Gender

Male

Birth date

1918-6-1

Place of birth

New York City NY, U.S.A.

Inducted

, New York City NY

Enlistment type

Draftee

Service branch

Army

Service type

War

Unit type

Combat

Units served

248th Coast Artillery

Co. B or C 66th Ordnance Battalion

Ft. Ethan Allen, Station Hospital

442nd RCT, Co. E.

Military specialty

Medical, Surgical Tech

Stationed

New Jersey, New York, ,Vermont, Mississippi,USA; Italy; France.

Separated

Ft. Dix NJ

Unit responsibility

248th Coast Artillery - N.Y. Harbor Defense

Ordnance Battalion - Purchase automobile parts & repair

Ft. Ethan Allen Station Hospital - Maintain operating room at station hospital

442nd RCT - Infantry battalion.

Personal responsibility

Combat medic in infantry rifle company, Co. E, of 442nd Regimental Combat Team, also operating room technician, purchase clerk, etc.

Major battles (if served in a war zone)

Participated in all battles where E Company was engaged except for one month after I was wounded at Bruyeres, France. I rejoined E Company at Sospel, Southern France. Inlcuded Italy & France; Bruyeres - Biffontaine. Our mission was to maintain pressure on the Germans in Italy and to take the high ground. It was day after day of combat.

Awards, medals, citations (individual or unit)

Purple Heart; Silver Star; Croce di Valore (Italian); others. Unit: 442nd RCT won many awards & citations. They are part of historical record.

Living conditions

In combat, where most rifle platoons were, sleep was in fox holes, to do otherwise would be too dangerous. Bathing in a so-called stable situation, were truck showers (go in one end, take your clothes off, get new clothes at the other end, size of clothing did not matter, and that was it.) Showers like this were once a week in stable areas. Otherwise, bathe with a helmet of water. Food was K rations, sometimes C rations. In Italy, in combat situations, which were fairly constant, field kitchens were not available to rifle platoons and entertainment was not available to rifle platoons - mainly you kept alert.

Most vivid memory of military experience

Soldiers killed or wounded were quite often and always serious. Conversation was limited since we kept five foot distances. In training or in the States I kept getting transferred so I did not make that many close associations. I did stay and work in Ft. Ethan Allen, VT. for more than a year and I got to know Sgt. Rupert White, who later became a Lieutenant, and Pvt. Franz Robinow, quite well. Both were killed within a few weeks when they invaded Normandie.

Vivid memory of human degradation - children pimping for mothers, etc., children at the end of chow lines (when we were able to get to a chow line)staring us in the face to get anything left over.

Missed most whilst in the military

In combat, the feeling of being safe - otherwise family. If you are in a safe area overseas - family and food.

Most important thing, personally, to come from military experience?

Trust in our fellow human beings. The importance of water and food and a safe sleeping place. The realization that actual visual combat with the enemy was done by few in a combat situation on a day to day basis and combat was fairly steady day by day - not big battles. A casualty here a casualty there.

Additional information

1). Getting to know men from various backgrounds and geographic locations and to realize how trustworthy and fine they were.

2). I got my nickname 'Kelly' from 1st Sgt Tenney of the 66th Ordnance Battalion.