Researching My Daddy's Army Info
#31

Nice work on his page.

 

Morning went back to rock quarry till noon and came back in for shots on arm and short arm inspection.

I'm not sure if you want to explain this or not, but a "short arm inspection" usually referred to an inspection for VD.

It seems kinda strange that they would be getting shots while at the Front.

 

Steve

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#32

Clusterman, You are reading way too much into these simple entries. I summarized these entries so I could ask David Wagner if he remembered playing ball with the 39th D. Company. What I left out from this time frame was the entry where he mentions being driven back to Anzio Beach to see a dentist for his teeth (He may have had teeth pulled). Also, I seriously doubt from when they landed in Anzio in late January of 1944 that they had much time for women to even contract a VD. My grandfather writes of sleeping in the foxholes because he got tired of getting up from the tents to take cover every hour from constant German bombing. The other quick entries from the Jan – April time frame that I’ve already posted here mention him not sleeping or eating much, if at all during 2 to 3 day stretches. If he had time to meet a women while not eating, sleeping and dodging bombs for over 3 months, then more power to him…That shows he is a stronger man then I’d ever be…that’d be the last thing on my mind.

 

Just my two cents

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#33

You both make good points, however VD was a REAL problem during the war and in fact, when I went to the 36th Combat Engineers reunion, one of the men said, "Had anyone talked to you straight about VD during WWII?" Since I'm an historian, they wanted me to hear the straight scoop.

 

The guys told me that many a guy was infected with VD and that some of the guys even got it on purpose! :o What you say? Well for SOME of these guys, it was a way out of the FRONT lines and they'd do ANYTHING to get the hell out of there. So in the early days of the war, they knew they'd get five days on sick-leave. You'd get treated and then sent back, but you were guaranteed time out. But they explained that later in the war, penicillin and other drugs were coming of age and well... no more guaranteed 5 days. They'd give you a hefty dose of penicillin and kick your sorry butts back to the front. They said that came as real shocker to some of these guys. No more excuses.

 

Yes, during the Anzio Beachhead, most guys didn't have the time or the luxury of meeting woman, but it still went on with some of the troops, who could get leave or sneak out when they could. Heard this from the vets themselves. ;)

 

There's a lot of info on VD during the war and you'd probably be surprised or even shocked (at least some would), at what went on over there. One official army medical stat said this, "...although WW2 still numbered 606 men who came down with VD each day.) Multiply that by 365 and you'll find that over 210,000 men would be diagnosed within one year! Yikes! :wacko:

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

Thanks Marion for your hard work and the wonderful page you created for my grandfather.

 

Luis

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#35

Luis I am very happy to do this. I can't wait to hear more so I will be able to expand his page. I'm happy that you found me and this site. It's a thrill for me to read all this. I'm a happy camper! :D

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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#36

Clusterman, You are reading way too much into these simple entries.

Well, I certainly didn't mean to insult Tech5 Pena. Just because his platoon was inspected doesn't mean he was guilty. I also wonder if it was really intended to inspect for lice/fleas. I'm sure they were exposed to that "hazard".

I guess you had to be in the Army to understand it. The brass did some really strange things.

 

Ooo-wee, my wife found lice on one of her 3rd grade students this week.

Steve

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#37

Oh absolutely. That certainly does not mean that he was guilty, nor any of the other men for that matter. The GI's underwent routine inspections from time to time for many things to keep them fit. After all the army wanted their men healthy so they could keep them on the lines. The men were also reminded to take their anti-malaria pills. Very important in Italy too. :pdt34:

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"
Reply
#38

I got a few seconds to type more entries today.

 

Wed, Feb 2, 1944 Continued

Really was glad to be off (Relieved by Black Devils). It was about 11 at night when we were relieved and then we had to walk 5 miles where the trucks were going to pick us up at. It was a really bad walk since we were all tired and sleepy. Even our eyes would close of sleep to where at times we didn’t know where we were going.

Thursday, Feb. 3, 1944

Got to place at daylight. Stayed there about 1 hour before trucks picked us up. Came in Co. Area at chow and went to sleep from about 12 till 4:30PM. Catching up on sleep from the front lines where we didn’t get much sleep. At night went to bed right after chow at 5PM.

