Lester M. Cohen 148th Combat Engineer

[Walt's Daughter]

The following is a series of letters that I received this week. I am planning on creating a page for him in the near future. Until then you can read about my new friend right here.

 

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I am writing after reading on line about the "148th" of VI corp. I was an original member of the 148th. Eng. Com bat Bn., activated in Camp Shelby Miss., in 1942, being in the original cadre, as Dental Officer, which then received the roster of @ 800 men and officers, trained there until we went overseas in June 1943 to England, trained there until D-day when we went in on D+3, and were actually in 7th. Corp, 1st Army, through the entire campaign in France, (etc.) to the end of the war in ETO, going from St. Mere E glise (on Utah beach) to Eisenach ,Germany when Germany surrendered, and we were in the 1110th. Eng. Combat Group with three other battalions, and were the actual group that built the Hodges Bridge, the first ,Class 70 Bailey Bridge over the Rhine, just downstream from the Remagen Bridge before it collapsed. (I can provide details of the construction problems we overcame).

 

We then went on through Liege, the Bulge, and the rest of the route until the end of the fighting, when we were sent back to France to build the "cigarette" camps for redeployment to the U.S., and the low pointers in the outfit went to Marseille for redployment to the Pacific, and were at sea when the Bomb was dropped on Japan, and the war ended.

Those men were discharged before we ,in Camp Lucky Strike were shipped home in Nov of 1945.

The VI corp outfit must be a new designation from the 148th. I was in. I have many more details for your info if you are interested in this.

Lester

[Walt's Daughter]

Dear Lester:

 

So very nice to hear from you. I AM always interested in hearing the history of any combat engineering unit, especially those who fought in the ETO.

 

As a matter of fact, I am currently reading Gen Omar Bradley's book, A Soldiers Story. Right now it is late September and the Montgomery's and Bradley's Army Groups are held up because of logistics and Monty has just suffered the horrible defeat at Arnhem. It's a great book and very well written. I am thoroughly enjoying it. It gives another perspective and that I always love to have.

 

Have you seen the photos of the Hodges bridge on my site? If not, take a look here for them and other engineering photos. Towards the bottom of the page, there is a Hodges slide show. I would be delighted to hear about all the details, as I am most interested in the actual construction of Baileys. In fact, I'm downright interested. I always laugh and tell my husband that I wished I could be part of a crew putting one up!

 

http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/photos.htm

 

VI Corps had it's beginnings in Italy and was originally composed of men from Michigan (my dad), Illinois and Wisconsin. VI Corps also included such divisions as the 3rd, 36th and 45th. VI Corps went all the way from the Italian campaign to the Invasion of southern France, northward to meet up with Bradley's group and fought in the Alsace/Ardennes campaign. They crossed the Rhine and were in Germany through the end of the war. Dad's shipped home in November of 1945.

 

Dad's unit actually had it's start on the shores of North Africa. They also invaded Sicily and that is where dad began his tour of duty.

 

I look forward to hearing all about your ETO history and would love to create a page for you on my site, if you will allow. It would be my honor sir.

 

Must run, have to go shopping this morning for our little country store. Have a great day.

 

Warmest regards,

Marion J Chard

Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek

VI Corps, 540th Combat Engineer WWII

http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com

 

Essayons!

 

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So nice to hear from you. I will relate to you the entire story of the Hodges Bridge, from the survey of the site to the finish. The batallion I was in (the 148th.)was at first put on security on the Remagen bridge, before it collapsed- but at the same time surveys were being made for the Bailey crossing of the Rhine, about a mile downstream of the Remagen. The 9th Infantry division was the first across, while the 148th provided river security upstream.

 

The survey at the crossing was for a 1360 foot Bailey, but the current was so fast that it was impossible to anchor in place, with the usual anchorages, so we had an innovative 1st. Lt., Fred Thomas, who appropriated 3 German tugboats, sunk them upstream of the bridge, and we anchored the pontoons to the sunken tugs,using steel cables, and were able to extend the bridge across the river. I don't remember how long it took, but I remember clearly when Gen. Hodges came to inspect the finished bridge, and I was in the crowd around him, and shook his hand. ( My one minute of fame)

I have some pictures that I took at the time of the near bank, before construction began, and I will try to send you an attachment later when I get time. (It is early morning here, and I must run some errands.)

 

I was in the medical detachment as dental officer, doing mostly medical work, but I was able to keep up with the line companies. We had a great outfit, mostly young folks from PA., who came to us through the induction centers of central PA., I was at the time just out of Dental school, (22 years old) and enlisted in the army in May of 1942.

 

I don't want to bore you with "war stories", but I will later tell you more about the 148th I was in.

 

Great to hear from you,

Best regards,

Lester

[Walt's Daughter]

Hi Marion:

 

To follow up on my previous letter to you this morning: I am a retired dentist, now 86 years old, but very active, alert and doing things. My daughter, sent me the link to your web site,about the VI corp engineers, and I felt impelled to respond. Icould not understand how there could be 2 148th. engineer combat batallions, except that it could have been re-activated in the VI Corps.

