I have an amazing story (well at least it's amazing to me). I am delighted to share this with you. Talk about coincidences... This is a letter I sent to the webmaster of the 167th Engineers.

Hi:

Was talking to one of my customers in my country store this morning (Alger, MI), and a gentleman who I had met before brought his return bottle slip to the counter. I looked down and saw the number 540. I said out loud, "That was my dad's unit in WWII". The gentleman looked at me and stated, "I was with the 167th. I was a combat engineer." Wow, "So was my father. He was a 540th Combat Engineer", and the conversation carried on.

We talked about where they both were and started discussing crossing the Rhine. I just happened to have an article published in Army Engineer Magazine this month, and showed him the front cover, a bridge over the Rhine. Told him I had a website and was producing a documentary on "my boys". He stated there was a book on his unit, but he wasn't sure where one could be procured. I asked him his name and company and he said he was Alfred Pappalardo, Co B. I told him I would get on the Internet and do some fishing after he left. He said he would be back in two weeks.

Well I found your site and I found his name in the Co B rosters. He will be SO THRILLED. Thus, I am writing to you today. I will pass along the info to him the next time I see him. I will also get his address and phone number too. Too bad I didn't do that this morning. I look forward to hearing from you, and I shall place your website link on mine in a couple of minutes.

Warmly, Marion J Chard Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek

540th Combat Engineer

www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com

Here's the correspondence I received this a few days later and the attachment too. Ain't this great?

Hi Marion -

 

Thank you for contacting our website. I am sending you a copy of our summer newsletter in the hopes that you can get a copy of it to Alfred Pappalardo.

 

We sure would like to invite him to attend the upcoming reunion.

 

I am also putting some contact information for some of the key people in charge of the reunion - men from the 167th that Alfred may remember.

 

Howard A MacCord (804) 272-2128

Sam C Brown Jr. (901) 860-0804

Jesse L Hicks (865) 922 22473

 

The newsletter is attached.

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Deborah Ziegler

(daughter of Orpha Theldon Ziegler)

Hi Marion -

 

I think I found the address for your customer, Alfred Pappalardo. Will mail a hard copy.

 

Alfred Pappalardo

11836 Larkins Rd

Brighton, MI 48114-9008

(810) 229-7617

 

 

Thank you so much,

 

Deborah

The_167th_Combat_Engineering_Summer_Newsletter_2008_1.pdf

More links on the 167th:

http://167thengineercombatbattalion.com/default.aspx

https://home.comcast.net/~167thengineer/His...%20Document.htm

http://www.usace.army.mil/publications/eng...-1-42/c-7-5.pdf