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The
ROSTER of Co. F., 405th Regiment
Including
"TAPS" for the Men of Co. F.
Added on 30 June
2003.
"...We have just added the Honor Roll and
Combat Roster of the men who served in Co. F. of the 405th
Regiment. The roster also includes the "Taps" dates for
former members of Co. F..."
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The Men Injured When a German 88mm
shell
struck near Ed Souder's jeep on 28 November
1944 near Geronsweiller,
Germany.
Edward
L. Souder, Pfc., Co. F., 405th Reg.:
A
War Story
Story Added on 16 September
2002.
"... The next day while Barber was putting
hot packs on my hip, Garison brought over a mirror and I
took a look. It nearly made me gasp -- a hole 8 inches long,
6 inches wide and so deep it went down next to the hip bone.
Guess it was 4 - 5 inches deep, all full of red blood with
spots of dirt. Each time they changed the hot pack more dirt
would be sticking to the gauze..."
Frank
D. Dowd, Jr., Co. F., 405th Reg.:
Experiences
in the 102nd Division
Story Added on 1 October
2002.
"...We were approaching the hill when shells
began to land around us. The jeep stopped and we began to
scramble into the ditch. As I prepared to jump, a shell
landed next to and slightly back of the jeep. It hit me and
I flew into the ditch. If I lost consciousness, it couldn't
have been for more than a few seconds..."
Thurman
Large, Co. F., 405th Reg. -- Letter
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...I do, however, recall the time in late
November, 1944, driving the Jeep out from Geilenkirchen
toward Puffendorf. Lt. Weigand was next to me, in back were
the 3 runners, Souder, Ross and Dowd. Just outside of town
we ran into an 88 barrage. One round landed directly under
the Jeep and we piled out into the mud and the ditch. The 3
runners were all wounded. Souder the
worst..."
Earnie
Ross, Co. F., 405th Reg.
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...I have his medals and company patch.
Purple Heart and Bronze Star medals. I don't know what they
are all for. When he was discharged from the Army, his left
arm was bent and locked back 1/4 the way. He never said what
happened..."
Evenson "Golden Boy" Dugan, Lt., Co. F.,
405th Reg.
Jack "Hairless" Weigand, Lt., Co. F. 405th
Reg.
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Carl
Bez, Co. F., 405th Reg. -- Letter
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...I do remember an attack our company made
on a german stronghold in a house in a farm area. There was
considerable artillery fire coming in on us and we thought a
number of our guys up front had been killed..."
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Tom
Brown, Co. F., 405th Reg.:
Letter
of 22 September 1945
Story Added on 25 September
2002.
"...We found a white Phosforus shell that
was a dud-and so fired into it and it exploded - we then
walked up to the hole and it exploded again. Guess the 2nd
detonator was still active. It burned Galloway and Kincheloe
badly and I got a few burns on my face and right
hand..."
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James
J. "Jim" Brophy, Co. F., 405th Reg.:
Series
of Five Audio Tapes
Story Added on 23 June
2003.
"... Next instant, I thought I had got to
get rid of my equipment I had on -- a pack, a combat pack
which was raincoat and rations and mess kit and stuff, the
entrenching tool and I had an ammo bag. Had a sweater in it,
rifle grenades, rifle grenade launcher and I had several
bandoleers of ammunition, some BAR ammunition in BAR
magazines as I remember it..."
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Odra
W. Callawy, Co. F., 405th Reg., -- My
War
Story Added on 1 October
2002.
"...Another barrage came in and l was told
later that one of the 88 rounds hit real close to my hole
and all I remember was all of a sudden all the air was
pulled out of my hole and the pressure pushed me down into
the ground. I was pulled out covered with mud -- and taken
to an aid station by Richards and Wojniak and Sgt.
Kusek..."
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Bob
Cambell, Co. F., 405th Reg. -- Letter
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...The Engineers
heard us coming -- yelling for help. They threw us a line
and pulled us to shore. I was on the end of the line, and
when we let the boat go I went under water...."
