pjo (or tk) and others: I don't know what MI is (other than Military Intelligence). Can you tell me what those "bouts" were like? When did he start getting it (after/during WW2 or during KW?) Wouldn't malarial illness keep a man from eligibility to serve in the armed forces? Did he serve in Northern France-Belgium-Germany? Take pills? Fred mr.gsd(at)netscape.com

Mr.GSD - sorry if I'm not replying correctly - I'm new to the forum world - I tried to quote but it turned red with a negative sign - until I found this site I didn't even know why people use icons. To answer your question about MI - it's a medical term for heart attack. My mother was a retired nurse so I tend to use some terms she used. We lost her to cancer last year. still struggling with that- I don't remember when he started being ill with malaria but I do remember many times - him in bed for days at a time with chills so bad the the bed actually shook. Mom mentioned it was ongoing after the war but I didn't ask which war. He retired in 1963 and passed away in 1972 - shortly after his 50th birthday. He served in both WW2 and Korea.

tk

34th ID - the big red bull, right? In my Dad's kit box there were three division patches

besides his 6th patch. There was the 34th Id's, the 3rd IDs, and the 45th ID.

Mary Ann: My dad brought home his Red Bull patch too. He didn't have the 3rd or the 45th's, but maybe at one time he had those too. I don't know. But as your dad was, my dad's unit was also attached to all the above units while part of VI Corps and the 5th and 7th Armies.

I was briefly in Morocco many yrs ago as part of a trip to Spain.

It was AWFUL! I couldn't get out of ther fast enough and finally understood

Dad's low opinion of that country. You had an immediate sense that human lives were cheap,

especially women.

 

I took out my Dad's pocket diary for '43 where he'd write notations in his small

handwriting. Here's some of his info:

 

2/22 left Ft Devens 5am arrived FT Dix 5pm - worked till 5am

3/5 left US

3/19 North Africa

3/24 went to Oran

3/25 company split up 25th went to sidi bel abbes

4/4 church sidi bel abbes

4/14 our 1st PX opened

5/16 moved to ???can't make this out - looks like A or C nt Temouchut for night

5/18 rabat

5/27-6/8 he was in the hospital

7/4 Rabat 1st armored and 36ID have big parade

7/7 casablanca

8/2 getting ready to move

8/3 part of company went by train

8/4 left Rabat

8/5 bivouac at La Senica(?)

8/6 arrive Port Aux Poules

8/23 ready to move again

8/26 Oran

8/29-8/31 staging area ? "ASSI-Ben OKBA" (don't know what that is)

9/5 left port at 1600 hours

9/7-9/8 at sea

9/9 boarded LST arrived on beach (looks like 0830hours). air attacks

9/10 moved to bivouac area Paestum. air attacks.

9/11 air attacks night & day

9/12 bivouac area same place

9/22 moved to Battipaglia. able to write home again.

9/27 Rain! first rain we've seen since last April

9/30 moved to Montello. Sleeping in a bldg

10/6 moving again to Avellino

10/12 moving to Maddaloni

10/21 1300 hrs moving out to ? Carrizzia?

10/27 1st PX opened up in Italy

10/29 Recd letters from home, 1st since I've been in Italy

11/1 moving out to Dragoni(?)

11/13 one killed 8 wounded from enemy shells (I assume this is in his MP Co)

11/19 moved to Caprilia(?)

11/25 Thanksgiving Day. Donuts! 2 boxes! (love this notation!)

12/20 Took 1st shower since I've been in Africa & Italy

12/25 Christmas Day. Good day here in Capriati

 

Then of course, like you, it was on to Anzio,the Volturno, Rome, DDAy

Southern France, the Vosges, the Rhine and home alive (thank God!) in March '45.

 

So very sorry to hear about your wife, Rocky. My brother was killed in a car accident

when he was 17 and I was 18 (we were "irish twins" 13 months apart), and

my Dad died in '82 when he was just 70. I was blessed to have my mother until 2004,

but now I'm the only one left. It's not like I've lost them & don't know where they are.

I know EXACTLY where they are, but I keep telling them: "Ok you guys, if I have to get

left behind, the least you can do is send extra love". They do & I'm sure it's the same for you.

We must have some other "missions" to perform & like the Army, we gotta take it whether

we like it or not.

