Here is a list that I compiled of the different types of engineer units used in the war

http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/doc...gineerUnits.htm

Posting this here for a friend. Here is his letter of inquiry regarding the 610th Engineers Light Equipment Company

Dear Marion:

"...I am stationed at Camp Beale , CA . I have received a request from the base historian to see if there was a 610th Engineers Light Equipment Company stationed here when this place was under the Army as Camp Beale . During the war Camp Beale was the home of the 13th Armored Division. The engineer unit assigned to the 13 AD was the 124th Engineer Battalion. At this time I can find no information of a 610th Engineers Light Equipment Company. The background story I have is that a James E. Redding of the 610th Engineers Light Equipment Company and was assigned to Camp Beale, CA for training in took part in the Normandy Invasion. The 13 AD did not arrive in the ETO until Jan 1945. In your experience, do you have any information on this engineer unit or how I can track it down?..."

John sent this to me today. This is correspondence between he and one of his buddies:

Ft. Devens at Ayer, ( Shirley) MA was one of the Army Posts shut down by the US Government. It will soon become a small township with a name of it's own. There is a small remnant of Army buildings there,but mostly taken over by civilian corporations etc. On the parade grounds there are a few monuments to Army units at the flagpole Center. A memorial wall contains four plaques stating the various Army Units, such as the 1st Inf. Div. and others which deployed through the old Fort since World War II. Our Central Mass. Chapter-22 VBOB will place a plaque with these others ; to honor soldiers and Nurses who deployed through this grand old Post into the "Battle of the Bulge"....The plaque is shown here.

John McAuliffe,Pres.

Cent. Mass. Chapt-22 VBOB

=======================

Here's the plaque with the revisions, John - when you get a date, let me know and I'll insert it into the design.

Joe

Attached Files

  Revised_Plaque_Design_9_5.jpg (Size: 261.82 KB / Downloads: 0)

This is the last letter I have from Dad's war years. It was written by

his best friend Cpl Robert Cunningham in their outfit - the 206th MP Co.

Bob & my Dad had been through it all together from N. Africa to Germany.

They were a team & looked out for each other & shared whatever food they

could scrounge up & anything they recd from home.

My father had enough points to go home finally in mid March 1945 and

Bob remained for the last push into Germany.

Bob's letter is dated May 27, 1945 from Innsbruck Austria and his penmanship

is impeccable (another lost art). He addressed the envelope to: MR. Frank

Howard with "MR." underlined , as my father was no longer "Sgt Howard",

but a very happy civilian instead. Dad didn't get his "ruptured duck" pin and discharge

till after VE day. As I understand the "point system" - you got 1 point for every month of

service, 1 point for each month overseas, 5 points for each award recd, 5 points for each campaign star, and 12 points for each child you had. You had to have 85 points to

go home. I don't think my grandparents understood the "point system" and expected

the Army would surely send Francis home right away since he'd been gone since '43.

It didn't quite work that way. Pity the poor fellows that didn't have enough points

and had to contemplate being sent to fight the japanese! Thank God Harry dropped

those bombs & saved so many lives!

Maybe somebody can tell me: Did everyone going home to the states leave via

troopship from Le Havre? How long did the trip take? Where did the ships arrive?

Bob wrote:

Dear Frank,

Received your letter of April 22nd, and was very happy to hear from you!

Chet received a letter from Shrader yesterday and he told us the good news

about you fellows getting discharged. We were all very happy to hear it because

we knew how much it meant to you.

Say! Your description of the good Old United States sounded very good and only

wish we could be ther with you. During the past week and a half we have sent

about 15 men home to be discharged. Some of them were Raubison, Phaff, Atkinson,

Patty Valenti, Buckhart, and Fitzwater etc. Pat Geary and Russell Owen are supposed

to leave sometime next week. It won't be very long and Chet will be on his way also.

Everything around here is getting back to garrison. We stand reveille in the morning and

have our regular saturday morning inspections. The Deputy Chief Of Staff inspected last

week and he liked the men and quarters very much. We really have a lovely place here

and it is the best we ever had. It has runing water, hot showers, electric, a big gym

to play basketball in and a large sun roof to take sun baths. It really is wonderful.

Frank, remember the pictures we took in Bruyeres? Well, I still have them so here is the

set I promised to send you. Sorry it took so long!

Say, by the way Old Boy, how is Trudy? Are you going to get married or are you going

to satisfy ALL of them?

Thanks a million Frank for going to see my wife. She really enjoyed your visit very much.

She was very happy to know that everything was alright.

See the messenger coming with his papers, so will sign off for the present.

Write again soon! Hope to be back in Boston by September, I have 84 points.

Till later Frank, Lots of good luck & happiness!!

Your old buddy,

Bob

I think this qualifies as one of the most unusual stories of service in WWII. A member of the 506 PIR, 101rst Airborne who ended up fighting with the Russians in the final months of the war. When I first saw this title I was skeptical, but it was written by another 101rst alum who served in Vietnam, and he lists plenty of familiar names for sources such as Mark Bando. I'm still on the first chapter, but can tell already.. it's going to be a great story. I am probably a johnny-come-lately on this book too, but wanted to mention it to fellow book lovers here who might also enjoy it. Available used or new on Amazon.com, starting at about 12 bucks.

Dogdaddy