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Robert
(Bob) Fisher, Co. F., 405th Reg.:
I
Remember the Big One
Story Added on 27 September
2002.
"...One day a German
ME-109 flew very low over "F" company (Directly over my
squad). We all fired a clip of ammo at it with our M-1's. It
started to smoke, and observer's said it crashed over the
next hill -- we were given credit for shooting it
down..."
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Ben,
Ganz, Co. F., 405th Reg. -- Letter
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...I can't tell you
the feeling of nostolgia came over me at the mention of the
names of Thurman Large, Al Hottin, Bill Ryan, etc. What a
spirit of friendship and comraderie there existed in Co. F,
When the chips were down and we were tested in
battle..."
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Gene
Greenburg, Sgt., Co. F., 405th Reg.:
Gene's
World War II Diary
Story Added on 16 September
2002.
"...German and Yank artillery plus Tiger
tank machine gunfire made it very uncomfortable for us. I
heard a whistling noise and noticed a five inch piece of
shrapnel buried a few feet from by head. Yank artillery
started laying white phosphorous around us which was wicked.
A heavy rain was making everyone cheerful..."
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Jim
Hansen, Sgt., 2nd Lt., Co. F., 405th Reg.:
Jim
Hansen Remembers
Story Added on 16 September
2002.
"...By this time the Germans were laying
down their own barrage on our side of the river. During the
winter they had zeroed in on every possible crossing site
too. We were in one of those spots. I have great admiration
for those Combat engineers as they had to work in spite of
the shelling. Many were already lying along the road, in the
mud, as we passed by. Hundreds were dead..."
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Harris
S. Hill, Co. F., 405th Reg. -- Letter
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...I received the WW 2 victory medal with 2
Bronze stars, good conduct medal, Meritorious Unit award , l
service strip, 2 overseas bars, ex. & Combat Inf. badge
with Rifle, M-1, Pistol MM w/carbine..."
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Bob
Herrick, 2nd Lt., Co. F., 405th Reg.:
From
the Roer to the Rhine
Story Added on 16 September
2002.
"...Just before we entered the village, the
Germans started pouring artillery rounds on the small
launching site and the village were they knew there would be
a concentration of Americans. Crossing a regiment at such a
restricted known site invited a great and accurate shelling
which we received and cost the 405th Regiment over 50%
casualties earning a Presidential Unit Citation for that
days work..."
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Al
Hottin, Co. F., 405th Reg. -- Copies of "Up
Front"
Story Added on 27 September
2002.
"...We moved out into the dark icy ankle
deep mud and down the road to join the other platoons ahead
of us toward the crossing point. As we stumbled along we
could see the artillery crews preparing their big 155's,
240's, 155 howitzers, and 150 self propelled guns every type
of artillery immanginable..."
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Tony
Hunthausen, Co. F., 405th Reg. -- Letter
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...If you see Jim Hansen or Bob Herrick --
give them my best. I remember Jim, especially, he once saved
my life and the life of others too..."
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Wallace
J. Katz, Co. F., 405th Reg. -- Letter
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...We were able to evacuate a severly
wounded Batt. Commander and a forward observer with a bad
head wound. There were 3 other wounded enlisted men who we
picked up in a drainage ditch after the remnants of the 2
Batalions were evacuated from the battlefield in a skirmish
line..."
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Bob
Lira, Co. F., 405th Reg.: A War Story
Story Added on 27 September
2002.
"...As we crossed the river I saw parts of
GI bodies float by. Pontoon boats, equipment, everything
floated by. Many boats capsized in the swift waters. When we
got half way across we saw that the whole river was a mass
of swirling water when it had been a calm narrow
river..."
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Elwood
G. McLeod, Co. F., 405th Reg. -- Letter
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...I was wounded in the leg by sniper fire
which came from one of the apple trees. After I was wounded
one of our medics dug a slit trench for me and pulled me
into it, treating my wound as best he could under the
circumstances. Before he left, he put my bayonet on my rifle
and stuck it in the ground..."
