It was nice to see that others have not forgotten what our fathers who served in WWII. My father is still alive at 89 yrs on the 4th of July 2013. He served in the 772 Tank Destroyer Unit and served gallantly. I do have photos and I take the time often to listen to my father recall what occurred during the War. Like many he does not like to talk about it much. But I have convinced him to tell the story so that his grand children will know what he did and why so many others sacrificed so much.

I thank you for your diligent effort to capture history.

I thank God I have my father and I cherish each moment. He lives with me now. I myself served in the 2/67 th Armor assigned to the 2nd Armored Division for eight years. I guess one could say that being a Tanker runs in the family. 8)

Thank you so much for preserving this information. I am the 1st cousin, twice removed, of Raynold Joseph Nudd, who was KIA on 30 Dec 1944 while assigned to the 813th TDB. The info on this site has been invaluable in my genealogical research into my family.

Thanks again,

Wayne P. Wall
CMSgt, USAFR (Ret)

I am with the Commemorative Air Force in Houston Texas. We have a small fairly complete WWII museum and one of our items is a tablecloth carried by a red cross volunteer who had it signed by personnel in units she served with. The last unit she was with was the 802nd Tank Destroyer Battalion, from the Battle of the Bulge and for 6 months in Germany with occupation troops, including the 802nd. There are over 63 signatures on the table cloth including Monk Montgomery, Ed Hertel, William Meara, and others. I am trying to find any members of the 802nd that might remember Virginia "Ginny" Rado and her Red Cross units. I have a partial copy of the Apple Knocker, talking about opening a club for occupation troops. Any information for my museums display would be appreciated. I can also send copies of the Apple Knocker if anyone would like them.

My dad, Stanford Tostengard, was in Company C 126th TDTB plotoon 5, 1st Regiment TDRTC at North Fort Hood as a private in 1943, and then as a Corporal in Company C 136TDTB 4th Reg. TDRTC. Thanks for the website.

my name is jason vicknair my grandfather was Henry Vicknair with the co.c 637th td bn. he was married to violet vicknair he had 3 sons and passed away in 1996. i have pics of him and some of his friends during ww2.my email is jasonvicknair@yahoo.com if any one has any info or other pics please email me thanks.

My dad was a tank gunner with the 628th.
I have found this site very informative. Thank you.

I am Lucas Kirchhoff. The Great nephew of Robert E. McNutt. He was a boss and he drove the command jeep.

my name is Jason i am the grandson of Henry Vicknair he was in company c 637th td batallion.

My father was Dale Phipps from Ogden Utah, 821st TDB. I had a few pictures of him from the War but found others on this site. So, thanks. I would love to hear from anyone who knew him or was part of the 821st. He rarely talked about it.

My name is Joe Manzione and I served in the 610th Tank Destroyer Battalion Recon Company.
I am alive and well and living in Connecticut with my wife of 65 years.

Thank you so much for your service. You made American great!!!!

thank you

Does someone know the best source to find information on WWII personal accounts from the soldiers in the 824th who fought in the towns of Oberheinriet and Unterheinriet, Germany during April 13th to 15th, 1945? They were attached with the 100th Division at that time.

Researching the division my uncle CPL T Robert G Stevens was in, Co. B. 636 Tank Dest. BN

My father, Leslie Zirkle was assigned company A, 629th TD and I would enjoy hooking up with other members to share information with dad.
Great site and I can't wait to share some of this with dad.

I am the son of the late Clarence Draper Barefoot . My father was assigned to company 610 . He was a platoon sgt . He enlisted on 13oct 1942 .After serving at fort hood he was assigned to Asian pacific from 19 sept 1945 to 1 feb 1946 . I don't have much more information than that since he died when I was young. I have been trying to research as much info I can get on him . Any information on him would be a blessing ! Your site was very enjoyable . Son mark j barefoot

Thank you for creating this page. I found it very informative. I currently serve in the 3/103 AR. which continues to use the the Unit Crest "EXPEDITE" that I found on your page from WWII.

:grin
Dear Rob,
Thank you so much for this wesite that honors our great "AMERICAN HEROES".....God bless you, and all who helped in this kindly mission in rememberance of our Great American People....Thank You !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My father was Captain Charles G. Wagner 802nd Tank Destroyer Battalion. Trying to find anyone who remembers which Concentration Camp his unit helped to liberate. At the end of the war they were attached to the 95th Infantry Division. I'm trying to fill in the blanks of his WWII experiences.

I am a family friend of Harry M. McCoy (802nd). We should all be thankful to Harry and all the other brave men like him who have served our country.

