MY DAD SPRING 1943-Dec 1944

[BEAST]

I thought you might like to see an interesting study of a person's face before combat and then afterwards. My father served as a medic with the 94th Infantry Divsion. The division landed in Normandy in September 1944. My father joined the divison at Camp Custer in December 1942 and remained with them until they came home.

 

This is my father taken when he was home on leave sometime in the spring of 1943:

 

This is him in December 1944.

[JBFloyd]

That's why I've had trouble with the references to "our boys", no matter how well-meaning. Lots of boys entered combat, but they grew up real fast. You can see it in their eyes.

[Captainofthe7th]

It's amazing to see what a year under fire can do. Have you read the book "Visions From a Foxhole"? It's written by a 94th vet who is also and artist. My Aunt and Uncle know him so they got me some signed prints of his artwork. Amazing guy.

 

Rob

[Mr-X]

Thanks for sharing these very interesting comparison pics of your father.

They are very thought provoking.

[Gregory]

BEAST,

 

Thank you very much for posting those photographs. This is big lesson for the men fascinated by war because this is big lesson what war does to a man.

 

BTW -- the second photo of 1944 is doubly interesting. Did your father tell you how the military people responsible for discipline looked at the soldier's beard and moustache?

 

Best regards

 

Greg

[Teamski]

Yeah, sometimes I wonder if some collectors understand what they collect. We don't feel the pang of death over our heads when we handle history, so some forget the true meaning of our hobby. It's to preserve the memory of those who were thrown into harms way and ensure that their sacrifice wasn't forgotten. To be honest, this is why I don't reenact. I just don't feel right filling shoes that I didn't earn. This is just my personal thing.

 

-Ski

[Jeeper704]

Thanks for posting these pictures ........ they sure tell a lot more than a 1000 words.

As a combat medic, I'm sure he say his part of the horrors of war.

Some of the stories Richard Bowman (704th TD Medic) told me, sent me shivers down my spine.

At one point - somewhere in France if I remember correctly - his helmet was shot off, just grazing his skull. If that was a few millimeters lower .......

 

Erwin

[55rab]

Thanks for the pictures - what a change ! !

[BEAST]

Guys, thanks for the kind words! The worst thing about this photo, is that the the worst fighting (for him) didn't occur until after this photo was taken! My father was trained as a surgical tech but I think was destined to be a front line medic. He had applied for flight school, but was told that due to the shortage of line troops, all of the transfers were denied. Then as a surgical tech, he was assigned to Battalion Aid Station. The German's in their sector began targeting the medics and he was assigned to an infantry company. According to my Dad and some other 94th vets, the Division, due to the Germans shooting the medics and other dirty tactics, the divsion stopped taking prisoners for a long period. An order was issued by Eisenhower to the Divsion to resume taking prisoners. Don't know how accurate all of this is, but I do know that the Germans nicknamed the division "Roosevelt's Bloody Butchers".

 

Greg, to answer your question about the facial hair, I have a few photos taken at the same time of other medics in his unit with similiar style facial hair. However later photos, taken after the Divsion was transferred to Patton's Third Army, show all of the men clean shaven.

[bert]

I thought you might like to see an interesting study of a person's face before combat and then afterwards. My father served as a medic with the 94th Infantry Divsion. The division landed in Normandy in September 1944. My father joined the divison at Camp Custer in December 1942 and remained with them until they came home.

 

This is my father taken when he was home on leave sometime in the spring of 1943:

 

This is him in December 1944.

 

He did a good job for Your country and mine!!

 

Thankx

 

Bert

[MAW]

Great photos....thanks for posting them.

 

I have noticed similar transformations in a few photos myself....and even in President Bush from pre-9/11 to now.

 

Sometimes you can see the stress and turmoil in the faces.

[101combatvet]

What Battalion or company did he serve with? Any chance he was with the 376th?

 

here?

 

Guys, thanks for the kind words! The worst thing about this photo, is that the the worst fighting (for him) didn't occur until after this photo was taken! My father was trained as a surgical tech but I think was destined to be a front line medic. He had applied for flight school, but was told that due to the shortage of line troops, all of the transfers were denied. Then as a surgical tech, he was assigned to Battalion Aid Station. The German's in their sector began targeting the medics and he was assigned to an infantry company. According to my Dad and some other 94th vets, the Division, due to the Germans shooting the medics and other dirty tactics, the divsion stopped taking prisoners for a long period. An order was issued by Eisenhower to the Divsion to resume taking prisoners. Don't know how accurate all of this is, but I do know that the Germans nicknamed the division "Roosevelt's Bloody Butchers".

 

Greg, to answer your question about the facial hair, I have a few photos taken at the same time of other medics in his unit with similiar style facial hair. However later photos, taken after the Divsion was transferred to Patton's Third Army, show all of the men clean shaven.

[Bugme]

Gee, I can't imagine why everyone would be clean shaven while under Patton's command. Seriously, It's amazing how stress can age someone. My father-in-law fought on Okinawa and the pictures of him while he was there show a man who looks to be at least 40 years old... he was 21 at the time. Thanks Erick for sharing these pictures of your dad.

[IMPERIAL QUEST]

I don't have any photos to illustrate, but the pastor at my church once told me about how his father in law was present at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. He said that very shortly after that event his once brown hair transitioned to a full head of almost all white, and the mental and physical strain of that day and the campaigns that he participated in later aged him so much that he looked like he was in his 50's when he was actually in his early 20's.

[Justin]

Thanks for sharing these pictures. Crazy what a year in the army can do to a person

[a6skin9]

BEAST,

 

Thank you very much for posting those photographs. This is big lesson for the men fascinated by war because this is big lesson what war does to a man.

 

BTW -- the second photo of 1944 is doubly interesting. Did your father tell you how the military people responsible for discipline looked at the soldier's beard and moustache?

 

Best regards

 

Greg

 

Great photos!

As far as facial hair goes, Ernie Pyle has a whole chapter on the topic of beards in one of his books, either "Brave Men" or "Here Is Your War". It was more comment in front line troops than people would think.

[316th FS 324th FG]

He might have identified with poor Willie and Joe here then on entering the 3rd Army

[BEAST]

I thought I would bring this back up as it shows how my father looked around Christmas 1944.