172nd Engineers

[Walt's Daughter]

Dear Ms. Chard:

 

My father was a member of the 172nd Combat Engineer Battalion, attached to the 9th Army, during WWII. He is no longer with us, but I am trying to locate some of the members of his battalion, and hopefully, attend some of their reunions. I am a war correspondent for The Associated Press; the first radio-tv correspondent to cross into Iraq on the night of March 20, 2003. I have covered all of America's military adventures since the Invasion of Panama in 1989, including the Gulf War, Somalia and Haiti prior to the Invasion of Iraq.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

 

Ross W. Simpson

 

 

Welcome. We've spoken via email, and I'm providing the information I've discovered in the interim.

 

 

http://www.1142combatengineers.com/documents.htm

 

http://www.xixcorps.nl/XIX_Corps_Units_(ND)_ENGR.htm

 

You may want to contact this museum. See first post regarding:

 

Barquest, Glenn D. and Lucille Barquest. Life of a Draftee in World War II: September 16, 1940 to April 1, 1951.

Eau Claire, WI: G. Barquest, 2001. 97 p.

Barquest, an Anson, Wisconsin native, served with the 172nd Engineering Combat Battalion, 23rd Armored Engineers during World War II. His account includes induction, basic training at Camp Polk (Louisiana), gunnery school at Fort Knox (Kentucky), officer candidate school, and trips overseas. Barquest also includes an account of service in France, Germany, Holland, and the Battle of the Bulge. Also discussed are recreation activities, occupation duty, and service in the Reserves.

 

http://museum.dva.state.wi.us/Res_WWII.asp

 

 

See this interesting page:

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=vM4Fwx0B7...t&resnum=10

 

 

Here's a pdf file on the 278th Engineers. It discusses how they were attached to the 172nd Engs:

 

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancest...thengineers.pdf

 

 

Grand Blanc veteran recalls role in Holland cemetery for film crew

http://viewnewspapers.net/moxie2/living/gr...ran-recal.shtml

 

 

James Satterfield & Wayne Combs

 

Received - 8/29/00

 

* Wayne Combs received the items from James Satterfield at a reunion. Combs then gave them to the Marshall Foundation. Both men merely wanted to find a good place for the items.

* A large cartoon-style drawing of the History of the 172nd Combat Engineer Battalion, and a large typed Battalion History of the 172nd Combat Engineer Battalion from activation to D-E Day.

 

This info can be gathered from the George Marshall Memories Project

 

http://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/...ries_2001b.html

 

 

 

The Siegfried Line, 1944 - 45 Battles on the German Frontier - By Steve Zaloga

 

There is a photo of the 172nd -

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=r0HExqmXd...lt&resnum=6

 

 

 

As I tell all my viewers and members, please see our research section for further ideas on how to gather information on WWII units. Please let me know if I be can of further assistance, but this should get you started.

[Walt's Daughter]

Some recent info. This was sent to me via email...

Quote

 

Marion,

I stumbled across this site at I was looking up information on my grandfather who passed away yesterday 1/22/18.  Glenn D. Barquest, member of the 172 Engineer Combat Battalion.  I have heard some stories about him and his men.  I was seeing if their was any public information about what his Battalion had encountered.  Some of the early stories I heard were of entering liberated towns and games of baseball.  It wasn't until later that I heard stories of why my grandpa didn't want to attend his Army reunion as he thought the men would hate him for how demanding he was.  Eventually he started attending the events in Asheville  NC and I started hearing stories of his time in WWII.  I am just looking for some more information.  I know he had several books that he authored but didn't know what I would stumble upon.

Regards,

Chad Stanek

 

 

CHIPPEWA FALLS/EAU CLAIRE — Glenn D. Barquest, 99, of Chippewa Falls, formerly of Eau Claire passed away peacefully Monday, Jan. 22, 2018, at Chippewa Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation’s, Chippewa Falls.

Glenn was born March 30, 1918, in the town of Anson, Chippewa County, to Arthur and Mollie (Buske) Barquest.

Glenn grew up on a farm east of Bateman, in Chippewa County. Glenn entered the U.S. Army June 17, 1941 and was deployed to Europe for World War II during 1944-45. He served honorably, rising to the rank of Captain and returned home Nov. 26, 1945.

 

On Dec. 15, 1945, Glenn married G. Lucille Vradenburg of Durand, Wis. Glenn received his bachelor’s degree from UW-River Falls, in June 1946. In June 1956, Glenn enrolled at UW-Madison, where he received his doctorate degree in agricultural engineering and was promoted to professor. Glenn taught at UW-Madison, living in Middleton, Wis., and raising his family, until his retirement in 1982, after which he and Lucille moved from Middleton to Eau Claire.

Glenn was active in Chapel Heights UMC, Eau Claire; The American Legion Post 550, Brackett, Wis.; Epsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity; National Retired Teachers Assoc.; Wisconsin Retired Teachers Assoc.; Kiwanis Club; and the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.

Glenn is survived by his wife of 72 years, Lucille; daughter, Linda (John) Stanek of Cadott; sons, Brian (Lori) of Eau Claire and Bradley (Joann) of Coon Rapids, Minn.; nine grandchildren, Sarah (Darren) Schnedecker, Anna (Johnny) Deeds, Amanda (Scott) Sullivan, Chad Stanek, Laura (Kyle) O’Brien, Megan (Evan) Hoffman, Ethan Barquest, Emily Barquest and Elliot Barquest; and eight great-grandchildren.

Glenn was preceded in death by his parents; and two sisters, Joyce Gannon and Vera Anderson.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Chapel of the Resurrection at the Chippewa Manor, 222 Chapman Road, Chippewa Falls, with the Rev. Robert B. Hoekstra officiating. Military honors will be conducted by the Brackett American Legion Post #550 immediately following the service at the Chapel.

 

Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until the time of service at 10:30 a.m. at the Chippewa Manor Chapel.

Interment will follow the service at Batemen Cemetery, town of Lafayette. A luncheon will follow at Bateman English Lutheran Church, town of Lafayette, Chippewa County.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the family (Glenn D. Barquest Memorial Fund), which will be donated to charities that were dear to Glenn’s heart.

Pederson-Volker Funeral Chapel & Cremation Services, Chippewa Falls is serving the family. Visit pedersonvolker.com to express online condolences.