Cherie E

The last item for tonite is a picture of soldiers taken in Archbald, PA. They are in front of an Honor Roll at the Black Diamond Hose Company. My father is the one kneeling in the center. Hope everyone enjoys these items, Cherie

The next item is a poem that my father wrote while he was at Camp Hulen, Texas. It's not exactly great poetry but I think it shows how many soldiers felt during this time.

Thought I would post some items from my collection that are from my father's service during WW2. He was a Technician 5th grade who served in the states at Camp Wallace and Camp Hulen, Texas. I hope that this is the correct area of the forum for these items... The first is a letter that was written to my mother from the Chaplain at Camp Wallace while my father was in the hospital there (this was before they were married)

Chris, Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I do have a copy of the 316th Regimental History but unfortunately it doesn't list any of the enemy units. The History of the 79th Division lists some units believed to be involved but the little info I've found so far say that those units were not at Meuse Argonne. Here are the ones listed in the 79th History: 192nd German Division, 20th German Div, 1st Landwehr Div and the 228th German Div. The only one I've found that may have been there is the 228th but I haven't found any other info that unit. As you suggested, I think I might start researching some of the other American Divisions involved to see what enemy units are listed in their histories. Thanks for your help, Cherie

Thanks for the replies, I didn't know that the area was held by Austro-Hungarian units. I'll look forward to hearing what you find in your references. Unfortunately, I think I goofed in the way I expressed myself in my original post. Although I'd love to know exactly where my grandfather was held, I realize that's next to impossible. My main focus is to hopefully find out what unit captured him and maybe the area he was held. If, by some miracle, I can pin down more, that would be icing on the cake! But I'm just looking for enough to fill in the blanks of his service history. He rarely spoke about his service, just little bits. None of his children or grandchildren ever had any idea of the battles he was a part of but I think it's important to find out what he (& all other soldiers) went through. That's why I hope to get as much as possible. Sorry that I didn't express it correctly in my post and I do appreciate all suggestions and replies. This is a terrific forum that has already taught me a lot by reading all the information posted my the members. Thanks again, Cherie

For the past few months I have been researching my grandfather's military service in WW1 and have pretty much learned most of the details. There is only one bit of information that I am lacking and hope someone on this forum can help. I'm hoping to get some info about where he may have been held as a POW toward the end of the war. He served with the 79th Division AEF, 316th Infantry, Co. B and was captured on Nov 4, 1918 at the battle at LaBorne de Cornoulier. His official military record states that he was "returned from German prison, camp unknown" and he was released to the 40th Division AEF sometime between Nov 14-20, 1918. In the History of the 79th Division account of the actions that day it states that 2 companies of German infantry captured the 20 or so men of Co B who survived the battle and that the prisoners were "hurried off to the northward". I thought that by researching what units were involved in the battle, I might be able to find out where these men were taken and held until the end of the war. My grandfather told his family that they were held in the basement of a church, probably in France, but he didn't know where it was. I've heard that since it was near the end of the war, the information is very limited. The "Histories of 251 Divisions of the German Army 1914-1918" didn't provide any clues and I've checked some German sites but since I only took 1 semester of German in high school, I'm kind of lost. I know that what I'm looking for might be impossible, but thought that maybe some of the members might be able to help. Any suggestions or information that anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated, Cherie

Eduardo, You have a great collection of postcards, I really enjoyed looking at them! I have seen a few WW1 postcards but never anything like these. Thank you for posting them and I'll be looking forward to seeing more in the future. Cherie

As a new member, I thought I would post a few pics of my very small collection. When I got interested in militaria collecting, I was a little overwhelmed with the idea of what to focus on so I decided to start with items relating to my family's military service (the 79th is the division my grandfather served in). The first pic is a long photo of the 316th MG unit taken at Camp Dix, NJ and was my first militaria-related item. I found it on Ebay and was surprised to find my grandfather in the picture and knew that I had to have it! The second pic is a souvenir booklet of Camp Meade, MD, that is titled "Over Here, Preparing for Over There." I also have the books "History of the 79th Division AEF" and the "Regimental History of the 316th Infantry." When I get a chance, I will post some pics of my father's insignias & Victory Medal from WW2. They are the only other items in my collection right now. Cherie