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Post by Admin on Dec 31, 2019 5:58:46 GMT
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Post by captainmike on Dec 31, 2019 6:31:58 GMT
Hello, I was a member on the Yahoo Groups page and have followed the group here. I have always enjoyed the shared information. My father was a member of the 85th Division through the end of the war and then became a member of the 313th Engineer Bn until he went home in August 1946. I visited Italy this summer to follow his route during the war.
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Post by Mark Nevitt on Dec 31, 2019 14:09:00 GMT
Hello, I am a member of this group. My grandfather, John A. Moran from Providence, RI was with the 88th throughout its entire Italy campaign. He was a mortarman who received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star at Monte Cassino. I followed his tradition of service and served for 20 years in the military. As a grandchild, my grandfather had the best stories of camaraderie and sacrifice with the 88th. I believe he was a real hero. I thank Gary Smith and everyone who has kept this memory alive. Warm regards, Mark Nevitt marknevitt@gmail.com
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Post by rwarren on Jan 1, 2020 20:55:11 GMT
New member to the group . My uncle was in the 88th , 350th reg,. Died of his wounds March 5 1945 . Attachments:
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Post by Jim Lowell on Jan 31, 2020 19:16:05 GMT
I was so excited to hear of this group from Caitlin Page at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans with whom I have been corresponding regarding my father's movement in Italy as part of the 88th . He was injured somewhere near Florence on October 25, 1944 in a farmhouse by shrapnel from a mortar as he recounts in his diaries. He passed away in 1996 and spoke very little of the war as most of the Greatest Generation heroes. He did share that from whatever stats he was aware of that the life expectancy of a 1st Lieutenant in the Infantry on the front lines was 12.5 minutes and he was one of the lucky ones. I recently retired and am now researching my Dad's footsteps through Italy. He was with General Mark Clark and, after being wounded on October 25, 1944, finished his U.S. Army career in counterintelligence in Austria, returning on February 2, 1946 and getting married to my Mom exactly one month later. Thank you Gary for this site and I appreciate all for sharing their knowledge and stories. I am trying to pinpoint the town where Dad was wounded. In his diary, he mentions that he was in this farmhouse for three days and called it Frasenetta or Frascenetta. The museum determined that the town may have been Firenzuola and here is how Wikopedia describes Firenzuola:
During World War II the mountains in the area were crossed by the Gothic Line, the defensive line set by the German troops to face the advance of the Allied armies. On September 17, 1944, after long and bloody clashes, the Allies broke down the Gothic Line, with the conquest of the Altuzzo Mountain, next to the Giogo pass. Firenzuola had already been completely destroyed by the bombardments of the Allies on September 12, 1944. In memory of the dead soldiers and warning for the future generations there are two cemeteries: the “Germanic Cemetery” (at the Futa pass), planned by the architect Oesterlen, that guards over 31,000 soldiers of the Wehrmacht, and the “Santerno Valley War Cemetery”, near the village called Coniale, that contains about 300 corpses of Allies of various origin.
If anyone has any additional information and would like to take any conversation off line, that would be great.... jimlowell4@gmail.com
Thanks,
Jim Lowell
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Post by mtmestas on Feb 2, 2020 17:44:29 GMT
Jim,
Thanks and welcome to the group. There's a lot of 88th files on the MtMestas.com website if you haven't seen them yet.
Your story/questions will eventually become buried and lost in the whats new and updates, etc. comments. Go ahead and repost your story and questions to someplace here that people might be able to follow along. Take a look art the different topic folders to post in ... maybe Italy folder for specific Italy location questions.
Likewise, rather than inviting one on one emailing with you, I prefer everyone is posting to the group allowing the rest of the list members to learn and contribute. Thanks.
What regiment was he in?
gs
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Post by irishprince on Feb 2, 2020 18:41:04 GMT
Hello, my father -- Neil R. Bonner, was part of the 349th. I'm his eldest son. Have some some great photos that he took while in the war. I'll have to scan them and upload them here. Hope everyone is well.
Warm regards,
Neil Bonner
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Post by daughterofpaulcain on Feb 3, 2020 14:50:50 GMT
Hi everyone - My Fathers name was Paul Robert Cain and he was in the 337 Blue Devils Infantry Division - I also was on the Yahoo site and totally enjoyed everyone's postings even though I haven't been able to find anyone else from my fathers division. My Father grew up in Maine and here is a little info that I have on his time in the Army.
Father was born in 1927 pasted away in 1985 he was a photographer by trade ... his service number was # 31 496 802 He was a PVT - Corporal - Staff Sargent then a Sargent
per his discharge papers: ( I have post card and other items when he was doing his Training in Camp Croft South Carolina)
Enlisted : April 30 1945 Portland Maine Battery "C" 337th FA Battalion date of separation December 23 1946 Sep C TR Fort DIX NJ
Chief of Section (844) M-1 Rifle MKM 144 June 8 1945 - European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Army of Occupation Metal World War II Victory Metal Expert Infantryman's Badge Grade S-SGT
I found a map which he wrote on explaining details of the 6564 men on ship with not much space going from Boston to Italy via the USS Wakefield on Oct 7th - having engine problems with the ship and talks about every daily thing that happened.
voyage began date of departure: Boston Mass Oct 11 1945 MTO Arrival Naples Italy Oct 20 1945 --- departure Oct 31 1946 USA Nov 13 1946
Lapel Button issued - no days lost - ASR score (sept 2 1945) 4 I have things he kept along with photos while there and when he went to Zurich on one of his leaves.
