1251st Engineers

[Walt's Daughter]

Okay, I sent the photo to Dick and told him to view it as "looking at the photo" from left to right. Want to make sure I am getting this right, before I tack names up on the gallery.

[Walt's Daughter]

Okay, here is corrected list for photo! Many thanks!

 

 

Marion. I realized I had two 'rights' in my prior ID. As you requested - left #1, unknown; left #2 - Harry Alvord [i think]; left #3, Raymond Manning; #4 - me, Richard T. Deise; #5, a little to the front of me - Leon "Lippy" Lipschitz; #6 - Leroy Chronister; #7-Thomas Thomas.

To your knowledge, are any of these,

besides me, still living?

I have a complete listing of all the people of Company 'B' with names and addresses[when they joined the military] if you would like them. As a matter of fact, the entire battalion.

[elipten]

I have a copy of the "The Annual manual EM-1251" This was a picture book of the units history from activation at Camp Swift Texas 30 December 1943 to compliation date on 1 Sept 1945 at Camp Tophat by a publisher in Antwerpen

 

If there is interest and no objections I will try and get the book scanned and then send or publish on the web site if people are interested.

 

I had no luck finding this book in any library including the Army Engineers history library. probably assembled and sold or given to the men at the time they started heading stateside.

[civilwargal]

That's the book that I have. Dick Deise sent me a copy. It is wonderful that we have that resource.

[Walt's Daughter]

Marion,

 

Thought you and some others may be interested in this 2-1/2 Guilden note I found inside my father's 1251st Annual Manual. As I mentioned before, I have the complete book in fantastic condition (cover attached). When I get some time I plan on scanning the entire book which starts out at Camp Swift right here in Texas where I now reside.

 

My father, Lt. Philip W. Lett was platoon leader of 1st Platoon, C Company, 1251st Combat Engineers. He is in the middle of the front row in one of the attached pictures. On the back of this note, he wrote down all of the places that his unit went throughout England, Belgium, Holland, France and Germany. Please feel free to share this with anyone who is interested.

 

I really enjoyed reading all of the history about your father, especially the part about where he was born - Detroit. I was also born in Detroit at Grace Hospital, but many years later. I also saw that he was at Fort Custer, named after General George Armstrong Custer, who grew up in Monroe, Michigan - not too far away.

 

I am a collector of WWII artifacts and still have my father's uniforms in perfect condition, his German sword, daggers, medals, patches, etc and they are priceless to me. Dad also took a camera with him into combat and I have a box full of black and white slides from many of the battlefields.

 

Anyways, I just wanted to share some of this with you and wish you a very Merry Christmas!

 

Warmest regards,

 

Philip Warren Lett

 

Fairview, Texas