Welcome back after a long hiatus! Thanks for posting the latest, but your timing is also a bit spooky and uncanny because of an email I received today. Here is part of the letter:

I've placed pages for several of the crew on the WWII Memorial website and will complete this for all. I also have several uncles who served during WWII, in the Army and Navy, which is why I have arrived at your site. I noticed that my uncle Charles Moilanen was honored on the WWII Memorial site by the Polar Bear Association of WWII, 339th Regiment. I am assuming that this is my Uncle Charley, but I'm not entirely certain. I am hoping that someone on your website can help me find out for sure. My uncle passed away as a widower in 1999 at the age of 93, and he never had children. If this is indeed his page of honor, I would love to find out more about his service time activities. If this is not my uncle, I will try to make a page for him as best I can, knowing little about how or where he served.

This is from a woman named Judy, who just became a member today. I'm sure she will jump in when she gets the chance.

As I said, uncanny! :alien2:

Hi Gang!

This item probably doesn't look like much in the picture, but it's pretty neat. It is an original WWII Waterproof Rifle Bag for use in seaborne invasions, dated 1943. I was lucky to find one that's still in mint condition. I'm sure our WWII Vets have seen these before but this is a first for me.

Jim

I've never seen one like that either. We certainly haven't had anything like that here before.

This is from a woman named Judy, who just became a member today.

Yes, I got a PM from her and we have made contact. She has evidence to believe that her Uncle was a member of the 339th 'Polar Bear' Regiment. I wrote the current historian of the Polar Bear Association to see if he finds the name on a roster. He has finished a manuscript on the history of the 339th Regiment but can't get it published.

{Edited to add Update}

I sent the info about Judy's uncle to two of my friends and asked for help. The first person is a genealogist who is good at finding families, burial sites and interestingly, WW2 Enlistment Records. She found a reference that identied the soldier was a member of HQ Company, 3rd Battalion, 339th Infantry Regiment. She also dicovered the soldier had a famous uncle---his uncle was Big Louie who stood at 8 feet and 4 inches tall. Of course, Judy knew this bit of family history.

The second person is the Historian of the Polar Bear Association. John located a WW2 roster that listed this soldier as a member of the HQ Company of the 3rd Battalion and included his full Name, Rank and Serial Number. So, I consider the case closed as they confirmed that her Uncle was in fact a member of the Custer Division. Now Judy has info that will allow her to do much more research into his unit and look for General Orders that may tell about what he did.

BTW, when I was reading GO's at the Archives, I found some Bronze Star Medals issued to clerks in the HQ units who were written up for their dedicated service. Nothing mentioned about being in combat.

Steve

I'm going to post a picture of my Invasion Armband one more time., Why? Because I was lucky enough to get it ID'ed by a family member of the GI who wore it...along with a diary (copy) that was kept by the soldier's captain of their service In: Afrika-Sicily-Italy-Corsica- France-and the Isle of Capri.

The GI that wore this armband was: Tech Sgt. Raymond E. Tanner

1059th Signal Corps, attached to

12th Army Air Force

This is the only item in my collection with a verifiable history so I'm very happy to have it!

Dogdaddy

How cool is that ?!?!?!

I second that! It is just great when an item has provenance. Congrats!

This is my little collection. Part 1.

My Band of Brothers / 101st - 82nd Airborne collection. You can see the books of Don Burgett too. There is an autograph from Mr. Burgett in all books.

Part 2

Old Hickory. 30th Infantry Division. The workhorse on the western front.

IDPF of SsGT. Roy L. Booher. Company K 119th Regiment 30 Old Hickory Division. (not original but we got copies of the original IDPF)

Picture of Roy L. Booher. We also have an IDPF from pfc. Adan Farias but we can't find a picture of him. even the still picture reference team can't help us. If someone has another idea ... please let me know.

A helmet which was found in The Hurtgenwald (Hurtgen forest) The part of the mortar shell was found by myself in the Bois Jacques woods near Foy (Bastogne)

A plate from the 60's from the American Cemetery in Margraten Holland.

Almost everything without the books.

Some more will follow. That's for sure.

If someone has some comments and/or questions about some things don't hesitate. Let me know it. I will appreciate it very much.

Regards,

Frank

I ask also an IDPF from my 13 soldiers. Which I adopt the graves .

what I did what I had written the historycal society of their birthplace .

They send me newspaper clippings with photos and an article about its disappearance

LT Harold S Riley Jr

I attached the document that you can see for yourself

VEE