European Center of Military History
Gold Remains a Good long-term Investment Whether the dollar goes up or down, gold is still going to be a good investment because we have virtually all the important central bankers focused on growth and not inflation. Gold is a dynamic metal....
Request for Identication - Crashed Plane 1945 I need the following answers : (Body) German or British ? (Plane) German or British ? I have studied the photos for more than an hour and I am still wondering because the Cockpit looks like an AAF P-38's...
Marty & Cindy : Unpublished Photos 17th A/B 1945 Another Wartime photos set and like the one before it's a really good one. Joe Summers Pontoon bridge over the Rhine River. Note signs : (left) seems to be a "one way - Red Ball Express",...
Marty & Cindy : Unpublished Photos 17th A/B 1945 And here is the next set Wartime photos of the 17th Airborne Division. My Dad took a photo of the same concrete bunker from a distance. It had a Russian star on top of it when he took the photo....
Marty & Cindy : Unpublished Photos 17th A/B 1945 Well, these new photos are fields photos and request from me some researches. This is exactly what I like to do, so it will take a little more time as usual to be posted. And once again thanks to Cindy...
Oct
01
2009
Category : Veterans Taps
It is with a heavy heart and my deepest sympathy that we belatedly learn of the passing of another of our Distinguished Veterans and a Valued Comrade. Late yesterday, 17 September, 2009, I received a phone call from Mrs Bonnie Hostetter with the sad news that her Father, Mr. Nick R. Tarnovich, Co B, 194th GIR passed away on 2 Aug 2009. She provided me the essential information for this message.
Continue Reading >>>
Sep
18
2009
Category : Veterans Taps
It is with a heavy heart and my deepest sympathy that we belatedly learn of the passing of another of our Distinguished Veterans and a Valued Comrade. Through the Static Line Magazine we learned that Mr. John H Summer, Hq Company 1st Bn, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division, passed away on 26 April 2009. With the assistance of Mr Summer’s Architecture Firm I was able to contact Mrs Susan Ory, his Daughter, to obtain the information for this message.
Continue Reading >>>
Sep
16
2009
Category : Veterans Taps
It is with a heavy heart that we belatedly learn of the passing of another of our Distinguished Veterans and a Valued Comrade. Through the Static Line Magazine we belatedly learn that Edward J Jeziorski, C-507th Parachute Infantry Regiment 17th Airborne Division passed away on June 16 2009. This morning I was able to contact Mrs. Cheryl Dellinger, Mr. Jeziorski’s Daughter, to obtain the information for this message. Following his service in World War II Mr Jeziorski made a career with the Mutual of Omaha in the Insurance business where he rose to the position of General Manager. Following his retirement he became very restless and went back to work selling tools and equipment to the Farmers in the Shenandoah Valley. He loved associating with the Farmers in the area. He joined our Association in 1982 and became a Life member in 1991. The cause of death was Heart Failure at the age of 88.
Continue Reading >>>
Aug
20
2009
Category : Veterans Taps
It is with a heavy heart and my deepest sympathy that we learn of the passing of another of our Distinguished Veterans and a Valued Comrade. Through a message from Joe Quade we learned that Mr. Paul R. Rochford, Co I, 513th PIR, passed away on 6 August 2009. Unfortunately, with the assistance of the Funeral Home handling the arrangements and from the AOL White Pages, I was unable to contact a Family member to obtain the information for this message. Ed Siergiej provided the following information. Mr Rochford was discharged in 1946 and years later in the early to mid 1960’s served with the 19th Special Forces Airborne Group, the Green Berets. He spent most of his career in the secondary and higher education field. He joined our Association in 1972 and became a Life member in 1997. He attended eight Reunions with the last one being our “Farewell Reunion” in Hampton, VA in 2007. He was 83 years of age at the time of death.
Continue Reading >>>
Aug
18
2009
Category : Germany
After Action Report – 82nd Airborne Division – May 1945
1 – Narrative
By nightfall, April 30, 1945, the 82nd Airborne Division had established a small bridgehead east of the Elbe River in the vicinity of Bleckede, Germany. This bridgehead had been established by the 505th Prcht Inf Regt in a splendid example of coordination and river crossing technique by a veteran regiment.
During the night of April 30 – May 1, the plan was to build up sufficient forces from the 504th Parachute Infantry, which was arriving by train approximately five hours from the Elbe River, so as to attack out of the bridgehead with that regiment by daylight. One battalion of this regiment arrived at the bridgehead by 0430-H and with a full appreciation of the value of time it jumped off at 0500-H, the regiment being reinforced during the day by the later arrival of its other battalions. Troops completing the 4 – 6 day train trip from the Koln area were immediately en trucked and taken into the bridgehead. Then, after being briefed and issued ammunition, they were committed to the attack. It was obvious that the German was disintegrating rapidly and it was of the utmost importance that regardless of the physical condition of our troops, the momentum of our drive be maintained until the enemy was completely destroyed or overrun.