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Glenn
A. McMillian, Co. F., 405th Reg.:
Letter
of 8 January 1945
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...Guess you will be supprised to hear from
me - Hope you are making a fast recovery - as for me - Im
running wire for Dugan and working the Radio.- and since Tom
doesnt have any complaints - I guess Ill stay in that spot
now..."
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Le
Roy Morgan, Co. F., 405th Reg. -- Letter
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...We were in a
large tent, in bed, when all the horns on the ships began
honking. We knew then that the war was over..."
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Stan
Pero, Co. F., 405th Reg. -- Letter
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...when we reached the bank, some were
damaged and we had to take additional weight. We ended up
with 12 men and their equipment, and each one then carried
extra ammo, boxes of MG ammo, or mortar shells. Our boat was
shipping water from the weight. The current was swift and a
lot wider than announced..."
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Dick
(John) Skene, Co. F., 405th Reg.:
Experiences
with Fox Company
Story Added on 1 October
2002.
"...The bullets were whistling all over us.
Apparently, as we came out of the end of the trench, we
might have been silhouted against the backdrop of the sky
for the German gunners. At any rate, it was here that a
fellow out of one of our platoons, named Mesaway, was hit,
and I later found out he had been killed. He had been just
ahead of me in the trench climbing out..."
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James
J. Smith, Co. F., 405th Reg . -- Letter
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...Any way, with my hair standing on end
and my nerves on edge and my trigger finger ready to fire,
the figure turned into the gate close enough for me to kick
him in the ass. It was a goat..."
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Joel
Stenson, Co. F., 405th Reg.:
Forget
About Home
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...He said to us -- forget about home then
he had me take a GI m-1 rifle and he said -- you see this
baby? -- You take care of it and it will take care of you. I
was only 22 years old at the time and they werr only trying
to tell you to forget about home and get this damm war over
with..."
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Jacob
Strecker, Co. F., 405th Reg. -- Letter
Story Added on 26 September
2002.
"...I started out with the last part of Nov.
1942. Then I joined Co. F, 3rd platoon of the 405th Reg. I
was in the 3rd platoon all the while until the 30th of Nov.
1944 when I was wounded..."
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the
Roer River Crossing
Story Added on 8 October
2002.
"...This page is loaded with images and
narrative relating the events of the night of February 23,
1945 as the American army crossed the flooded Roer River
into Germany with the Germans ready and
waiting..."
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the
MEN of Fox Company
Story Added on 8 October
2002.
"...I am personally proud of this page for
it contains a list of the men [alphabetically arranged] of
Fox Company. The list was compiled from the stories that
were submitted by members of Fox Company..."
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the
Concentration Camps
Story Added on 8 October
2002.
"...Besides that when we were locked in
cars, the men with dysentery would have to go in the corner
because the German guards wouldn't give us any pails or pots
to use. Then, in the morning, the guards would come around
and call us 'dirty Yankee swine'..."
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Battlefield
Art -- Crossing the Roer River!
Story Added on 11 February 2003
We have just added a couple of "Trench Art"
renderings done by a Lt. Stookie Allen. The artwork depicts
the river crossing as well as a battlefield map of the
theater of operations. Check it out!
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Additional
Stories Currently in the Works...
Story Added on
-----------.
We have placed the entire collection of
"Kitchen History Stories in this section of World War II
Stories -- In Their Own Words. The entire collection
consists of stories that thus far have been brought to our
attention. Should you know of a former member of Co.F.,
405th Regiment, 102nd Division who would like to add his
story, we would love to place his story
here.
13 May 2003
We
have just received a large mailing from one of the
historians of the 102d Infantry Division and we are hoping
to begin adding new stories about other units of the 102d
Division, of which the 405th was a part of. In time, we will
be adding more soldier stories. Check back on a regular
basis for these additional exciting stories.
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UPDATE 16 July
2003! Sgt. James J. Brophy is on the top row, ninth man from
left wearing glasses. You can read Sgt. Brophy's story in
this section of stories. Information courtesy of Chris
Brophy.
