New Guinea Veteran

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New Guinea Veteran - 4/27/2018 3:55:12 PM

apbarog

Posts: 3769
Joined: 5/23/2002
Status: offline

Saw an older gentleman at lunch yesterday. He had some type of unit insignia hat on, and I asked him about it. He was in the 79th Airdrome Squadron in WWII, and was at Port Moresby and other bases in New Guinea, and he said other islands, and Iwo Jima. I spoke to him briefly, as he was leaving. He did say that he was concerned about enemy snipers. It sounded like that was an ongoing threat wherever he was.

I found only limited information on this unit, and it was in New Guinea. I couldn't find information on Iwo Jima, but he may not have been with the same unit for the entire war. He said that he was an aircraft mechanic. He was in amazingly good shape, was there by himself, and drove away as we were leaving. Fewer and fewer of these heros left.

Post #: 1

RE: New Guinea Veteran - 4/28/2018 3:24:12 AM

sanch

Posts: 421
Joined: 10/30/2004
Status: offline

A few weeks back, had Easter dinner with some friends. And their father was there. He's 95, and was in the 81st Combat Engineer Battalion of the 106th Infantry Division. This division was the one in the Schnee Eiffel at the start of the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded while the battalion was holding a ridge line east of St. Vith, and eventually evacuated to Paris for recovery. His main comments were "Brutal cold, and scared s***less". A remarkable old guy indeed!

(in reply to apbarog)

Post #: 2

RE: New Guinea Veteran - 4/29/2018 4:53:29 PM

m10bob

Posts: 8622
Joined: 11/3/2002
From: Dismal Seepage Indiana
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: sanch

A few weeks back, had Easter dinner with some friends. And their father was there. He's 95, and was in the 81st Combat Engineer Battalion of the 106th Infantry Division. This division was the one in the Schnee Eiffel at the start of the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded while the battalion was holding a ridge line east of St. Vith, and eventually evacuated to Paris for recovery. His main comments were "Brutal cold, and scared s***less". A remarkable old guy indeed!

Most of the 106th was captured intact and badly beaten as they were dead center when the Germans hit them in the Bulge.

The unit was brand new and had been put there to learn how to bivouac on what was seen as a 'safe and quiet" area.
They had only been in the ETO a number of days before the Battle began and they stood no chance whatsoever.

The author Kurt Vonnegut Jr was one of the Infantry scouts captured, and his ordeal was recounted in his book SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE...

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