Friday, Feb. 4. 1945

We were off because we were going to work at night. At noon we were told of being on alert again and Sgt. Girandar showed me how to load the Bazooka because since the time we were on the defensive line, they put me without the bazooka man loader. Had two or three men captured from F. Company and 3 or 4 from our company (D) got wounded. At night some of the boys went after some bob-wire because it was what we were going to do on front line along with mine laying. A little lecture in mines was given in the afternoon.

Saturday, Feb. 5, 1944

At noon we were supposed to have gone out to front before daylight, but didn’t. Don’t know why not. It was very cold outside. Had air raid around 10:30am and after that went on to work to put bob-wire entanglements along canal behind the infantry close to mines laid by 10th Engineers. Bridge was fixed to be blown by having sacks of TNT hung in it in case of counter attack. We were expecting the Germans might withdraw from Cassino and come on this front and make a counter attack. From here at Netuna it is said to be 28 miles to Rome.

Sun. Feb. 6, 1944

At about 3 am had an air raid, but it wasn’t bad. About an hour later another but this one was longer and lasted a long time. They were throwing flares and bombing heavily. Pieces of shrapnel were falling close to our tent from the aircraft. Went on guard again from 10am till 2pm. The rest of Co. went to canal to make a dam. Had a raid right at dinner chow.

Mon. Feb 6, 1944

Went out with Co. to make the dam to flow the canal if an attack was made and were pushed back. We had 8 logs across and they decided to move dam to another place close to first dam about 150 yards. So after chow had to move supplies to other place. Third Platoon was taking it next day. Night was taken out to lay a minefield but this was cancelled that night and we got back to Co. area early. It was a very cold tonight.

Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1944

Went out to lay Consentrina wire along beach. Noon, ate K rations. Same thing done today as yesterday but 2 Jerry planes came very low and it was firing at our mustang plane patrolling. Finished laying wire at one place and went and started at another location. They had that place along bank holes with Booby traps of hand grenades.

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#39

Saturday, Feb. 5, 1944

At noon we were supposed to have gone out to front before daylight, but didn’t. Don’t know why not. It was very cold outside. Had air raid around 10:30am and after that went on to work to put bob-wire entanglements along canal behind the infantry close to mines laid by 10th Engineers.

 

Quoting from the diary of Pvt Paul Brown, 179th Regiment

Feb. 5, 1944 Sat. 6:30 PM

Only two air raids today, fragments from antiaircraft dropped all around us. One fellow just got out of his pup tent about 20 yds form this tent and a shell from 50 cal hit where he was laying (Freaks of this War). Went into Nettuno to see Nathan. He is OK. Ate to many donuts. Hell is starting up front 6 miles from here.

 

Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1944

Went out to lay Consentrina wire along beach. Noon, ate K rations. Same thing done today as yesterday but 2 Jerry planes came very low and it was firing at our mustang plane patrolling.

How uncanny. Check out what the history books say happened on that day.

On Feb 7, an enemy bomber under attack by Allied fighters jettisoned its load of 5 bombs that fell on the U.S. 95th Evacuation Hospital, located on Anzio beach. There were many wounded. Those killed were 3 Army nurses, a Red Cross worker, and Pvt Mulreney, who was visiting his wounded brother.

 

I can't wait to hear what he says about the next week. The fighting really escalates.

Steve

Steve

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#40

Sorry all for not posting in a while, but work has kept me exceptionally busy.

Steve, check out this next uncanny similarity that will come in the Feb. 17 entry. Both men were in the same general area.

 

Pvt. Brown

Feb. 17 Thurs. 2:30 PM

Our bombers have already come 300 strong over today, and supposed to do so all day (Hitler count your children.) We can hardly drive up to the line any more. They can hear us on the road.

Feb. 18 Fri. 2:30 PM

Still here at Anzio & Nettuno beachhead

 

 

Florentino Pena

Thursday, Feb. 17, 1944

Our planes went to raid enemy all day. Counted 250 planes going over to bomb enemy territory and the Jerries downed about 3 of our planes. One plane made it back in time to let his men out of the fortress and the other plane 10 parachutes came out, only pilot stayed in plane. Could see form our area the places where we were bombing and the jerry aircraft that were firing at them. Fighting of Cisterna was on when we landed here at Anzio/Nettuna Beach

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