T hank you for visiting the WW2 Letters of Private Melvin W. Johnson. We'd like to know that you were here so be sure and take a couple of seconds to drop us a line below.
14 February 2006
Walter Poniedzialke, 540th Combat Engineers
Hi Michael. Love what you did with the site. I have a link to your site on our Links Page and also introduced it to our forum members. Thanks for providing such a valuable resource for all us WWII "nuts"! Also
thank you for showcasing my dad's story, Walter Poniedzialek of the 540th Combat Engineer Regiment. Continued success. A pleasure to know you.
Warm regards,
Marion
Proud daughter of Walter Poniedzialek
540th Combat Engineer
http://www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com/
Marion Chard | Alger, MI USA | mjchard(at)6thcorpscombatengineers.com
14 February 2006
Proud to Have Fought
I found your website by going on the C.R.I.B.A. web-site of Belgium. I placed my poem THE ARDENNES BATTLE on this web-site. I served with M-Co; 347th Inf. 87th Inf.Div in the Bulge and Rhineland and Central Germany.I found Gilbert Stevenot's message here. I have made many Belgian friends on my 4 return tours of Belgium and Luxembourg. These people are the most grateful people I know and have never forgotten the importance of my comrad veterans who liberated their countries. I am proud to have fought for Freedom and Peace during WW-II and continue fellowship with my Buddy veterans as Pres. of the Cent. Mass. Chapt-22 VBOB. It is good to see the young people, such as grandchildren of the veterans writing in your guestbook, honoring their fathers and grandfathers and uncles....Keep up your great work preserving the legacy of these grand veterans and their sacrifices. God Bless you. John E. McAuliffe
John E. McAuliffe | Worcester, MA USA | legeneralmac347(at)charter (dot) net
14 February 2006
Precious Souls
Viewing such a sight brings me to tears. For those who died and those who will die in war, these are precious souls. When I read my father's diaries, I met a man in a boy's body, a boy who never was. Brenda Gale Warner
Brenda Gale Warner
14 February 2006
Bucket of Blood Division
Thanks for keeping the memory alive. My pops was a member of the "Bucket of Blood" Division that fought in the Hurtgen Forest/Battle of the Bulge. He was captured and spent 6 months in Stalag 3a-Luckenwalde. All these brave, Greatest Generation heroes need to be honored. Thanks for all! Linda Peters
Linda Peters | Florida, USA | lpeter3(at)tampabay.rr (dot) com
8 February 2006
13th Jungle AAF
Wonderful site and thanks for contributing to our Nation's history. My dad was in 13th Jungle AAF - WW2. Put in keyword 13th Jungle AAF to see another great website. I contributed a photo of my dad within the site. He played trumpet, piano and and and performed with Bob Hope at times in the S. Pacific. I have the original VJ Day Brochure of Leyte Island Philipines. I can send copies to anyone. Also if anyone has photos of 13th Jungle AAF Band performing please let me know. Thanks. Vicky
Vicky Valentine | USA | vickyevalentine (at) yahoo (dot) com
7 February 2006
WW2 The Romantic Generation
Great web site, easy to get to and good story's will follow. WW2 the Romantic Generation. Marion's papa Art
Marion's Papa Art | Novi, Mi USA
31 January 2006
I'll Be Back
I am a proud member of Marion Chards "VI corps combat engineers" web site. Mare asked us to give you a look see. I like what you have set up and wish you the best. If you hope to attract the same sort of loyalty as Marion's, you will certainly be a winner. Good luck. I'll be back. Chucktoo.
Charles Gray | Wixom, MI USA | chuckgray (at) comcast (dot) net
31 January 2006
PFC Oral Wayne Cooper
My Dad, PFC Oral Wayne Cooper was in the Army from 10-23-42 to 12-7-45. 8th Inf. Division; 28th Inf. Regiment; Co. A; 2nd Platoon. 1st Squad. Rifleman and Scout. Was wounded in action (I believe near the Ay/Aye River in France.) Taken POW by the Germans. Was POW from 7-10-44 to 5-15-45.Dad would never talk about the war. I was told by an Uncle that Dad was at Stalag 7a. I do remember Dad telling about working on a Dairy Prison Farm. Dad passed away, (12-15-98)taking all of his war memories with him. We know hardly anything about his unbearable experiences.
