I had previously posted these images on another thread, but I thought the 292nd gang might like to see them. This is a Easter greetings card that my grandfather sent to my grandmother. It does not have a date on it but would have had to have been 1944 or 1945.
I haven't meant to be anti-social! I've been busy or sick for several weeks now. I've been reading the news post digests but didn't get online.
First, I am absolutely thrilled that the photo has pleased several of you. It really is a beauty! To be honest, the rest of my husband's family wasn't all that interested in it, but I'm an Army brat and know meaningful photos when I see them. (My dad was a Vietnam vet. He died 10 years ago.) I am so pleased to have found others who wanted a copy because it deserves to be remembered. My husband and I had the original framed with a simple black frame and dark khaki matting, and it just looks Outstanding! -- as my dad would say. Very military.
To answer someone's question, I'm afraid I don't have any information about the circumstances where Sterling acquired the panoramic photo of Company A. We found it up under the eaves in the unfinished attic after both Sterling and Hazel died. I'm horrified that we nearly missed it. Sterling was from North Carolina, so Camp Butner wasn't too far from home, so maybe he brought the photo home while other guys didn't manage to. He came home to Chapel Hill on a weekend pass to marry Hazel before shipping out from Butner. Assuming the photo was taken at Butner, which is not necessarily a good assumption, I guess.
I'm wondering whether this string should be transferred to a new string titled more accurately, so maybe more people can find it.
Anyway, I probably won't post much but will keep following the digests with interest. If anyone else wants a copy of the photo, Hampton House said they would keep the electronic file for three years. I'll get a copy of the file myself before that time is up but haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll post it at that point, but as several of you have found out, the Hampton House prints are a bargain.
Well, so much for not posting much! Went looking for something and once again found something else -- ain't the Internet grand? Anyway, just in case y'all haven't seen it, the Camp Butner Society has a Facebook page. They're trying to raise enough funds to restore the place. Here's the link. https://www.facebook.com/CampButnerSociety
I haven't meant to be anti-social! I've been busy or sick for several weeks now. I've been reading the news post digests but didn't get online.
First, I am absolutely thrilled that the photo has pleased several of you. It really is a beauty! To be honest, the rest of my husband's family wasn't all that interested in it, but I'm an Army brat and know meaningful photos when I see them. (My dad was a Vietnam vet. He died 10 years ago.) I am so pleased to have found others who wanted a copy because it deserves to be remembered. My husband and I had the original framed with a simple black frame and dark khaki matting, and it just looks Outstanding! -- as my dad would say. Very military.
To answer someone's question, I'm afraid I don't have any information about the circumstances where Sterling acquired the panoramic photo of Company A. We found it up under the eaves in the unfinished attic after both Sterling and Hazel died. I'm horrified that we nearly missed it. Sterling was from North Carolina, so Camp Butner wasn't too far from home, so maybe he brought the photo home while other guys didn't manage to. He came home to Chapel Hill on a weekend pass to marry Hazel before shipping out from Butner. Assuming the photo was taken at Butner, which is not necessarily a good assumption, I guess.
I'm wondering whether this string should be transferred to a new string titled more accurately, so maybe more people can find it.
Anyway, I probably won't post much but will keep following the digests with interest. If anyone else wants a copy of the photo, Hampton House said they would keep the electronic file for three years. I'll get a copy of the file myself before that time is up but haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll post it at that point, but as several of you have found out, the Hampton House prints are a bargain.
Thanks, all!
Lisa
Lisa,
You are correct that this photo is a treasure and definitely a bargain. I can appreciate your being an "Army brat" since my dad served 25 yrs in the Army before an additional 20 years serving the U.S. as a member of Civil Service at his last posting (Fort Campbell, Ky) assisting retirees and widows/widowers of retirees to be sure that they received all of the benefits they deserved for serving their country. He's been gone a year in a half now, but there isn't a day that goes by that his service to his country doesn't inspire me. My Dad's Dad (Randall Gates) was not career military, but just another of the millions of "Normal Joes" who sacrificed for the greater good during WW II. He volunteered in December of 1943 at the age of 34 and with a family of six (including himself). He didn't have to go because of the size of his family, but chose to give of himself for all those who love freedom and democracy. This is yet another inspiration that drives me forward to honor these great men (and women) and is another of the millions of stories of those who gave of themselves. We can't tell every story, but we can do our part when it comes to the 292nd. Let us continue to honor these great men by preserving their memories, their experiences, their photos and their artifacts for posterity and for future generations. That is our charge, my friends!
Gary
Gary L. Gates
Proud Grandson of Randall Gates
Mechanic, A and H&S Companies, 292nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 1149th Engineer Combat Group
I didn't pick up on this the first time I looked at your father's discharge paper but now I see he was National Guard before active army. For "Component" in box #5 is typed "NG", which of course stands for National Guard. Under "Remarks" in box #34 is typed "In state service NG of Illinois 4 Apr 40 to 4 Mar 41". This gives us the time frame of his National Guard service and also tells us whatever Guard unit he belonged to was activated to regular army service on 5 Mar 41. Armed with this knowledge we might be able to narrow it down to which unit he initially belonged to. Guard units were typically assigned to a infantry or artillery regiment etc., then placed with a division upon being called to active service. I did a quick google search for Illinois Guard units activated on 5 Mar 41, elements of the 33rd Infantry Division was what it mainly showed. That dog isn't gonna hunt though because the 33rd was deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations. We do have this track we can follow. I'll keep looking and maybe Gary can pick up the scent, see if we can find this bird!
Randy
I discovered two more photos of my father, one standing in front of what looks like an ambulance and the other behind a sign for the 108 Medical Unit, which, as you point out, was part of the 33rd Infantry Division.
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
If that was taken in 1941 and depending on what month it was he would have been 20 or 21. A young guy, indeed!
I discovered two more photos of my father, one standing in front of what looks like an ambulance and the other behind a sign for the 108 Medical Unit, which, as you point out, was part of the 33rd Infantry Division.
Very cool my friend! Sometimes you never know what "treasures" you will find that you'd either forgotten about or never knew you had. So, we know he was with the Illinois National Guard's 33rd Regiment in Illinois before they were federalized. Now we need to figure out how he got from them to 20th Engineers before the 33rd deployed to the Pacific theater? And, of course, then how he got from the 20th to the 292nd CEB in Europe. Ahhh, the answers allude us for now, but I expect will be forthcoming.
Have a good one, my friend! Glad to be back in the saddle after a short hiatus!
Gary
Gary L. Gates
Proud Grandson of Randall Gates
Mechanic, A and H&S Companies, 292nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 1149th Engineer Combat Group
My uncle Charles Crawford served in "A" Company of the 292, and died February 18, 1945. He is buried in Holland, and after my Dad's passing, I have been trying to gather information on his military service. I was pleasantly surprised to see his name on some documents already posted in this forum, and would appreciate any information anyone has on his unit.
Steve that is wonderful news. How exciting to see his name!
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
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