Roque JRiojas

[roque_riojas]

Walts Daughter; My most sencere condolences on the loss of your mother.

I know how painful that is. But the best thing is, she is at home now,next to

Our Lord in heaven. Today Sunday 22, I went to get interviewed again This

is the 3rd interview I have had and I hope it's the last. And it was videotaped.

They asked me if I belonged to any orgs. And did I hold any positions.

Wrong question! So I told him I was Sr. Vice Cmndr. Amer. Legion P609,

Chaplain V.F.W. P18, Service Off. Amer. G.I. Forum,(Hispanic Org.) and to

top it off I am Sr. Vice President of the 34th Divn. Assoc. and will become

President in Sept. 2006. But other than that I was just a home body.

Nuf said fer now. Again thank you for having this old dogface in this forum.

Roque Riojas. Bet you can't pronounce it.. (rokey reohaas), Spanish name....

[Custermen]

Again thank you for having this old dogface in this forum.

Roque Riojas. Bet you can't pronounce it.. (rokey reohaas), Spanish name....

 

Glad to meet you and have you stop by here. I've been studying the American units that served in the Italian Campaign for many years now. My dad served there, too. Also, speaking of Spanish names, I know a chap who created a website about the 88th Division and several men in his unit had Spanish names.

Do you know Patrick Skelly? He is a son of a veteran and is the webmaster for the 34th Division Association website and attends all of their reunions.

I'm in the process of reading "An Army at Dawn", which is a new book about the North Africa campaign.

Thanks for dropping in.

 

Steve

[Walt's Daughter]

Walts Daughter; My most sencere condolences on the loss of your mother.

I know how painful that is. But the best thing is, she is at home now,next to

Our Lord in heaven. Today Sunday 22, I went to get interviewed again This

is the 3rd interview I have had and I hope it's the last. And it was videotaped.

They asked me if I belonged to any orgs. And did I hold any positions.

Wrong question! So I told him I was Sr. Vice Cmndr. Amer. Legion P609,

Chaplain V.F.W. P18, Service Off. Amer. G.I. Forum,(Hispanic Org.) and to

top it off I am Sr. Vice President of the 34th Divn. Assoc. and will become

President in Sept. 2006. But other than that I was just a home body.

Nuf said fer now. Again thank you for having this old dogface in this forum.

Roque Riojas. Bet you can't pronounce it.. (rokey reohaas), Spanish name....

Man, you are a busy boy! Was getting dizzy reading about all the organizations that you belong(ed) to. When I read about the 34th Div I though, this is the guy I have to talk to. Looks like I found a goldmine within you sir.

 

I am slowly creeping my way back into the forum. There are so many posts for me to read and reply to. Once again welcome. Oh and thank you for your words of consolation.

[Walt's Daughter]

Roque-

 

I noticed that you sent me some posts that I think you wanted to post here. They were sent to my Email Inbox. You address certain people in them including me, so I am taking the liberty of posting them here.

 

Custerman; Yes Anzio was not very big and NO we did not

look up at the airshow. We just tried to dig our foxholes a

little deeper and kept our heads and azzez down.

The combat engineers just before daylite they had a jeep

rigged up and they would go like a bat out nof hell with

a FOGGER rigged in the back and laid a smoke screen for

us. As a dogface I SALUTE THE COMBAT ENGINEERS!!!!

Roque

 

Talking about ANZIO, we wuz there. Anybody hear of

the 34th.I.D. The 1st. Ranger Bn. was there also. That

Bn. was started in Ireland with Cpt. Darby and 80% of the

men were from the 34th. Yes Anzio was hell.hole, just

like Monte Cassino. (the town and the abbey).Puro

MexoAmericano. Roque

 

Texas38; I salute the 36th Divn. And for what its worth

I was with the 34th Divn. Salerno to North of Bologna,

A little over 8oo miles. PLUS the 36th had a whole lot

of my countrymen! Remember the Alamo! joke.

 

Somewhere I saw that you recommended the book Dogfaces Who Smiled Through Tears. I too highly recommend that book. I read it during the summer of 2004 and it is listed on my Books Page on the main site.

[Walt's Daughter]

From Roque to Joe:

 

j3rdinf, I forgot what was in the k rations, I know crackers

cheese, cigs, but what else. BTW, the meeting Sun. went

O.K. I'm even on video! It'd 8pm K.C. time and I just

got another e-mail from the State of Kansas Comndr. of

our hispanic org. A.G.I.F. He wants me to go to Topeka,

Kansas,(state capitol) to give a talk for the education of

children of emmigrant parents. I think Ks. Reps. will be

there. Hell, Joe I wonder if going to D.C. and give the

Senators a talking to. Just kidding. Sea ya buddy.Roque

[Walt's Daughter]

From Rocky to Marilyn:

 

texas38; Did you e-mail me about the tour to Italy with

the Texas 36th? If yes those pics were beautiful and I

think the ceiling sprung a sudden leak when I saw the

wreath being placed atthe 34th Divn. memorial stone cause

I suddenly felt some drops comming down my face.

Thank you so very much. Roque

[Walt's Daughter]

Posted here for Roque:

 

 

Montecatinni Rest Area, 5thArmy service, OR Special svc.

 

I guess I am getting to old to remember but I sure don't recall seeing anything like that, course upin the mountains all we saw was the mule trains bringing our supplies.

 

I wouldn't mind hearing more about the Montecatnni place. 34th I.D.

[Walt's Daughter]

Sent to me by Roque. Thank you for another great post.

 

 

Re- the story of PFC Newman Hodgson's experiences in Italy. I salute him for what he went thru and did there.

 

He gave is acc. of the depression as a farm boy. As a city boy it was quite different. We had to have food stamps. Dad and I went to the R.R. tracks and looked for RR ties to bring home and chop them up for firewood. We had a potbelly stove in the middle room and Mom would drape a sheet behind it and we took our bath behind it. At age 14 and 15 we (family), went to work in the beet fields in Mich. AT 19 I went to work at Armours Packing House, pork trim dept. UncleSam called me at 20. 1942. Took basic at Camp Roberts Ca.

 

Landed in Oran N. Africa May '43. Saw last action of the 34th I.D. 135th Regt. in N. Africa. Went in at Salerno Sept. '43 fought all the way to the town of Cassino and then the Monastery. From there to Anzio. After Anzio we saw so many towns that I just don't recall but if you can find the book called, DOGFACES WHO SMILED THROUGH TEARS---

 

It will give you an accurate account of the 34th. I don't remember the unit that was attached to us but I was in the 135th 1st Bn. and I think you might have been with the 168 Regt. along with the 133rd Regt. Anyway it has been figured we traveled over 8oo miles in Italy.

 

Lotsa walking, huh! I loved your story, again **Salute**

Roque J.Riojas 1stBn. 135th Inf. Regt. 34th Inf. Divn.

[chambers]

Thanks for relaying those messages from Roque.

 

I checked my library's online catalog and they don't have that book. DOGFACES WHO SMILED THROUGH TEARS Checked a couple online book stores and cheapest I saw was $90.

 

Brooke

[roque_riojas]

Thanks for relaying those messages from Roque.

 

I checked my library's online catalog and they don't have that book. DOGFACES WHO SMILED THROUGH TEARS Checked a couple online book stores and cheapest I saw was $90.

 

Brooke

Chambers, you can get the book DOGFACES WHO SMILED

THROUGH TEARS FROM THE 34th I.D. Museum in

Des Moines, Ia. E-mail andphone-----

Jerry Gorden

Natl. Sect. at jlg34d@msn.com--ph. 515-276-5677. Roque J. Riojas.