 

Hey Rocky! I feel like a dope, but I can't figure out how to get to your page.

I need instruction.

 

all the very best!

 

Mary Ann (Frank Howard's proud daughter)

206thmpco:: The notes your dad wrote above, brings back memories.

Battipagla, Avelino, We wuz there. Volturno ditto. Taking a shower, ditto,ditto.

My page,log on to,, 6thcorpscombatengineers.com,, clickon, memoirs, click "other WW11 vets", scroll down to my name, Roque Riojas. click. I hope that's right. Maid Marion, Help!!

Hi Marion! I bet your Dad had the other patches as well. I'm sure that my Dad

probably also had a T patch for the 36Id cuz he was with those guys as well.

I think it was because these were the outfits whose suffering they witnessed

and shared - that they kept those mementos.

When you think about it, their experiences consisted of constant separation, loneliness,

and fear. Not only were you separated from your own family & it was years before you could

hear their voices or see their faces - but you were also getting constantly removed from your

"buddies". Dad made notes in 1942 like: "the last of the boys from the 180th moved out of camp today". In N Africa he notes that several of the Lieutenants they'd known came

to visit them in one of their bivouacs & that meant alot. Most of his diary notes concern the sending or receiving of mail from home. Then so many of your pals were KIA. My father's

closest buddy was MP Cpl Bob Cunningham because they were together from Salerno to

the Rhine. I have a wonderful letter Bob sent to my Dad in May '45, I'll have to get it

& share it with you. My father's other constant companion who attached herself to Dad at Anzio was a mutt named "Sally". That's a great story for another time!

But - as awful as their experiences were & as great as it was to be home - it must've

been very surreal not to be able to see or share anything with most of the guys you

were with. All you had were medals, patches, and mementos in a box.

My Dad would be amazed by the net and all the info available. I think it would've been so wonderful if he could've "talked" with other vets.

mary ann

Found it! Rocky, what an honor & privilege to speak with you!

My Dad would've been so pleased.

As soon as I saw your picture with the President, I thought "Hey! I know

I've seen this picture of Rocky before!" Well, of course I did - I made a donation to get the

WWII memorial built ,so I get the newsletter and that's where I saw your photo.

I'd planned to attend the memorial dedication, but my Mom was not well then so I

wasn't able to go. I would dearly liked to have been there.

My father could've related to so much on your page. Those photos at Anzio & the K rations!

When he was drafed in '41, he was 6'2" 164lbs and the Army definately didn't help him

put on weight. By the time he got to Rome, and had his picture taken to send home, he

looked like a skeleton. What did my poor grandmother think when she got THAT photo

of her "boy". My father had a terrible sweet tooth, so that was what was so funny & sad about his Thanksgiving notation about the donuts. That's probably ALL they had for

Thanksgiving. The officers might've had turkey dinners, but I don't imagine the rest of

the fellows got any. Do you remember Thanksgiving '43, Rocky? Did you get any turkey?

On the "home front", his mother, sister, and ladies in his Wellesley Ma neighborhood

were busy sending him whatever they could and hoping it got there. I have a letter

my grandmother sent him while he was in Anzio that always gives me a chuckle.

She writes:"Francis, don't forget to send Mrs Hutt (a neighbor) a thank you note for

the cookies she sent ". He probably wanted to write "Hey Ma! We got A WAR

goin' on over here!", but I'd bet a million dollars that he wrote that note to Mrs Hutt.

He also could relate to what you said about Italy & being cold. Everybody was still

wearing the lightweight stuff they were issued for North Africa. In fact, I think

most of them were still wearing the same uniforms into much of the Rhineland campaign.

Eventually, some "genius" issued overcoats to the guys, but I don't believe they liked

those. You couldn't move around in them. I have a photo of Dad in Dec '45 and it looks

like he's wearing 3 pairs of socks, two pairs of gloves , scarves around his neck, and

whatever he could stuff into his regular army jacket. He looks COLD!

I loved your photos, Rocky. You are a handsome fellow! Clearly, your wife

Elizabeth had the kind of beauty that shines out from within as well as from without.

That's rare beauty that you can't get from a beauty spa. Your faith is strong, so

you KNOW that you'll see her again one day.

My Dad was smart like you & married Helen Cole. Here's a photo on their wedding day.

