Hey Everyone,

It is certainly nice to find more family of 292nd soldiers. I met sirgator (Gary) a few days ago when he introduced himself on the ww2f.com forum. I have been a member of that forum for about 5 years now. Gary led me to this fine forum and I am glad to be here. Until now I had only met one other gentleman who's father was a truck driver with Co. A of the 292nd, the same company my grandfather was a member of. We found evidence that his father and my grandfather may have been friends during the war. It was an exciting chance meeting with him.

My grandfather's name was Arthur A. Clark, he was living in St. Louis, Missouri at the time he was drafted and inducted into the army on 6 JAN 1944, He was married and had a 2 year old son (my father) at the time he left for basic training. He was a Demolition Specialist (533) with Co. A of the 292nd. My avatar is a picture of him that was taken in Belgium on 2 SEPT 1945. He did not return to St. Louis when he was discharged on 9 MAR 1946, but instead settled with his family in Centralia, Missouri. He passed away on 16 DEC 1972 when I was 10 years old, so I was never able to discuss with him about his time in service.

I have been interested in WWII history for many years and started researching my grandfather's unit in earnest the last several years. I have aquired from the National Archives the Unit Journals, After Action Reports,and History of the 292nd, a total of some 250 pages of documents. I of course will be glad to share all information that I have about the 292nd, and look forward to whatever others have to share in return, Last year I made a trip to the NPRC in St. Louis to look and copy some Morning Reports of Co. A. One of the documents I have I believe SamHarrison is really going to like. It is a company order dated 2 FEB 1945 and contains a list of soldiers names to be promoted to the rank of Private First Class. SamHarrison's great uncles name, Julian A. Mizell, appears on this list. I have attached a copy of the document below.

Glad to be here on the forum, look forward to contributing, everyone have a good one!

Randy Clark

Randy,

Great to see you over here, also! You are a man of men (or maybe a man of a man of a man of men). I look forward to contact with you in the very near future and to discuss the materials you have gathered. Thanks so much for your offer of help and I am glad I could lead you to another resource of folks passionate about the greatest generation and their service to this great nation!

Talk to you soon my friend!

So thrilled to read this post and all the replies.

Gary, glad to have you aboard. There's a ton of great stuff on the boards to look through. It'd be nice to start some conversations again with some new blood. Sometimes it gets a little quite around here!

I agree with Todd, it's nice to have some new blood stirring through our veins and seeing the back and forth chatter regarding the 292nd.

I am so delighted to put like-minded people together. Everyone has so much to offer and each time we find another piece of this giant jigsaw puzzle. What I especially love reading about, is how so many people who come here, sound so much like me, albeit eleven years ago. I think of myself sitting in my office, winter 2004, and deeply yearning to know anything I could about my dad's wartime journey and experiences. I felt so lost and so lonely. Wow, that seems like a million years ago. So it's a wonderful feeling to be able to give back to the community.

Little do many of you know, that when I started this forum eons ago (LOL), I was so afraid that it would never go anywhere. Eventually I had two or three members and we would laugh among ourselves and joke that someday we could have a whopping TEN members. Truly, I DID fret about that. I kept thinking, well, we give 'er a shot. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. It took a long time to get it going and much to my surprise, it not only survived, it thrived. I'm still pinching myself; how did this happen. We went from utter obscurity to having over 1400 members as of August 2015. I think my dad would have been floored. I know I certainly am.

This main site and forum have literally transformed my life!

That's great to hear what a positive impact this forum has had on your, Marion - I know it is a lot of work.

As for the document Randy posted - I wonder what PFC Beukoma did to get reduced to PVT!!

I just found this from TM 27-255:

Reduction of noncommissioned officers or privates first class is not authorized as punishment under AW 104, but may be accomplished administratively in accordance with paragraphs 130' and 15, AR 615-5, 30 June 1943.

That's all I could find with a limited search.

Hi Sam,

I have really enjoyed looking through all the pictures you posted, thanks so much for sharing them, they are great! Glad to see your grandfather labeled many of the photos, that's very helpful . I have many photographs of my grandfather's during his time in service but most of them have no labeling at all. Leaves you wondering where they were taken and about the people in them, Isn't it great that other 292nd family members are beginning to gather on this site? I think it's awesome and believe we will learn a lot from each other. Look forward to anything more you may have to share with us. Don't know if you have been following on the other thread that is going on about the 292nd or not. I posted this document, attached below, there and noticed your great-uncle's name appears on it as well. His name is in the first column towards the bottom and I have underlined it. Because of the age and multiple copying etc., it is not that easy to read but I have tried to darken it as best I could. Have a good one Sam and hope to hear from you soon.

Randy

I think it's all wonderful too. I am so pleased that I have a place for people like you to gather. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

Hello everyone,

New user here. I was recruited to join by Gary. My grandfather was Anton "Tony" Pagoria from La Salle, IL and was a member of C Company of the 292nd.

His information was drafted as a plumber, but was placed in the 669th Engineer Topographical Corps, 1149th Combat Group. The 669^th was a transportation corps unit that included railroad training. This was a natural fit for him since his occupation prior to the war was a Railway Section Hand. He trained at Camp Clairborne, Lousiana. He was the last of his italian brothers to be enlist/be drafted. He was the 6th of his family to be in WWII and the first 6 star family in La Salle, IL. He also had 6 cousins in the war and one brother and one sister work at the LST shipyard in Seneca, IL. Amazingly only 1 cousin and 1 brother wounded and all returned to the US.

After the V-E Day he re-upped and was at a POW camp for Germans.

I have some photos that I will be contributing very soon with more information.

A very warm welcome. Glad to hear that Gary recruited you. How wonderful that all got through the war safely.

Thanks for joining.

Hi Colin,

 

Thanks for the reply. I have seen the reference and the information about the 292nd there. Thanks for reminding me about it. I'm always looking for more things to use in my interview footage with my grandfather. A little about him:

 

My grandpa, Paul Corzine, was in Headquarters and Service company. He was a supply sergeant. He is 92 now and resides in Metropolis, IL

My great uncle, Julian Mizell (deceased), was in A company in the 292nd. I'm talking to some cousins to find out more info and hopefully some pictures about him.

Hi Sam,

Have you had an opportunity to locate your great uncle Julian Mizell in the Company A photo? You may have read in the other 292nd thread that we are trying to name as many members in the picture as possible. If you have a photo of him to post, we could help you find him in there if you want.

Randy