Hi Marion! I bet your Dad had the other patches as well. I'm sure that my Dad
probably also had a T patch for the 36Id cuz he was with those guys as well.
I think it was because these were the outfits whose suffering they witnessed
and shared - that they kept those mementos.
When you think about it, their experiences consisted of constant separation, loneliness,
and fear. Not only were you separated from your own family & it was years before you could
hear their voices or see their faces - but you were also getting constantly removed from your
"buddies". Dad made notes in 1942 like: "the last of the boys from the 180th moved out of camp today". In N Africa he notes that several of the Lieutenants they'd known came
to visit them in one of their bivouacs & that meant alot. Most of his diary notes concern the sending or receiving of mail from home. Then so many of your pals were KIA. My father's
closest buddy was MP Cpl Bob Cunningham because they were together from Salerno to
the Rhine. I have a wonderful letter Bob sent to my Dad in May '45, I'll have to get it
& share it with you. My father's other constant companion who attached herself to Dad at Anzio was a mutt named "Sally". That's a great story for another time!
But - as awful as their experiences were & as great as it was to be home - it must've
been very surreal not to be able to see or share anything with most of the guys you
were with. All you had were medals, patches, and mementos in a box.
My Dad would be amazed by the net and all the info available. I think it would've been so wonderful if he could've "talked" with other vets.
mary ann