Wow, what great week. Saturday evening I get a call from John (540th) and Evelyn MacDonald and then tonight my phone rings and it's the daughter of Herbert Sherman of the 540th.
Pat called to say that she received my package this week and it made her look through all the things at their house (her dad passed away and her mom is living with a sibling). She has kindly agreed to make copies of everything that I don't have. More treasures for our site and for my book. My how I've been blessed.
She said she has learned so much this week from everything that I mailed to her and she wished, as so many others have stated, that she would have been more interested in his history while he was still alive. Ah, I guess so many of us are having those same feelings and longings.
Here's an email I just received a few moments ago:
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Hi Marion,
I really enjoyed talking to you on the phone and
thought I'd better get my info out to you. My dad was
Herbert Sherman. Among some of the things I have are:
1. A photo album
2. A bunch of post cards from various places he
brought back
3. The book "Overseas with the 540th Engineers"
4. Some of his pins and patches
5. Letter of commendation to the group for: a ponton
bridge across the Rhine dated April 15, 1945
6. A personal letter from a Ted Pople who was a
soldier still in service and writing to my father at
the time of his discharge.
7. A detailed itinerary of his 4 yrs in service
8. Some reunion pictures but not sure which year.
9. Some coins and currency he brought back
My address is :
LEFT OFF FOR PRIVACY
Once again thank you so much for sending the package
because it opened up a part of my dad's life that I
didn't get to know (through my own fault). Let me
know how I can be of help.
Thanks
Pat
Following on from Pat's letter, I am interested in the 540th in Sicily. After the Gela landings General Patton created the Provisional Corps for the move west to Palermo. My copy of the "Corps Of Engineers: The War Against Germany" shows that although the resistance to the west was much lighter than that against the Eighth Army to the east, the US engineers were very involved.
Marion do you know any details of what your Dad was doing at this time (15th July on) or where he went, and I would like to ask the same question of Pat? I am also interested in how much Sicily detail there is in "Overseas With The 540th Engineers", I have come across mention of this book before.
Colin.
I along will try and compile as much data as I can for you. Of course, it becomes much easier everytime I come into contact with a member of the 540th and their families. Right now I am in contact with approximately 26 families.
I will look over everything that I have to date and place it here on the forum within the next week to two. In the interim, please read Bill Vander Wall's interview with me. It has some info on Sicily.
Memories of Bill Vander Wall
The interview is at the bottom of the page.
Overseas with the 540th contains mostly photos. But I will take what I can from it to.
Thanks for your patience.
Your friend, M
Marion it is me that should be thanking you for your patience with me. My questions must seem never ending. I am working on a return to Sicily in 2006 and may be able to repay by investigating your Dad's and your family connections with the island, especially the south-west.
At the moment I have been unable to open the Bill Vander Wall interview. (I have Adobe)
Colin. Your very grateful friend.
Ah, now I must apologize. 
While Bill's interview IS available on the forum and opens without a hitch (it is accessed directly through my office server), the file it is SUPPOSED to open from his page WAS NOT properly uploaded and therefore you could not access it. SORRY! Doh! I usually painstakingly check and recheck every link on each page, and for some reason this was was overlooked. Sigh!
Please try it again. I uploaded the proper file this morning at 6 AM.
Colin I think we make a good team and through our mutual efforts will be able to compile and share what we know with each other and therefore with everyone else who frequents this site. My only wish is that I could do it at a faster rate. I've always damned the fact the my brain flies at mach speed, while the body is surfing at a modest freeway rate. 
I am grateful to you and thank you in advance for what you will accomplish in 2006. I am looking forward to seeing where my grandparents were from and also to the places that my dad toured during the Sicilian campaign. 