Dad's highest compliment ( and rarely given) was to say "He is a good man!"

I know he'd say that to YOU, Rocky!

It's a privilege!

Mary Ann

Mary Ann: It's 1:10pm Wed. and I just read the above. I'm glad you found the page.

I was 23 just after I got discharged in Nov. '45. I read your e-mail three times and I don't

mind telling you, I had a nice cry for what you said about Elizabeth. Yes I will see her and

be with her some day. Yes your father was wearing 3 pairs of socks and two pairs of pants

(olive Drab) etc,,etc. I know, ME ALSO. Thanksgiving, we had just been relieved and went back just far enough from motar range. It so happened there was a road going up the hill

so our captain ordered a sixby and the mess sgt and kitchen crew brought up a kinda gas

stove, anyway we had coffee, and pancakes, no syrup, orange marmalade!! AND TO THIS

DAY I WILL NOT TOUCH ORANGE MARMALADE !! That' what we had for thanksgiving.

That's OK, did you read the story about the chicken?

I will cherish your above e-mail always. Now I have two top ladies to think about,

both of them start with an M. Thank you and God Bless. Rocky

Mary Ann: It's 1:10pm Wed. and I just read the above. I'm glad you found the page.

I was 23 just after I got discharged in Nov. '45. I read your e-mail three times and I don't

mind telling you, I had a nice cry for what you said about Elizabeth. Yes I will see her and

be with her some day. Yes your father was wearing 3 pairs of socks and two pairs of pants

(olive Drab) etc,,etc. I know, ME ALSO. Thanksgiving, we had just been relieved and went back just far enough from motar range. It so happened there was a road going up the hill

so our captain ordered a sixby and the mess sgt and kitchen crew brought up a kinda gas

stove, anyway we had coffee, and pancakes, no syrup, orange marmalade!! AND TO THIS

DAY I WILL NOT TOUCH ORANGE MARMALADE !! That' what we had for thanksgiving.

That's OK, did you read the story about the chicken?

I will cherish your above e-mail always. Now I have two top ladies to think about,

both of them start with an M. Thank you and God Bless. Rocky

Mary Ann and Rocky....... Moose

Mr.GSD - To answer your question about MI - it's a medical term for heart attack. My mother was a retired nurse so I tend to use some terms she used. - I don't remember when he started being ill with malaria but I do remember many times - him in bed for days at a time with chills so bad the the bed actually shook. Mom mentioned it was ongoing after the war but I didn't ask which war. He retired in 1963 and passed away in 1972 - shortly after his 50th birthday. He served in both WW2 and Korea.

tk

Thanks, PJO. That's "myocardial infarction" ... my family is chock-full of nurses, so I've been in more clinic backrooms and through more hospital back doors than a lot of ambulance drivers. I know that almost everybody in Korean War had to take chloroquine once a week... better than daily atabrine which you guys took in WW2 and turned yellow as a result. I want to get these details straight for the novel I'm working on, and I had not heard of regular use of atabrine in the mid-section of Europe (Benelux-Germany-NorthernFrance)... nor any malaria cases there. I'd like to know for sure. If anybody wants to e-mail me direct, I gave my e-address in an earlier post.

Fred

Rocky,

I love the story about the chickens! I think I remember reading somewhere

about the guys at Anzio spending alot of time trying to catch some cows that

were on the loose. Good grief! i wonder how they were planning on cooking

THEM! Probably have to find a squad with someone who'd been a butcher

in civilian life. Pancakes & orange marmalade for Thanksgiving. Oh Boy! But

I betcha it tasted pretty darn good at the time. It wasn't bad enough that you guys

were shot at, shelled, cold and wet - but you had to be hungry all the time too.

My dad was thin all his life, but he ate 4 meals a day and ate every kind of candy, cookie,

and ice cream to boot. No wonder he was so skinny during the war, eating those

horrible K rations!

I'm gonna post some poems about Anzio that my Dad saved. You might get a chuckle

out of them.

I'm so glad you liked my email! Now don't you forget that the Good Lord had a strong

hold on you throughout Italy and He brought that good & beautiful Elizabeth into your

life, so he's certainly not gonna to let go of you now!

thank YOU & God bless YOU, Rocky!!!

Mary Ann