I came across this website because my Grand Uncle Charles Frost's grave has the 635th tank destroyer battalion on it. He was a Tech 5th Grade? Just wanted to find out what the unit was about.

Excellent Website

My Father in Law Walter "Roy" Collis was in the 705 TD Bn. Thanks for this very informative site. I found myself engulfed by the history of the Bn and particularly their role in the defense of Bastogne Dec '44 - Jan '45.
If anyone reading this new Roy (or Walt if you knew him that way) I'd love to hear from you. Walt passed in 1999 and I'm so fortunate to be married for almost 35 years to his wonderful daughter Sandy. Walt - as I knew him, didn't talk much about his experience in WWII, but I know it impacted him deeply. Best wishes to all of you and thanks again for this site.

I discovered this website thanks to a fine fellow, Keith Campbell, at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford,Virginia,this past week . I was in the area on family business and located, and toured the Memorial along with other family members.
I inquired as to information regarding my late father , Francis {Frank } J. Blatterspiel who was a tank driver with Company A, 610th T/D Battalion during WW II.
Mr. Campbell referred me to this website and I have been able to find out a lot more about Pop, and his experiences during the war , than I was ever able to find either from him {like most war/ combat vets, did not talk much about what happened},or any searches I've done in the past. You have a great website, THANK YOU !
PS : The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia is a MUST SEE , do NOT pass it up. It is non-profit,and exists on private, corporate, and admission money only, and IS NOT run by the U.S. Government in any way.

Your site is ***. My grandfather served in the 636th. Many of the records you have on that battalion I have never seen before. Thank you so much for your efforts.

My grandfather Jake Brcko served in the 817th TD. BN. Co. B out of Camp Phillips, Kansas. I recently found a plaque somebody had painted for him showing the cat destroying the tank with his teeth.

My grandfather passed away in 1991. I'm trying to find out as much information as I can about his service. It's great to find this site and have this as a reference.

Hi, thanks for this website, I have pictures and other papers from the 821st TD Co B; hopefully I will get those scanned and uploaded soon.

My grandfather was a 2nd Lieutenant by the time Co B left Europe. My grandpa's name was William (Wild Bill) E. Welch. He passed away September 12, 2002; at that time, he was a Colonel (retired) with the 161st Infantry, Washington National Guard. I always loved hearing his stories about the war; the military was his life. He also helped orchestrate reunions for the battalion.

He was the 1st Battalion commander of the 161st in 1968 through the 70s. He joined the 161st in 1940 and was in Bremerton, WA when WWII broke out and the 161st was called up. After training with the 821st TD, he was sent to England with the rest of his company aboard the SS Sea Porpoise...he mentioned in his memoirs that the trip was 11 days and much of the company was sea sick for 5 or 6 of those days.

I have old clippings and pictures on my Facebook account, and will be building a dedication page on my website about my grandpa's military life, police life, and guard life. Visit my Facebook to see what is being shared currently:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151412564141429.1073741825.6624 16428&type=1

elvin beeson was my dad and i am so proud of him and all the veterans who fought to keep us safe linda jacobson contact 281-205-7669

lS
hereby I would like to ask if there's any information about James F. Bethel, sgt in the 771th tank battallion, who died on march 27th 1945 in germany. I have adopted his grave that is situated in Margraten, Netherlands, which means I visit his grave several times per year to honor him an all his comrades for liberating our country.
any information is welcome.
kind regards,

Marcel Kerkhofs

My father was in the 771st. and the HQ. 607th. tank destroyer was a Sergeant in the HQ.company 607th.Tank Destroyer He was discharged on October 30 ,1945.
Thank you
Catherine Chieffolo Iversen

My father, Joseph C Brooks, was a member of 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion.
I am researching his movements overseas and I'm honored to have a father as great as mine.
He is my Hero

Joseph C Brooks
97 and going strong !

Sargent Richard Washington Craig Jr. served in the 776th. He is my father. As the years go by I learn more and more about his service and the service of others in WWII. I continually become prouder of him and the other soldiers that served to protect and preserve our country. I salute my father and all the soldiers past and present. Thank you, Kimberly Craig Ruminski

I just saw your link on the Airmen of Buchenwald post. This is a great site and I will look into it more later. Thanks for honoring these men of the Greatest Generation.

