U.S. UNITS REACH ROER LINE GUARDING COLOGNE; AMERICANS AND FRENCH FORMING VOSGES TRAP (11/23/44)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 11/23/44 | Drew Middleton, Harold Denny, Lewis Wood

[henkster]

Thank you for this poat. It’s good to see the human face of our guys who served. Looks like the officer staff was mostly Texans and Okies. But looking at the enlisted men, I immeidiately noticed Charles Babcock of 13th Street, Terre Haute IN. I believe he is my brother in law’s father. Still alive at age 90.

[EternalVigilance]

Jack Benny Thanksgiving 1944

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKx-wqUUGZ8

[EternalVigilance]

Oh my.

I was thinking as I was posting that, wouldn’t it be something if someone saw a name they knew?

God bless him.

[colorado tanker]

I noticed Cpt. Harold E. Brown was listed as the S-2 and I was pretty sure he was from Johnstown, Colorado, as I've never heard of Johnston. Confusingly, one of the best truckstops in the country is there, called Johnson's Corner. Try one of their cinnamon roles if you ever get a chance. On I-25 between Denver and Ft. Collins.

Just for the heck of it I googled Harold Brown. He survived the war and settled down in Colorado to raise a family and have a long life.

. . . . and a book was written about him.

It turns out the 202nd got to Berchtesgaden even before the 101st and Cpt. Brown took a couple of souvenirs from Hitler's dining room. And, at the end of the war as they were investigaing stolen Nazi art, they found the Crown Jewels of Hungary.

[EternalVigilance]

Amazing.

[EternalVigilance]

The funny part is that I found that purely by chance, because I was looking around for some story that would provide a window into how the troops spent their Thanksgiving Day.

[colorado tanker]

And henkster's brother-in-law's father was in that unit.

The stories our little community keep finding are amazing.

[colorado tanker]

And I should add, according to the official U.S. Army history, Clifford’s Battalion got their Thanksgiving rations hauled up Kilay Ridge, although it didn’t say what the menu consisted of.