He reenlisted on Nov 20 1946 and final separation was on Nov 19 1949 as a Sargent
I have photo's to share and will try to do this soon. I had so much that I just couldn't just keep them all so when I visited New Orleans I was able to meet up with the director at the National WWII Museum and donated a lot of items and photos to them under my fathers name. This is such a wonderful Museum !!
Thanks for keeping this going and hope to hear from others soon
Judith Cain Maynard
If anyone else has a family member that was in the 337 Infantry I would love to share some photos !
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Post by Thomas Laird on Jul 27, 2020 6:23:29 GMT
My father Milton Laird was with the 88th all through Italy He passed in 2004 .Would be very interested in hearing about any info on him.I am his 69 yr old son.
My e mail gunnut198@charter.net
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Post by jimlowell on Jul 28, 2020 19:03:51 GMT
Hello Thomas,
Try the website MtMestas.com which can provide more regimental information for those in the 88th. You would need to know which regiment your father served in in order to take better advantage of the information. Good luck.
Regards,
Jim Lowell
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Post by Admin on Jul 28, 2020 19:26:51 GMT
My father Milton Laird was with the 88th all through Italy He passed in 2004 .Would be very interested in hearing about any info on him.I am his 69 yr old son. My e mail gunnut198@charter.net Hi, You'll have to start reading. There were 15,000+ men in the 88th and there aren't any 88th historians that have all this knowledge memorized or many vets that are around to ask but you're lucky that the division files exist to read. There's quite a bit on the MtMestas.com website. gs |
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Post by jimlowell on Nov 25, 2020 21:45:39 GMT
Jim, Thanks and welcome to the group. There's a lot of 88th files on the MtMestas.com website if you haven't seen them yet. Your story/questions will eventually become buried and lost in the whats new and updates, etc. comments. Go ahead and repost your story and questions to someplace here that people might be able to follow along. Take a look art the different topic folders to post in ... maybe Italy folder for specific Italy location questions. Likewise, rather than inviting one on one emailing with you, I prefer everyone is posting to the group allowing the rest of the list members to learn and contribute. Thanks. What regiment was he in? gs |
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Post by jimlowell on Nov 25, 2020 21:48:36 GMT
Hey Gary,
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Thanksgiving to all you followers. I came across another pour soul who lost his life, listed in my Dad's diary. His name was Private Jones Girard and he was part of the 349th. He died in a shelling on May 14, 1944 near S. Maria Infante. My dad simply lists... "lost Jones Girard" I could not locate his name in the listing on the website mtmestas.com. Any thoughts?
Regards,
Jim
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Post by jimlowell on Dec 31, 2020 23:43:13 GMT
Hello, my father -- Neil R. Bonner, was part of the 349th. I'm his eldest son. Have some some great photos that he took while in the war. I'll have to scan them and upload them here. Hope everyone is well. Warm regards, Neil Bonner Hi Neil, Do you have any information other than the photos as is where and when he served... locations? I am working from a couple of small diaries that my dad kept while serving throughout Italy and eventually as a counterintelligence officer in Austria |
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joeb
New Member
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Post by joeb on Apr 16, 2021 16:08:22 GMT
Hello, New to group. My dad was in The Blue Devils I believe. I remember a book as a kid called The Blue Devils In Italy. I lost him in 1968 when I was only 13. Would love any info on the Blue Devils and the Italian campaign as well as how to find his Bronze Star Commendation. His name was Joseph F. Burns. Thanks Everyone.
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Post by Herman Norman on Apr 17, 2021 16:46:46 GMT
MY uncle James W. Norman was killed in Italy during the Second World War His "dog tag" reads Co. D 194 I. T. B. N. He was originally buried in Folloncia Italy before my dad had his remains returned to the U.S. I have researched but have found nothing resembling this at any site. I think he was in the 88th Army Infantry Division
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Post by Admin on May 10, 2021 19:06:42 GMT
MY uncle James W. Norman was killed in Italy during the Second World War His "dog tag" reads Co. D 194 I. T. B. N. He was originally buried in Folloncia Italy before my dad had his remains returned to the U.S. I have researched but have found nothing resembling this at any site. I think he was in the 88th Army Infantry Division Hi, I'm not familiar with what 194 I. T. B. N. is but I think it's something like 194th infantry regiment 1st battalion maybe. The 194th Field Artillery was part of the 34th infantry division who were one of the main divisions in Italy. And not knowing for sure if he was 88th I would follow up on the 34th lead. What state was he from? I have the War Dept. dead and missing lists I can look in will have his serial number. Do you have the date he died. There's a battle chronology here. Maybe there's a connection there. www.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Battalion,_194th_Field_Artillery_Regiment#World_War_II Cut and paste the entire link to your browser. Gary Smith www.MtMestas.com |
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Post by Admin on May 10, 2021 19:39:51 GMT
Hello, New to group. My dad was in The Blue Devils I believe. I remember a book as a kid called The Blue Devils In Italy. I lost him in 1968 when I was only 13. Would love any info on the Blue Devils and the Italian campaign as well as how to find his Bronze Star Commendation. His name was Joseph F. Burns. Thanks Everyone. Hi, The The Blue Devils In Italy book and the rest of the invasion of Italy books can be found for about $20 to $50 on eBay, Amazon or any other large book selling website. I have hundreds of pages of 88th historical narratives and histories on my website at www.MtMestas.com that will get you started. I have several files I'm currently sorting and organizing to put online soon that include General Orders and Citations where medal recipients are listed. I'll update the list here soon about that. Do you know anything more like what unit he was in? Any pictures from ww2? Gary Smith www.MtMestas.com |
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