 

I graduated from dental school in 1941, and opened my first office in Phila., PA . Pearl Harbor changed everything for me, and I applied for a direct commission in 1942, and was sent to Camp Shelby, Miss., assigned to the Station Coma couipleplement. Shortly after that, the 148th. was activated at Shelby, and I reported to them as part of the cadre of 32 officers, including a Doctor and a Dentist. Soon, within a couple of weeks we got a shipment of @ 800 new draftees mostly from PA., from Indiantown Gap and other PA induction centers, and we began training there. In about 6 months we were sent overseas to England, as part of 7th. Corp, 1st. Army, and went in to France on Utah Beach on D+3, and advanced with 7th Corp across France, Belgium and Germany ending up in Eisenach at the end of ETO hostilities.

 

Part of one of our many jobs was the construction of the Hodges Bridge, with two other Battakions and a QM dump truck company, and probably many other units that I do not remember. However I remember clearly all the events surrounding the site selection, surveying znd preparation for the crossing.

 

All that is too long to tell here. I have often thought of writing a history of our batallion- we had adventures through the Bulge, suffered our share of casualties, and the memories of the great "kids" wed had in the unit are still clear in my mind.

 

I had in fact a couple of years ago a letter from a man in Washington, PA who had a copy of the roster of the men, and has been having reunions, but at that time I was not able to become active in any way with them, although I did have a copy of the roster, and I knew manyh of the names it listed. I cannot find those records, although I always prided myself on keeping stuff like that, but in my last two moves I must have misplaced the file, and I am sorry I cannot find the file at this time.

 

Regards Lester

I am going to try to attach some photos to send to you

[Walt's Daughter]

I have a couple of minutes to write Les, and let me say that I am most grateful and fascinated by what you have written so far. Please note that you could NEVER bore me, because from the time I was a little girl, I was always interested in WWII. I'm my DADDY'S GIRL. I always loved my dad's stories regarding the ETO and we always watched war movies together along with all the Combat episodes every week. So my fascination started way back in grade school.

 

Oh to clear up a misunderstanding, the 148th were never part of VI Corps at any time. I think the confusion may lie in the fact that I also feature other combat engineer units from various other Corps and army units. My site began as a simple page tribute to my dad and then grew into a VI Corps tribute when I started learning more and became friends with a member of the 36th Combat Engineers who were also part of VI Corps. As my research grew and thus my friendship with various vets, I decided to include their stories on my site and so the story goes.

 

Because the site is growing at an exponential rate, I will probably branch off in at least one other direction and start a whole new site with other veterans stories and histories and separate them from VI Corps. That's probably the logical way to go.

 

If you don't mind (and I always ask first), could I post some things from your emails to me on the Message Board? I know others would love to read about your experiences. Then we can always create a page that is strictly dedicated to you, like I have for so many other vets.

 

I can't wait to see your photos. I look forward to those.

 

Well I must run for now. I am actually working in our little country store. Our house is attached and when we are not real busy, my husband Lee and I take turns in half hour of hour increments and that gives us a chance to take little breaks and either relax or get things done around the house. It really breaks up the day and when we have to work long hours, it really isn't so bad this way.

 

Once again it is so nice getting to know you and I'm certainly glad you are taking the time to share your history with me. Keep it coming.

 

Warmest regards,

Marion

 

PS. I am going to PA this fall to attend a 36th Combat Engineers reunion. I am flying to Harrisburg and the reunion is in Lebanon.

 

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Hi Marion:

 

I just finished wrting a letter with some photos which I will send to you by snail mail, as I do not have your full e mail address. Please send that.

 

Also, as you asked, you can feel free to use anything I send you for your web site or any other application. I'll be writing more as I get time.

 

You sound like my daughters, who feel the same way you do about my adventures in WWII. I feel lucky to still be around at age 86 to enjoy them and our families.

 

Best regards

Lester

[Walt's Daughter]

Hi Marion:

 

I just want to say that the "memories "of Lawrence Page, is a pretty accurate history as I remember it of the 148th. I don't remember Page, but he probably was with one of the line companies. The accuracy of the events is probably due to the access to the "morning reports" from H&S company.

Thanks for all your info. I mailed you some picture this morning.

 

Best Wishes

Lester

 

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Marion's note: I sent Les, Dean Page's email address this morning, so he can get in touch with Dean and his father Lawrence. Can't wait to hear the results of this "meeting".

[Walt's Daughter]

It is with utmost pleasure that I share some photos of the fantastic and challenging Bailey Bridge that was built across the swift-flowing Rhine River. Talk about ingenuity folks. There are 8 photos in total. I plan on creating a page for Lester (hopefully later in the week). Here's an excerpt from his latest letter:

 

...I think you will find most interesting the shots of the west bank of the Rhine, which was originally a ferry dock, the town of Konigswinter, where we started the bridge, and the pictures of the completed bridge, before any traffic was allowed to cross. It then took the heaviest vehicles, including tank retrievers, and was the first crossing of it's type on the Rhine.

 

The problem was that the river at that point was 1360 feet across, with a current of about 13 knots, making the anchorage of a Bailey bridge difficult. Several methods of anchorage were tried, but they all failed, until one our smart 1st Lts, Fred Thomas of Phila, (now deceased) got the idea of getting three (liberated) tugboats which were docked upstream, and they were sunk upstream, and with heavy steel cables, the bridge was successfully anchored. (Another tribute to the ingenuity of the American soldier.)...

[Walt's Daughter]

148th Medics in Stavelot, Belgium - Battle of the Bulge

[Walt's Daughter]

West Bank of Rhine - Before construction of Bailey

[Walt's Daughter]

Barge with I-beams for Hodges Bridge. Les is shown on right on bridge.

[Walt's Daughter]

Working on Fixed Bridge - Weser River in Germany