Thanks to the efforts of Captain John Fallon, I have been placed in contact with more of the great men from this unit, and just this week received a very nice letter along with a photo and a program/menu from Christmas 1941.  I am happy to share these with you below.

10-09-2012 - It is with deepest regret, that I inform you of the passing of my friend, Irving. It gets harder and harder to say goodbye to each one of "my boys", as the sad news seems to arrive on an almost constant basis now. I shall miss you my buddy. Sure wish we could have met in person. RIP! Marion

04-27-06


Mrs. Chard:

My name is Irving Cherney and I was a member of the 36th Engineer Combat Reg't.

I joined the outfit in June, 1941, when it was being activated, in the first group of men that had finished 13 weeks of basic training at the new engineer training center at Ft. Belvoir, VA.

I was assigned to H&S Co. and stayed there until I left the outfit in Landsberg, GA, to return to the states for discharge in July 1945.

Enclosed is a photo of myself taken at Anzio in 1944.

The enclosed menu is an exact copy of our 1941 Christmas dinner.

Company officer, Capt. Ben Souza, then 2nd Lt., led the platoon when first contact was made with a group coming up from the south at Anzio. *

Mr. Irving Cherney

Marion's note:   *The meeting above refers to the allied forces coming from the south and joining with the allied forces at Anzio, therefore pushing the Germans north and finally closing the Anzio beachhead after five long and tortorous months.  Another account of this can be found on Al Kincer's page - 48th Combat Engineer, along with a photo of said meeting.

Irving Cherney with "Anzio Annie" in Italy, 1944.   You've got to admire the creativity of our engineers.  I'm sure this event drew many smiles from our guys.   Way to go men!

Irving Cherney and Anzio Annie 1944

Here is the menu that Irving refers to in his letter to me.

Christmas menu/program 1941