Camp near Siegberg Germany?

[Jean Jacobson]

Christoph, You did it again! You are over the top as they say!

 

You must have been laughing when you realized what a shock I would have when I looked at what you wrote. How on earth did you find A. A. Grano.

 

And, yes, that is the Norton I write about! He and his wife are such lovely people! I have to go look at the copy I 1st found, the copy he gave me did not have his military unit etc. on it. I had worked backwards based on his location when captured to figure it out back then.

 

My problem is I need Steve to make the files so I can attach them to this site. There are other things I want to attach.

 

As always, I have to study everything you send. The story on A. Grano is complex. He mentions a French family and going into Germany. The Guards could be outside the Camp and maybe he was in the barracks but I have to think through all of the pieces. Oh, Christoph, this is soooo incredible!

 

I am going to go to that website and I know I will lose the message so I will post now.

 

Have a great day! You have sure left me puzzling over this one.

 

Jean J

[Jean Jacobson]

Christoph, I went to the above alangrano website and after looking at the beautiful presentation I decided to google alangrano.

 

It appears Alan Grano has a business and a website and I could sign on to it, but I am concerned about doing that. There is a site that does not require you to be on facebook etc. but I want to check it out before I sign up. If I can do that, I would like to see if he has additional notes or information on his Dad.

 

The story sounds familiar (in the basement) but all of the parts about Siegburg do not. I will ask Norton about it as well. When I was with Norton, I asked Norton what did they talk about when they talked. And Norton said Food! And they made up all kinds of crazy recipes.

 

It is so easy to get the stories and data a little mixed up. When I was working on getting my papers better organized (huge task), I have already seen a few things that I have written that were not quite accurate and will one day correct or do so now.

 

One of those was that Norton never saw or heard of a Gidrie. It was my Dad that talked to Norton and the group of them and said he was going to escape. And it was then that Dad showed him the gun.

 

I have in my notes the VD story that I mentioned above. But I told it incorrectly. After 2 days and 1 night (the debriefing period) they were sent to a hospital in a VD Ward (in Aachen). They learned that because someone came in and all of a sudden the 4 other men in the Ward (the Ward was for 6) got up and bent over for injection. Dad knew then it was VD. They had to stay there that night until beds could be found in a regular ward with war wounded people. The VD guys would go back to jail/tank after cured because they would have had a sentence because not supposed to mess around and VD shows broke the law.

 

I asked Dad what about the men's military records and he said it would be on there forever. If so, I bet some were happy when the records all burned in St. Louis.

 

Thank you again for helping me so much!!!

 

I will make a file for A. Grano, so sad he is deceased.

 

Jean J

[Christoph]

Jean

Here's another interesting story, but another Guidry. At the start I thougt it might be Gidrie, but the return is different to your dad's story. Edit: But... the 1st Infantry was near Remagen, the Sieg and Hennef those days.

http://freepages.gen...eryjguidry.html

 

Christoph

[Jean Jacobson]

Christoph, You are such a treasure! Your middle initial must be R. for researcher.

 

I really enjoyed reading the article and like you was looking for any clue. If only we could get lucky enough that the Guidry/Guedry/.. that you and I are looking for has family that write something up about him. When looking through the 78th Division Flash newletters I saw a Guidry/Guedry or some spelling and was euphoric. But soon realized wrong one. I even wondered if this one might know the other. But what I learned from others and I think recently from the lady at the WW2 Museum, because she is from Louisiana, that G/G is a common name in Louisiana. To me it sounded so unusual and the only G/G I ever heard of was the one in Dad's life. Also when Mom and Dad tried to find him his city had gone away. Yep, and that was way before Hurricane Katrina. I wonder if he died fairly young, because it is odd that he lost touch with my Dad. Especially since he had visited them at some point.

 

My hope is the famous debriefing records will have G/G's name and some way to pursue at least some of his history. I wonder when he was captured and where. And how long had he been at Siegburg and a billion other things.

 

The 1st Infantry Division is the one a kind lady researched for me I thought I put the info on this site. I was shocked when they did not have any info on the escape at all. I have to get all of this info organized, as I mentioned, so I can more quickly access things and get them out to you. If this info is not on this site, I will put it here. Mr. Kleemann in Remagen thought the 1st Division might be the one too.