Thank you for this site. I salute every person who has ever served our country in times of battle. My Dad was, and always will be, my hero. Joyce Park
Joyce Park | Londonderry, OH USA | kpark (at) bright (dot) net
22 January 2006
Semper Fidelis, Interpreter
I was a member of the US Army and proud of my job as an interpreter at the Hqs 12th Army Group under the command of General N. Omar Bradley. After its deactivation was transfered to Hqs USAFE. The 2 1/2 years spent with my American friends I remain in touch with a lot of Veterans. With them in the past and until now they remain the best friends I have met in my life. I will never forget, what they have done to liberate my country and the rest of Europe...I remain a key point when they come back to participate in the commemorations. I enjoy to have this long reportage, well done, nice pictures and a lot of souvenirs. It will take time to read all its contain but be sure I will. Semper fidelis. With my best regards, Steve of Belgium.
Stevenot Gilbert
Stevenot Gilbert | Rochefort, Luxembourg, Belgium | gilbertstevenot (at) hotmail (dot) com
18 January 2006
Good Looking Website
Good looking website so far. Well laid-out, too. Thanks for running my pieces. David Lippman
David Lippman | Newark, NJ and Christchurch, NZ | dhlippman(at)juno.com
8 September 2005
After the Battle
Dear Michael, I came across your site by Googling under 'Ernest L. Barber'. Of course, I browsed through it for a while and found it very interesting. I have the 79th Div history The Cross of Lorraine, and your granddad's letters are a fascinating addendum to them. After the Battle is a specialised WWII magazine published in the UK. We also do books. See our website at www.afterthebattle.com. If I ever get to do a story involving the 79th I will certainly get back to your site.
Best regards,
Karel Margry, Editor of After the Battle
Karel Margry | USA
18 January 2005
Twice Wounded
Thank you, Michael for sharing with us so much history on the 79th infantry division! My dad was also in the 79th infantry division, 314th Regiment, Co. A, 1st Battalion. He got his basic training at Camp Blanding, FL in 1942. Also training on Tn. manuveurs, desert training at Camp Lagunna, AZ, & at Camp Phillips, Kansas. He was a S/SGT & a machine gun section leader. We just saw your web site & it brought back lots of emotions & memories of that time to my dad. He wanted me to thank you for writing about the 79th infantry division. He was wounded twice & the last time at the Ardennes by a mortar shell. He still has shrapnel in his left arm but he has had a very active life. Like Tom Brokaw, they were the greatest generation I think. I admire the sacrafices they all made to keep our country free from such tyranny. Thank you again, Michael. God Bless You. Yours truly, Tommy Reece
Tommy Reece | USA
9 November 2004
PFC Emmett Curtin
Dear Sir, My uncle was a member of I Co., 3rd Batn., 314th Infantry. KIA 11.14.44. at Fremonville. Pfc. Emmett Curtin. He was 19 years old and was killed by mortar fire while crossing a railroad into a field. He was also at the rest area before his death at Luneville, where I understand Private Melvin did the same. I have a letter from my Uncle "Boogie's" (nickname) squad leader describing how and where he died.
I have two sons in the Army at present and they are fascinated by the history of our military family during WWI,II, Korea. My oldest son was in Desert Storm, he spent one year in Iraq, with a return trip this coming year. My youngest will be going there later in '05. I found your web site very interesting, and feel a lot of pride in all the Americans who served and now serve. Thank you for sharing.
Cindy McKnight
Cindy McKnight | USA
29 October 2004
79th in Alsace and Operation Norwind
Nice Job! I ran across your site while researching information related to the 79th in Alsace and Operation Nordwind. My father was with the 311th FA, B battery which supported the 314th regiment. I am presently compiling his memories and found The Letters of Private Melvin W. Johnson to be most inspiring and helpful. My Father, John Macdonald, joined the 311th prior to La Haye du Puits after landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day as part of the 29th Division. He was reassigned to the 79th Division right at the end of June, 1944.
Regards,
William Macdonald
William Macdonald | USA
3 October 2004
Never-ending Search
Just stumbled upon your site tonight while pursuing my never-ending search on my dad and his unit and other WWII stories. Very impressive sight. It is so wonderful that you are able to share his letters. I love the format and the photos and all the personal touches. Thanks for taking the time to share this with me and the rest of the world. As you know, our WWII vets are very few in number and won't be around for much longer, so it's important that we get their stories in print.
If you have a chance, please visit the site that I have recently created and dedicated to my father Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek of the 540th Combat Engineers and his fellow VI Corps Engineers of WWII. I had been trying for years to piece together his history (he passed away when I was 12) and after many fruitless searches have been able to finally put together his story within the last 5 months. I still have a long way to go and am compiling and updating info on an almost daily basis. I have met so many wonderful vets and their families and they have shared all their stories and photos and interesting anecdotes. It would not have been possible without the tools of the Internet.
Keep up the great work. I will place a link from my site to yours this weekend.
Regards,
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
VI Corps, 540th Combat Engineer 1943-1945
www.6thcorpscombatengineers.com
Essayons!
Marion J Chard | USA
