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  Letter and more from a 39th'er
Posted by: Walt's Daughter - 01-20-2005, 07:38 PM - Forum: WWII ENGINEERS - Replies (6)


Letter from Paul and Alice

 

Received this letter from 39th'er and his wife Alice. What a nice surprise this was. I was given Paul's name from an associate earlier in January and I took a chance and wrote a letter. Within 2 weeks I got this and it was filled with other articles too.

 

I was beginning to think that I wasn't going to be able to find too many of 39th Combat Engineers (to date I've only been in contact with one, John Wack) and wasn't real hopeful. Ah, I should have known better than that. We're on the upswing again. Yeah! :D:D

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  Request from chaplain in Iraq
Posted by: Walt's Daughter - 01-20-2005, 09:58 AM - Forum: Current Events - Replies (6)


This chaplain in Iraq has asked for our prayers...

 

As a transportation battalion, my unit will be delivering the voting machines and the ballots to villages and cities throughout Iraq during the upcoming elections. (January 30/31) Our convoys are prime targets for the insurgents because they do not want the equipment to arrive at the polling stations nor do they want the local Iraqi citizens to have the chance to vote; timely delivery must occur so that the elections occur. Encourage your friends and family members and those within our churches to pray specifically for the electoral process. Historically, the previous totalitarian regime would not allow individual citizens to vote. Democracy will not be realized in Iraq if intelligent and competent officials are not elected to those strategic leadership positions within the emerging government; freedom will not have an opportunity to ring throughout this country if the voting process fails. Announce this prayer request to your contacts throughout your churches, neighborhoods, and places of business. Those with leadership roles within the local church post this message in as many newsletters and bulletins as possible. There is unlimited potential for God's presence in this process but if we do not pray then our enemy will prevail (See Ephesians 6:10-17) A prayer vigil prior to the end of the month may be an innovative opportunity for those within your sphere of influence to pray. This is a political battle that needs spiritual intervention. A powerful story about God's intervention in the lives of David's mighty men is recorded in 2 Samuel 23:8-33. David and his warriors were victorious because of God's intervention. We want to overcome those who would stand in the way of freedom. David's mighty men triumphed over incredible odds and stood their ground and were victorious over the enemies of Israel. (Iraqi insurgents' vs God's praying people). They don't stand a chance.

 

I will pray with my soldiers before they leave on their convoys and move outside our installation gates here at Tallil. My soldiers are at the nerve center of the logistic operation to deliver the voting machines and election ballots. They will be driving to and entering the arena of the enemy. This is not a game for them it is a historical mission that is extremely dangerous. No voting machines or ballots. No elections. Your prayer support and God's intervention are needed to give democracy a chance in this war torn country.

 

Thank you for your prayer support for me and my family. Stand firm in your battles.

 

Blessings,

Lyle

 

CH (CPT) Lyle Shackelford

Battalion Chaplain

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  An Engineer & Patton
Posted by: Walt's Daughter - 01-20-2005, 08:32 AM - Forum: WWII ENGINEERS - No Replies


You'll love this letter. I am still laughing. It will conjure up some great images, rest assure. This gentleman was a member of the 1301 Engineer General Service Regiment and assigned to Patton's 3rd Army. I am planning on creating a page for him very soon and he just mailed me a package to help get me started.

------------------------------------

Dear Marion:

 

You indicated your desire to hear of General Patton and I happen to have a brief anecdote that you may enjoy.

 

My unit had stopped at a chateau near Nancy, France for a brief overnight; our first night under cover in a couple of months. One of the fellows found a collapsible top hat which were quite popular in France. The next day, in the back of a 6X6 truck with about a dozen other Engineers, I pulled off my helmet, put on the top hat and was doing my rendition of Maurice Chevalier's "'Thank Heavens for Little Girls". About the time I got started, a jeep flew by and our truck suddenly came to a screeching halt. Who should appear at the tailgate, except the old man himself with his pearl handle revolver strapped on. He shouted. "who was that SOB with the top hat on" to which I responded . He directed me to fall out and for the next two or three minutes, dressed me down with every word of profanity I had heard of and then some, also dwelling on my family lineage in the same tone. I was dirty, unshaven and scared to death. He reached over and grabbed my shirt pocket flap and I thought he was actually going to hit me. He asked if that pocket had a button on it to which I affirmed resulting in another barrage regarding wearing of the uniform. After he finished with me then he glared at the men in the truck and shouted out, "you engineers boys are doing a damn good job, keep it up" and with that he was gone.

 

The occasion got my CO's attention and he got my mine. Any words Patton left out were deftly covered by the CO.

 

General Patton was a professional soldier; egotistical as hell, but a real soldier.

Needless to say, I became the recipient of barbs from the whole company for weeks on end.

 

Hope you enjoy my experience. I didn't!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Respectfully,

 

Bill Douglass

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  W-U-T-V-D-N-B-G-M
Posted by: Cadetat6 - 01-19-2005, 06:21 AM - Forum: The Papa Art Section! - Replies (4)

In adition, there were other ground-training and ground school sessions. For example, in one classroom session we learned how to navigate at night by a widely dispersed geographic network system of lights that blinked out morse codes. (we also received morse code refresher sessions) To enable a pilot to confirm or determine where he was, the system's "location" codes were sequenced in the geographic grid this specific order: (W - U - T - V - D - N - B - G - M). How is it that I still remember a detail like that sixty years later? It's because we had an outstanding instructor whose skills included the effective use of "memory keys". The key he gave us for remembering the light code sequence was this statement: "We Understand That Virgins Do Not Become Good Mothers". Who could forget that?

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  39th Combat Engineers
Posted by: Walt's Daughter - 01-18-2005, 02:02 PM - Forum: WWII ENGINEERS - No Replies


What a treat today. Went next door to get the mail this morning (it's nice having the post office next door), and there was a letter with the return address showing, 39th Combat Engineers.

 

The letter was from Alice and her husband Paul, who are Secretary and Treasurer of the great 39th. They sent me several articles along with a 2 page letter. I was very happy. If you've looked around this site, you have probably noticed that I have far more info on the 36th and 540th than I do on the 39th. It has not been for lack of trying, but it's been difficult to find the remaining members of the unit.

 

But, now it looks as though that has changed and once again I have found another door opened to me. ^_^ Alice included many other names along with addresses and phone numbers. She is going to bring my letter to their reunion this fall and share it with the others. I guess their numbers are dwindling, but they still faithfully get together each year.

 

Of course I will post all the info including the letter later this week. It's always fun to share the good news with all of you.

 

:wub:

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