans I'll stop here.

I talk too much. Mary Ann I love your input. Roque,(Rocky)

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#38

Rocky,

What a fantastic history of service to their countries your family has.

WOW! You SHOULD be PROUD indeed!!!! :armata_PDT_37:

 

I think it's TERRIFIC that you're gonna do that interview about

Mexican-American WWII Vets. I wish I could see it.

I bet your dear Elizabeth is awfully proud and would say that this

is just another "mission" that the Lord has for you.

 

Never mind "I talk too much", you just keep right on talking! :pdt34:

It's a privilege for me to get to talk to YOU!

 

Hey, that just reminded me of something. Here's a quick story...

About two months ago, I stopped into a local store to get an iced tea

(I was only in there a minute or two) and when I came out, this man

said: "I hit your car and I'm so sorry!". The tail lights were smashed and

the whole trunk was dented. The poor fellow felt terrible & kept apologizing

and I said: "Now don't worry about it, it was an accident and could happen

to anyone". I noticed he had a veteran's cap on, and thanked him for his

service (He was a Vietnam vet). He asked me if I'd get an estimate and call him so

he could hopefully pay for it rather than going through the insurance

company so they wouldn't raise his rates. He kept thanking me for being so nice and I said

"Well, if I had to get hit - at least it was by someone who's a nice person".

 

When he came over to give me the check, we made small talk & I asked him if he'd

always lived in Needham. He said he used to work for the Needham Post Office and

I said: "Well, it was a very long time ago because my Dad's been gone 25 years now,

but he used to work for the Needham Post Office". You should've seen this guy's

eyes open wide, his mouth fall open and he said: "Howard! FRANK Howard?? A tall

thin man? he worked at night?" and I kept nodding "Yes!". He said: "Mary Ann!

I used to work with your Dad. He was SUCH a gentleman!!" (What are the

odds of THAT, Rocky!).

 

We got to talking of other things & he told me that his only brother had died

young of cancer & left a family behind & that he felt it should've been him instead.

I said: "Well Ken, maybe you have some other missions you need to accomplish".

He looked at me & said: "Maybe you're right. I had a liver transplant recently and the

Drs at the hospital called me the other day & asked

if I'd be interested in going around the country to speak to transplant patients."

I said: "There you go then!"

 

As he was leaving, her turned to me & said: "Mary Ann, I know your Dad would be SO

proud of you for being such a kind person!". What a lovely thing to say & I hope it's true.

See what a gift that was for ME?

 

None of us know what missions & messages were gonna get, do we?

 

 

mary ann

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#39

Mary Ann;; That Vietnam Veteran was right,(last paragraph), and your gift is in your

writing. I will let you all know when I know more about the interview. hope I don't

get the jitters. Rocky

 

 

Marion !! thanks for posting my b'day date. M&M what wonderful candy!!!!!!!!!!

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#40

It was great talking to the members of the 48th this weekend regarding the Invasion of Southern France. They had lots of memories, but questions too. One of the vets said he couldn't find any maps of the beaches, and I told him, don't worry about that, I've got lots of great maps with the designations for Red, Yellow and Green beaches. He smiled and said, I should have known YOU would. :pdt12:

 

 

Posting some maps of the invasion.

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Attached Files
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.jpg   AnvilLandingPlan.jpg (Size: 41.39 KB / Downloads: 0)
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
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