Dear Marion,
It is with great sadness that I inform you that one of your "boys" Paul Bossis of the 235 Combat Engineers passed away on June 2, a the age of 88.
One of the great joys my dad recently had was when, thanks to your web site, he was able to go to Washington DC with my mother and myself, to a reunion of the 1108 and visit the WW II monument. Getting a chance to reminisce with others who had served in the same battalion and see the monument meant so much to him.He was also able to connect up with some others after our visit to DC.
Like many WW II veterans, my dad did not talk much to my brothers and me about his war experiences. But when his grandsons were born he started to tell some stories. Most of them were funny and he talked about the tight bonds he made , but as his grandchildren got older he started delving into his war experiences a bit more.He told them of his experiences at Fort Gruber, his adventures in North Africa,his charging out of the HIggins boat at the invasion of Salerno and the hellish campaign at Monte Cassino, where he lost some of his friends and where he received his Purple Heart and a trip home.He was also so proud that his 235 Combat Engineers received a Presidential Unit Citation for their help in the capture of Mt. Porchia.
One by one the men who helped shape the world and who came back home to work hard and contribute to America are leaving us. But thanks to people like you, Marion and the memories of their families their contribution will not be forgotten.
Thanks for all you have done and continue to do.
Sincerely,
George Bossis
Looks like another one of Marion's boys has gone to join his band of brothers. That's three I found out about this week. No words left today....