 

Thank you for everything! I am working on Mom's 90th Birthday celebration.

 

Jean J

[Christoph]

Have you seen the videos Mary has posted on Youtube?

Walter Brinegar POW, 2 parts:

 

I'm afraid my English is not good enough to understand a lot

 

Christoph

[Jean Jacobson]

Christoph,

 

Again another shock! No I never heard or saw this! Maybe Marion worked with Mary on this.

 

Just so you know, your English is terrific! It is very hard to understand the voices on this recording. I wonder if I can find out where an original of the interview would be, or at least a copy that is closer to the first recording.

 

I think the April 8th date, that I understood from this recording, coincides with the date Waldbrol was liberated.

 

Maybe he was 1 of the 2 that were ambulatory out of the 71 men.

 

Also after hearing him speak, I am not so sure it was Dad telling him the Nun's might understand him. Now I know he was at Siegburg long enough to have seen my Dad more than that one time, unless of course, Dad did not take care of the section he was in. If he saw my Dad everyday, as Norton did, or almost every day I believe he would have referred to the person differently. I really need to send KF a wartime photo of Dad or just be patient until I get to meet him.

 

He sounds like such a sweet/nice man. And there was more in the recording than on the paper that I was working on. Thank you for bringing the video to my attention Christoph!

 

How lucky we are that Walter and his family made such an effort to record his war time experiences!

 

You will be seeing this in the AM - So again Thank You!

 

Jean J

[Christoph]

Jean

 

Your idea to name the storm "Christoph" does not work as the name is used for the high pressure area which has reached us these days

http://www.wetteronline.de/wotexte/redaktion/trend/2012/09/0903_Spaetsommer-bleibt-vorerst.htm

 

Christoph

[Walt's Daughter]

Hello to you Marion and Christoph!

 

I have copied what you sent and will read it as soon as I can Christoph.

 

Pretty amazing what your Dad did Marion!

 

Those guys were truly an unimaginable generation.

 

Jean: Yes, pretty amazing would put it nicely, along with numerous other descriptive adjectives! I am still awe-struck each time I read the archives or hear a recollection from a combat engineer regarding their WWII tour of duty. The bridge crossings over the Rhine were nothing but astounding!

 

I try to follow this topic at least a few times per week, and again find myself in awe of each new discovery. I have not had a chance to view the video yet, but will try to do so after I post this...

[Jean Jacobson]

Christoph, You are so funny! I told you that you were brewing up storms. And it is hilarious to incredible that you brewed up one in your own back yard!

 

Marion, it is so true, what those men did is really beyond words for me to describe!!! If only, they could have all lived longer! What a loss! How I would have loved to have known them and been able to shake their hand and Thanked them in whatever way I could have!

 

Regarding the Walter movie, when Steve has time, he is going to capture the sound and put it on disc and try to clean it up a little bit, so it is clearer. I will let you know the results whenever that gets done.

 

Marion, you may only look at this a few times per week but I can hardly wait to look at it daily. And because Christoph writes at such unusual times for my schedule it is extra shocking to see when and WHAT he has written. And I love your thoughts and comments and those very funny characters you frequently send along with your messages.

 

I have a little update to write but will send it after I do the next installment of work on Mom's party.

 

Jean J

[Jean Jacobson]

I have some War news.

 

Last night I called Prisoner #2, KF, and chatted just briefly. He has a lot of things on his mind which includes some health issues. He also said he did not sleep well after we spoke. I gave him Norton's phone number. And hopefully he will call him. KF will be leaving this location in about 6 weeks and I would never want to try to visit him at this time. So hopefully everything will be okay health wise for him, and maybe I can call or see him in the future.

 

I called Norton and told him that maybe KF will call him. He had already told me that it was okay for me to give KF his address.

 

I learned from Norton that lice cause typhus. I did not know that. I thought they just caused you to itch. And the Americans were so lucky that they had injections to protect themselves from typhus.

 

More to follow,

Jean J