|
 Recuperating at Camp .Sissonne, France after returning from
fighting during the Battle of the Bulge in the Winter of 1944-45 are members
of Headquarters Company. 2nd Battalion.
Kneeling from the
left are: PFC Alfred W. Raymond, SSGT Julian F. Konwerski, 1/SGT
Kenneth M. Schroeder. PFC Clarence Lewis, CPI. John T.M. Barry,
and TSGT Zane Schlemmer.
Standing from the left are
Robert G. Magers, SGT Valentine McDonnell, PFC Eugene C. (Andy)
Bartlett, SSGT George K. Christ, Jr., CPL Irving F. Shanley.
PFC Harold O. Kulju (aka Canyon), CPL John R. Vogel, Jr., SGT
Thomas Elmore, Jr., CPL Leo W. Pooley, CPL Thomas A. Shrout, Jr.,
PFC Charles F. Andrews, and SGT Robert W. Speers.
These men were original members of the Regiment when it was formed in October
1942, and all participated in the parachute invasions of Normandy, France on
June 6, 1944, and Nijmegen. Holland on September 17,1944 with the 82nd
Airborne Division.
(courtesy Irv Shanley)
 Furlough
In Paris
Bill Blithe wrote "right to left, Wally, Cutter,
Joe, me, Mike" [Note the penned in arrow pointing to what must be
Wally.]
Unfortunately, the nicknames cannot be matched with full names. The
group appears to be a mix of G.I.'s from various units. |
 Bill Giegold (on far right) joins other 508ers on leave in Paris.
While stationed in Chartres, France, a jump had been scheduled on a concentration camp (Nuremburg), but was cancelled because Patton took it. During this time, Supply Sergeant Jimmy Caruso was issued 8,000 chocolate bars to distribute for the jump. However, he sold the chocolate to the French, and split the money up with his buddies, Bill Giegold being one of them. Bill in turn took his buddies, shown in this photo, to Paris for a good time. They boarded the train at Chartres. A French woman had a goat on the train, and they aggravated the goat until the woman was mad.
In Paris, they went to a section called “Pigalle (pig-l),” which was comparable to the strip in Las Vegas. (During World War I, the soldiers called it “pig alley”) In this cabaret, Bill asked a French photographer to take a photo of the group, which he then sent to Bill later. From left to right:
Sanchez (either Anthony R or Arthur) – CA
Pickard (Chester
L, Jr.) – OH
Adamuska (Stephen F) - VT
Bahn (name unknown in 508th) – VT
Red Thompson
(Harry S) – PA
Frank McKee (M.I. "E") – NY
Bill Giegold (Albert W) – IN
All of the above men from Fox Company, 508th
(photo and details courtesy Thad Russell, Bill Giegold's grandson) |
