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NOTE: In 1986-87 I began a search for our
old company buddies. I used a forty-one year old mailing list.
I was lucky to account for 140 of the 212 members. Forty of them
are dead. Our average age was 67. I have an active mailing list
of 100 of my buddies. We were successful in getting twenty-six
of them along with their wives to have a reunion of our Company,
in conjunction with the 3rd Armored Division 40th Annual Reunion
in Wichita, Kansas, September, 1987. As we corresponded over
that year it was learned that two of the fellows thought to be
killed, were not. They were taken prisoner: Vernon Jensen, the
radio operator I replaced, and Claude Dempsey, another crew member.
Claude Dempsey writes:
March 11, 1987
Dear Bill,
I'm writing for Claude. A stroke in 1975 makes
it difficult for him to write. Left some damage to the right
hand and the left hand doesn't function well because of wounds
when the half track was shelled. So I will write as best I can
as he tells me the story and as if he were writing it.
Taking events from where Vernon Jensen wrote
of them. We had pulled off and were to meet two engineer trucks
who were then to follow us back to the supply dump. Our half
track (Seldon Swift) and three light tanks were then to guide
the supply trucks up. When the engineer trucks pulled in, a Sgt.
told us they had driven in on the road the night before. Capt.
McGee looked at the map and it looked as if it would lead back
to the dump. (We should have gone back the way we came in). Anyway,
we took that road. Champ was driving and as we came around an
S curve (South of Leige) and turned west a Tiger tank under camouflage
started firing. I saw brush and leaves fly and a huge ball of
fire. A shell exploded in the half-track. It went down an embankment
but didn't turn over. Four of us got out, Jensen, Michaels, Capt.
McGee and me. I didn't see the Capt. again. I heard he was killed
in an open field not far away. There were German soldiers all
over. Jensen and Michaels could not see. Ammunition was exploding
in the half-track. Michaels was trying to crawl away from it.
They shot him. I was hit in the left arm and
thigh. I had lost a lot of blood and could no longer stand when
they come to me. I handed over my gun. The soldier was playing
around with it and I thought for a while he would shoot me with
my own gun. Jensen and I were taken prisoner. Sent to Bonn, Germany.
While there an artery burst in my left arm. I was then taken
to a hospital in Seigburg where they repaired the artery. The
best they could do was to cut out the damaged part and sew it
together. This caused the small, ring, and index fingers to double
over in the hand. If I had been in American hands it could have
been repaired. By the time I was released it was too late. From
the hospital I went to Hanover. (Had to find a pair of shoes.
They forgot to send mine with me). From Hanover, I went to Newbrandenburg
which was the location of Stalag II A. Our mode of transportation
for the grand tour of half of Germany was charcoal burning flat
bed trucks and box car. We arrived at Stalag II A in time for
Christmas. The red cross packages kept us alive. My weight was
below a 100 lbs. when the Russians came through, liberated us
and flattened Newbrandenburg. This was April 28th, 1945. It was
May 29th before I was back in American hands. I was flown to
Brussels, Belgium from there to Camp Lucky Strike near Le Harve,
France. I was there a month, came back by ship to Camp Patrick
Henry, Virginia. From there to the Army Navy Hospital in Hot
Springs, Arkansas. I was discharged December 12, 1945. Have been
living in K.C., Kansas since my marriage in July, 1945.
I worked in car upholstering in maintenance
for Gustin-Bacon (now Certain-Teed), a truck driver and the last
seven years of employment for a ceramic tile company. I was disabled
as far as holding a job in 1975.
We have a 28-year-old daughter and 2 granddaughters.
One is 4 years and one is 5. ItÕs nice to be a grandpa.
Hope to meet you at the reunion.
Claude
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