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I received the following email this week. Happy to post!

Thank you Marion!  I will reach out to Raphael and see if I can help.  

I've been in close contact with Frank Gubbels, as well.  George sent him a letter and included a drawing of the area where he was located in Bastogne.  We gathered some information from George to help identify the outpost where he performed his watch duties, as well as the area where he was dug in when he was wounded on Dec 25, 1944.  

I will post photos of the helmet too, later this morning. Hope that will help you and anyone else interested in this post. 

So the helmet will be a frontseam one I guess. I can't see any evidence of decals which the 101st used. I am not sure if the 326 AEB used them but would be strange if they didn't use them (For example the 506th PIR used the Spade)

I am trying to find a book about the 326th but it doesn't seem easy to find one

I need to add this:

Quote

 

Hello Marion. 

I think i found paratrooper !! I see the finish army serial number inside the helmet. The number is 43. So the only paratrooper asn finished by the 43 is Sgt james F. O'Laughlin !!!! Of the C/326 1st Platoon. 

 

I found information about it. Did you have more ?

 

https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-margraten-o/57347-o-laughlin-james-f

 

And see other photo...

 

 

He did Normandy and died at Market garden the 20 september. 

 

Now I search the link with "TORNADO" on the top of the helmet in black paint. 

 

Is it exceptionnel!

 

Best regards

 

Sgt james F. O'Laughlin's company, C Company, would have jumped and landed in Market Garden on Sept 17.  George Jackson's platoon in B Company came in with the gliders on Sept 18.  However, they might have known each other.  I still need to have this chat with George.

In addition, Frank Gubbels recently visited Bastogne to take photos and send them to me, in hopes that we can get confirmation of the location where George was during the battle.  I'm working on sending that to him via mail.  

Exciting times!

It's been yet a year since I posted, so I wanted to provide another update on George.  He's been quite the celebrity, travelling and giving interviews.  He met a group called the Central Pennsylvania WWI Roundtable in Hummelstown PA when he attended the Reading, PA WWII weekend this summer.  They asked him to come speak, last night, to a crowd of about 100 people.  He recounted many of the stories he shared in my interview with him on YouTube.  At the end, he stuck around and shook hands, and signed autographs.  And made the front page of the paper in preparation for this event.  Props to the folks who helped get George to the event, about 1.5 hours away from his home.  What an amazing group of people, enthusiastic about learning the history from our veterans, in person.  I made the 2 hour drive to attend and here are a few photos I took at the event.  

This is wonderful. I'm sure he felt right at home. How nice to have a warm welcome. Makes me happy that this took place. Keep it going! 

It truly is amazing how he's become quite the celebrity.  Shortly after this round-table, the local news interviewed him for a short piece on the 6pm news.

https://wnep.com/2019/09/24/75-years-later-wwii-vet-tells-his-story/