Tag: U.S. Army

Irving Thaler

Irving grew up in Brooklyn, NY working in his father’s fruit and vegetable store. In 1944, when he was 17, he enrolled at New York University (NYU) as a pre-med student.  He was hoping he would be drafted in order to pay for his education. He was drafted into the U.S. Army June 1945.  He was sent to Fort Knox, KY for training at the Armor Replacement Training Center where he was taught how to drive military vehicles.  In 1945, he graduated at age 18 as an assistant truck driver.

The Atom bomb was dropped in August 1945.  The Japanese had finally surrendered in September.  Since Irving was being trained to go to Japan, and now the war was over, he was sent to Germany as part of some of the first occupational troops.  From Germany, he was then sent to France, to the town of Romilly-Sur-Seine,  to a military police camp.  There he trained for two weeks on how to be a military police officer, including how to disassemble a .45, use a  club, and learn Jujitsu.  He was then assigned to Frankfurt, Germany.

 

While stationed in Heddernheim, a suburb of  Frankfurt, he was assigned to be a clerk documenting military’s records.  He became the chief clerk.  He recalls how the military police had little interaction with civilians, unless there was a conflict.  Most of the civilians went out of their way to avoid the U.S. military police.

Irving mentions while arriving in Frankfort in January 1945, 65%-75% of the city was destroyed, but the community was rebuilding quickly.

Irving  reminisces on how he had a stamp to issue a general court marshall, which he still finds hard to believe, since he was only eighteen-years-old at the time.  After is 10 months in Germany, Irving returned home.  He would then go on to reapply to NYU.  Since he spent a total of 17 months with the U.S. Army, he was eligible to have the government pay for his degree under the G.I. Bill.  He would later graduate with a degree in accounting and reside in Cherry Hill.

Joseph Diamond

Joseph H. Diamond

Service Dates:  August 16, 1943 to December 13, 1945
Highest Rank:  Corporal

Joseph H. Diamond was born in Camden, NJ on November 2, 1920.  He graduated from Camden High School and went to Drexel Institute of Technology now know as Drexel University.  His family owned Diamond Cleaners and he worked there up until he enlisted in the US Army on August 16, 1943.

Joseph wanted to be a pilot and began training as a fighter pilot at galesburg il knox college but school was closed because Army felt they had enough pilots.
After leaving polit school went to camp ellis illinois went to Medical corp.  begin the start of his Medical field training and that was followed by additional training in England 124 General Hospital.  Then Combat Medic in 104th infantry division also known as the Timberwolves.  Front line 195 days.
Hedgerow fighting.  Battle of the Hedgerows as they worked their way North crossed over the Siegfried Line to Aachen was the first town in Germany they liberated.

Medics are not armed.  Very often found himself under fire administering to fellow soldier.  He took care of men right on the field.  Then litter-beared (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/litter-bearer) would come along and take the soldier away on a stretcher.

War, operation, conflict served in:  “The European Theatre of World War II, also known as the European War, was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe from Germany’s invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the end of the war with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945 (V-E Day). The Allied forces fought the Axis powers on two fronts (the Eastern Front and Western Front) as well as in the adjoining Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre.”

Location:  France, Belgium, Germany
Battles/campaigns:  Rhineland and Central Europe

 

Joseph Diamond currently lives in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.  He has a son and a daughter and two granddaughters.

Medals Mr. Diamond was awarded:

Purple Heart medal, Army Unit Citation, World War II Occupational Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-Africa-Middle East – LOOK THEM UP AND LINK TO SEPARATE PAGES.

Special award/ accomplishments:
Combat Medic-K-Company
Delivery of baby boy to a German civilian woman  (LINK THE VIDEO HE TALKS ABOUT THIS IN TO THIS)

Arthur Seltzer

 

 

Arthur was a student at the University of Pittsburgh when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943.  His basic training took place at Camp Van Dorn in Mississippi.  After basic training Arthur was sent to Baltimore, MD  where he learned how to be a radio technician.  He was then assigned to the 4th Armored Signal Battalion.  On March 31, 1944 he  traveled overseas and landed in Glasgow, Scotland.

