160th Engineer Combat Battalion WW II ( new member)

[CaptO]

Wow! I have a hard time remembering people I served with two years ago!

I will say, however, I do remember guys from my platoon in Iraq a lot better than others - and that's been 13 years (hard to imagine it's been that long). I imagine that being with the same set of guys for 2-3 years would really sear details into your memory. I was only with my guys from 9 months.

 

[glen blasingim]

CaptO, is that you in the back? Nice picture, you have been in a lot of organizations in your career, Dad was always in the 160th and some of the guys he remembers were with him from the time the 160th was formed until they left Austria.  I hope there are a few more people out there who can pick out their Dad's , Grandfathers, Uncles or friends in this photograph. There might even be someone who could remember a fellow engineer or two, let's hope.

 

p.s.- Write it down, it might be valuable to someone soon.

Glen Blasingim

[CaptO]

Yep, that's me in the back right. Since the majority of my photos from that trip were digital, I changed the file name for all of the pictures (several hundred!) with either the place or name of the individual/s therein. I made sure to do this within a few months of returning so I would not forget names. I also have a headshot of each of the Marines in my platoon with their name tape showing. I knew that I would want to be able to put names to faces some day!

[glen blasingim]

That is a great way to remember people you have served with. Your photograph quality is better and being digital it won't fade. That will be appreciated, I already do. I noticed that their are several weapons configurations in the Photograph. I am just curious, what is standard issue? Do Marines have a choice? There is so much available for that gun, I wondered what the Marines found useful and reliable.

[Walt's Daughter]

Thought I had done this already, so my profuse apologies. This is a file compiled by Doug Steinke.

 

 

Quote

 

Marion,

 

Thanks for your reply. Let me reassure you that I am in no way associated with any kind of spammer or have any political agenda. I did send a paragraph to your general email giving a little of my background interest in your website. I lost my father back in 2001. His name is Robert J. Steinke. He was a sergeant in the 160th Combat Engineers during WWII. Recently I was reading a very well written document from Glen Basingim on your forum website whose father was Edwin Basingim who also served in the 160th Combat Engineers in WWII. My father was in Company "A" and Edwin was in Company "B", they both had the same Battalion commander. When I read Glen's article there are some things I can add to it with documents my father kept from the war like the ship they sailed home on was called the "Europa" a captured German vessel. I can also help Glen identify some of the people in the photos he posted from his fathers campaign book which is identical to my fathers campaign book. 

 

In addition I have been working on my family tree through Ancestry.com In another discovery, my father had a second cousin to his mother who was a Major General during WWII under General Douglas MacArthur. His name is George Jacob Nold. He was stationed in Alaska during WWI and was in charge of the 10th Army. I have been doing research on him and have a PowerPoint presentation that I could send you as well if you are interested.

 

Sorry for getting too wordy here but I again want to reassure you I am simply an interested researcher looking for clues to my past.

 

Please let me know if you need anything else from me and I hope that I meet your criteria to become a site member.

 

Best Regards,

 

Doug Steinke 

 

 

Robert_J_Steinke_160th_Engineer.pdf

[glen blasingim]

(12MAR18) Thanks Marion, this is great. I will try to get in touch with Doug and see if he will let me put those names to faces in pictures that we have already posted. I hope to learn more about the 160th from him. Keep up the good work.

Glen Blasingim

 

(23JUN18) I have not been able to get in touch with Doug. I am going to add the names of people that he has identified in pictures that I have already posted. I would like to add something about his Dad and post some pictures of him. I would especially appreciate personal accounts from memories that Doug has of things that his Dad has told him over the years.

Glen Blasingim

[Michael McBride]

My Father Kenneth McBride was in the 160th Co B I have the same photo of Co B that I saw on here. He is #56 in the photo. I;m glad to fing some info as he passed away in 1960 when I was 7 yr old. The only info I have is the photo, the burial record and his Medals. He was wounded somewhere in Europe and lost his arm at the shoulder. If anyone has any info I would be very interested.

[Michael McBride]

On 12/11/2017 at 1:13 PM, glen blasingim said:

This is a photograph of 160th Engineer Combat Battalion, Company B. By the ranks of some of the men in the photograph and by who is in it I estimate that it was taken late summer- early fall 1944. The first photograph is of Dad identifying some of his friends that he remembers after 72 years.

I have numbered each man in the company photograph and have identified the ones that Dad remembered by number. If anyone can put a name to a face please add to the list.

Identified:

   3  Blasingim, Edwin N., First Sgt., Chattanooga, Tenn.

  19 Rydelski, Chester P., Pfc., Erie, Penn

  23 Kallam, Thelbert O., Sgt., Stonefield, N.C.

  25 Rydelski, Joseph S., Pfc., Erie, Penn

  54 Baxter, Harold G., Tec 5, Pittsburgh, Penn

  79 Church, Ray L., Tec 4, Chicago, Illinois

  87 Turner, Roby D., Tec 5, Royboro, N.C.

  88 Bolek, Joseph W., Sgt., Hammond, Indiana

  89 Cannon, Harry A., Sgt. Nzssa, Oregon

  92 Wheeler, Gaither J., Ssgt., Tampa, Fla

  95 Miller, George J., Tec 4, Terrehaute, Indiana

  96 Korol, Benedick P., Pfc., Pittsburgh, Penn

  99 Anderson, Oscar G., Tec 5, Indianapolis, Indiana

100 Krum, Irwin, Pfc., Philadelphia, Penn

113 Mayes, Archie S., Major, Warrensburg, Mo

114 Lybarger, Ernest W., 2Lt., Brooklyn, N.Y.

 

My Father is #56 in this photo. Private Kenneth McBride Baltimore, MD. I have this same photo and it has numbers on the back with rank and last name up to number 60 but does not tell how the numbers run.

[Walt's Daughter]

Welcome to our forum. Wonderful to see yet another person identified in this photo. 

[glen blasingim]

Michael, it is good to hear from you. We are so glad to know that your Dad, Private Kenneth C. McBride is in this picture and now has his name with his face. My Dad has passed also and probably knew yours. I can't imagine how difficult it was to lose your Dad at such an early age. Thank you for your Dad's service and sacrifice. We are always interested in what he did and where he went in Europe and other places, we want to always remember what was done for us and why we have the freedoms we have today. Be sure to pass his memory along to all the youngsters in your family. Write down what you remember being told and save the keepsakes for someone. My posts have several B company photographs, do you or anyone else recognize your Dad in any other photographs? We are interested in anything you can share about your Dad. Thanks.

Glen Blasingim