Doug,
Thank you Doug, I will relate your thanks to my dad. I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you, but my dad definitely remembers, and has a very sad recollection of, your Uncle Art. In fact every time he tells the story he says how bad he felt for your family. Your Uncle Art died after the war had ended. The 208 Combat Engineers were assigned as occupation troops in Germany. While patrolling a river (I believe my dad said that it was the Rhine River) in a boat, the boat somehow overturned and your Uncle Art was caught beneath somehow. It may have been quicksand or some sort of drowning. My dad said that when he and the other soldiers had heard about it they were extremely saddened. After surviving a world war and then to die in a freak accident was just so ironic. My dad said that he always wanted to call Art's family and express his condolences, but he just didn't know what words he could have said.
My dad said that Art was a real gentleman. To quote my dad... "you always hear good things about people after they die, but with Art it was all true. Art never cussed or had anything bad to say about anyone." Those are the words that my dad used to describe your Great Uncle Art. You should be very proud. That generation is slowly passing before us but I wonder if people truly realize the sacrifices they made. Your Uncle Art never had a chance to live his life out and that is so sad. I hope what I've told you sheds some light on the life of your Uncle Art. I am sorry for your family. Isn't something, even though it's been almost 70 years since the end of that war, people's lives are still impacted by those events.
I'm still looking for more photos...
Sincerely,
Tony Froio