More on this later, for I am getting ready to hit the hay for the evening, but wanted to post the Facebook pictures I took on our trip to Gettysburg earlier this week.

Gettysburg part one

Gettysburg - part two

What a splendid trip we had!!!

Guestbook Entry from Dean R. Kahler

"My Father was in the 174 Combat Engineer in WWII. Leyte Island invasion and Okinawa invasion. I can not find any information about them anywhere. Could you help me?"

The 174th Engineer Combat Battalion was assigned to the XXIV CORPS.

Assault Credit Leyte, 20-22 Oct 44, WD GO 109-46

Assault Credit Okinawa, 1 April 45, DA GO 37-50

Occupation Okinawa, 15 Sept - 14 Nov 45

Occupation Korea 15 Nov 45 - 20 Feb 46

sailed aboard USS Sea Flasher from US to Hawaii

landed on Leyte aboard USS Simon Bolivar

I`ll have to check records of the Leyte operation to see if the is any mention of who they were attached to.

For the Okinawa landings, the 174thECB was under the 1122 Engineer Group, and attached to the 96th Infantry Div for the landing

US 10th Army (Okinawa)

April 1945

XXIV CORPS: Lt. General Hodge

96TH DIVISION

Attached as of L Day

HQ & HQ Company, 1122nd Engineer Combat Group

170th Engineer Combat Battalion

173rd Engineer Combat Battalion

174th Engineer Combat Battalion

2nd Platoon, 1088th Engineer Depot Company

When the war ended the 174thECB went to Korea, landed at Inchon went in LST to Pusan.

Veterans History Project Interview with Victor Selinsky, member of Co C, 174th ECB

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.15293/

Unit records may be obtained from the National Archives in College Park MD, or from the Eisenhower Library in Abiline, KS.

From a guestbook entry from Laureen Whitney.

" You have some interesting information and pictures. I'm looking for information on my fathers unit all his seperation papers say is: 1989th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting. I have no idea what armuy or unit or anything where would I find that?"

There is not much info on the engineer fire fighting platoons but more is becoming availible thanks to a couple of websites.

The 1989th EAFFP was activated in May 1943 at Bradley Field, Connecticut.

This website FIRE TRUCKS AT WAR: http://www.firetrucks-atwar.com/index.html

Has 2 photos of the 1989th,

The 1989th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon pictured at Air

Force General Depot No 2, Maison Blanche, Algeria, 26 Oct 43.

http://www.firetrucks-atwar.com/xx.html

and

Robert Beebe (seated on right bumper) and

members of the 1989th EAFFP.

Italy, 1945

http://www.firetrucks-atwar.com/I.html

You may also want to contact Jim Davis his Website is:

Fire Fighters in Fatigues

http://www.firefighters.mil-fire.net/

I've begun researching Lincoln's Funeral for a new lecture. It is a really interesting topic. So much of Kennedy's Washington Funeral was based on Lincoln's funeral.

Here's a good basic background of the multiple funerals held for Lincoln.

http://www.mrlincolnswhitehouse.org/inside.asp?ID=213&subjectID=2

Happy Birthday to a very dear friend, MAC347, aka John McAuliffe who is 88 today.

To read about John's story, http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/JohnMcAuliffe.htm

Love you!!