Hello everyone,
I just posted on the other string forum about my background but wanted to introduce myself here as well. My grandfather was Anton "Tony" Pagoria from La Salle, IL and was a member of C Company of the 292nd. Pete - very likely your uncle and my grandfather knew each other since both were in the same company and both Italians from Illinois.
His information was drafted as a plumber, but was placed in the 669th Engineer Topographical Corps, 1149th Combat Group. The 669th was a transportation corps unit that included railroad training. This was a natural fit for him since his occupation prior to the war was a Railway Section Hand. He trained at Camp Clairborne, Lousiana. He was the last of his italian brothers to be enlist/be drafted. He was the 6th of his family to be in WWII and the first 6 star family in La Salle, IL. He also had 6 cousins in the war and one brother and one sister work at the LST shipyard in Seneca, IL. Amazingly only 1 cousin and 1 brother wounded and all returned to the US.
After the V-E Day he re-upped and was at a POW camp for Germans. I have group photos I will post once I find them in storage. Here is a photo that I will share to start.