RK

My Dad was Capt. Fred Hamilton. He was in the 701stand I beleive was part of pioneer company, but I don't see much on here. I know he recieved 2 purple hearts and 2 bronze stars. He passed away in 1995, and I was trying to find information as to where he recieved his wounds. He was wounded in the left forearm and upper leg. I have part of his military recod but none of it had been declassed so I dont have a lot of operational info. Thanks to all the men, women and families of the greatest generation for the sacrifices, bravery, and commitment that you displayed during this very difficult time in our nations history.
Respectfully,
Kimball Hamilton USN

My father, Ralph Hayes Jr. was a member of the 813th.
Ralph Hayes Jr passed away on February 13, 2013. Born on his father’s ranch in Slope County North Dakota in 1924, his family moved to Sonoma County, California in 1930. After graduation from high school in 1942 enrolled in Santa Rosa Junior College and played on the college basketball team.
In 1943, Ralph was drafted into the Army. He joined the 813th Tank Destroyer Battalion, in North Africa, and learned to drive a Tank Destroyer. Attached to the 79th Infantry Division, Ralph landed in Normandy, six days after D-Day, and participated in the Normandy campaign and Patton’s Third Army breakout. As a recon corporal Ralph and a lieutenant were the first Americans to enter the town of Bonnetable, France. In October, Ralph was wounded by a mortar shell fragment, his hospitalization coinciding with the only time the 79th Infantry was pulled off the front line. Ralph rejoined his unit, eventually spending the first half of a freezing January in the town of Drusenheim France, near the German border. There, Ralph received a Bronze Star for recovering an abandoned Tank Destroyer by driving it across a river. On January 19th, 1945, the Americans in Drusenheim were surrounded by the Germans, who launched one of their last offensives. The entire 2nd Battalion of the 314th Infantry regiment was captured. Ralph, at this point in charge of two tank destroyers, was captured the next morning when the Germans marched American prisoners toward his position. Ralph spent the next few months as a POW, gaining his freedom when the guards surrendered to the prisoners. After serving as a Drill Instructor, Sergeant Ralph Hayes left the army, shortly before his 21st birthday

After the war, he met his wife Beth Hayes and they raised their four children in Santa Rosa California.

Ralph always cherished his memories of the men of the 813th.

My father, Richard Washington Craig jr. Was a tank commander in 776th. He was awarded the bronze stAr. He lived and died in Gulfport, ms. He died in 1976.

my girlfriends pop pop was a armored car driver for HQ Co. he sadly past away three years ago but i still have all his stories and photos. His name is Al Tenuto.

My grandfather is Oscar Lowell Flint of CO.C 607th. He is still alive, just unable to tell me all about WWII. I am a veteran now myself and am proud to say he encouraged me to serve our country.

My father John R Lemik served with Company C 801st Battalion.This is a great site ti honor these people

Hi my name is Ken Jenkins i live in South Wales UK, for many years I have been trying to locate a GI who was based in or around Cardiff
during May june 1944, his name was Mike Maloney and he was in a tank outfit, I have just been informed that there was a Tank destroyer out fit in Wenvo near Cardiff during March 1944, it appears that there were 357 members of the 771st tank destroyers
camped there, would it be possible that Mike Maloney a Private from Texas was in that Battalion, perhaps you may be able to help me locate him or his family members
Thank you ken Jenkins

dad was with 661 td co a. would iove to get a set of pictures that Janet Fibeck showing 661 for the unit reunion in august.see 661 facebook page -legacy of the661st tank destroyers.thank you

My grandfather, Burley Gordon Shockey, was in the 818th Tank Destroyer Battalion. He died on March 25th, 2010 at nearly 89 years of age.
Thank you for the info.

Claude Lyons was my father. He is sorely missed. Love you dad.

Hi,
My dad served in Company B, 701st Tank Battalion from 8/27/44 to 11/4/45. His name is:
Master Sergeant Michael G Fekete (he chanced his last name to "Black" after the war. He received the Bronze Star 26 February 1945 and fought in France, Luxembourg & Germany. The medal was given by Maj. General PAUL.

If you have any further information on my Dad during his 14 months in Europe, I would appreciate a return email.

My daddy was Porter Glen Kennedy. He loved the reunions the 809 Tank Destroyers would have and attended until his health no longer permitted. Daddy passed away May 1, 2011.

Just found your site. My father, Benjamin M Holowitz. 643 company c. I noticed him in one of Charles Walters pictures. On top,of the tank destroyer just to the right of the gun. I have many pictures and will make them available for posting. Thanks for the site.

My Grandfather was in A. Company.

My apologizes my grandfather Pvt Edward G. Kroski was in the 821st.

My grandfather was Pvt. Edward G Kroski of the 420th tank Destroyer unit out of Fort Hood Texas.
I am immensely proud of my grandfather and all the men who served our great country during WWII.

Granddaughter of Robert Martin.

I have some great photos of my father and others in his units, he was in 802nd TD and 814th TD Batallions. The others are unknown names. Maybe I can have them posted incase you were in those units and recognize yourself.