More on the 344th for eveyone including this woman who just wrote to me today:
Hello,
I am trying to find out about my fathers service in WWII. His name is Clem W. Ritter Jr. He has been deceased for over 10 years now and I am trying to gather information so that when my mother passes I can have them buried in VA cemetery here in Minnesota. I have been in contact with the VA in St. Louis and here in Minnesota and was informed that most of his records were destroyed in a fire. Because I cannot obtain his records due to the fire they will only allow his lowest rank to be engraved on the headstone. I know that my father reached the rank of 1st lieutenant and I want to honor him by having that rank be displayed on his headstone. The VA told me that if I can find out more info on his service that they might have more to go on in the search.
I know that he was in the 344th Corp. Of Engineers and served from 1941-1943 and then in 1945. I was told that if I could find a photo of him in uniform with his rank status on his uniform that it would work for them to confirm his highest rank so I'm currently going through many old photo's.
I'm hoping that you can tell me how to research his service more in depth. I went to the US army web site and printed out the lists of symbols and insignia's as well as service medals in hopes that I can find out more info. I have a photo with a insignia which appears on his left shoulder but I cannot find that insignia anywhere. I am told that this was his unit patch. I figured that if I could find out his unit then that would help.
Do you have any suggestions??
(Email Address left off for privacy)
Thank you for your time,
Lisa C. Ritter
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Dear Lisa:
Here is a book that you might be interested in:
http://www.ebookstand.com/books.grp/GE1181.html
Other links:
http://www.tshaonline.org//handbook/online...s/CC/fcabh.html
November 8, 2009
Marion's note: Found several of these links were no longer available. What a shame when history is lost this way...
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"