Mr. Seltzer describes his life before being drafted in 1943 and his experiences in training.

Arthur was then assigned to the 29th Infantry Division to assist in radio communications.  He was deployed as the second wave of soldiers to the beaches of Normandy, France, landing on Omaha Beach.

Arthur Seltzer played a major roll in significant battles during World War II,  including the following:

Omaha Beach

Battle of the Bulge

Liberation of the Dachau concentration camp

Irving Fleisher

Years of Service: 12/9/1944-7/11/1945

Highest Rank: EMC3/C; electrician’s mate

Irving was born the eldest of six, in 1926, in South Philadelphia, PA.  At the age of 16, he would go to work in a glove factory.  At 17, he would work in a machine shop, in order to help his family with monthly expenses.  At 18, he would enlisted with the U.S. Navy.

After training, Irving would be assigned to a LSD, or a landing ship dock.  The LSD, the U.S.S. Colonial (LSD 18), would transport small landing craft to troops over seas.  It was also equipped with 5 millimeter guns.  Irving would be in charge of these guns.  Later, and due to his background experience in the machine shop, Irving would be assigned to assisting the ship’s electrician.

The ship was still being built when Irving was assigned to it, so the vessel had not been tested or inspected.  It would take months of testing and retesting in order for the LSD to be cleared, and ultimately, deployed.  Finally, after 6-8 months of being docked in Norfolk, VA, the ship was sent to Germany.

While on route, the Germans surrendered.  The ship was then reassigned to travel to Japan.  They traveled through the Panama Canal.  While the ship was passing the Philippines Island, the war was over.  The LSD was asked to return to Norfolk. Although Irving was relieved there was no longer a war, he still owed the Navy 18 months. He was assigned to inactive duty in order to complete his time with the U.S Navy.

Walter Robertson

Service Years: 1944-1945

Rank: Private First Class. He also received Rifleman Bar N.S. Distinguished Service, U.S. Army

10th Mtn. Division-Ski Trooper and Mountain Climber

Walter was born April 23, 1918.  While working for a wholesale candy maker in Camden, NJ, the war broke out.  With sugar in short supply, and the candy making business on hold, he starting driving a truck for one of his brothers buthe was drafted.  Surrounded by his family, including his sister, wife and 5-year-old daughter, Walter boarded a bus and went to basic training at Fort Dix and later, Camp Blanding, FL.

Walter would later sail to Italy. Walter recalls a couple in Naples, who had a daughter the same age has his daughter back home, and the family was starving. He recalls how he and another solider were fill up their mess kits in order to take what they could to the family.

Walter remembers arriving in the 10th Mountain Division, in  Italy, to a Captain Luther, from Nebraska,  and along with a soldier named Rodriguez, from Texas.  He recalls his night patrols with 12 other men, and how it was vital to always remain as quiet as possible. Walter also remembers being in a battle in February 1945.  He recalls the sounds of a wounded American soldier next to him who was mortally wounded and crying out for his mother.  It took Walter years to stop recalling those cries. In the battle, Walter was shot along his backside and upper thigh. He would lose his captain and other fellow soldiers.

After being shot and a week stint in rehab, Walter returns to the Division.  Walter also recalls serving with Bob Dole and how in the next big battle, he would be seriously wounded.  He mentions how they carried Dole back, even though that is not the recounted story by Bob Dole.

Walter was eventually sent back home on a Navy transport ship, in order to be retrained in CO to fight in Japan, but he returned with a government rating of 54 points: husband, father, and had been wounded in battle.  He was subsequently discharged.  He recalls how one of his  brothers was supposed to pick him up at 30th Street Station, but never showed up.

Walter recalls life after the war, as well as the circumstances on how he received his medals.

Robert received:

Purple Heart

Bronze Star Medal

Combat Infantry Badge-Good Conduct