17thairborne Posted December 17, 2010 Share #1 Posted December 17, 2010 I realize it may be a long shot... but if anyone has access to any photographs of members of the 139th AEB I would sure appreciate some help trying to capture some photos of a few troopers who rode in a glider used in Operation VARSITY. Glider 47 of Serial A17 carried members of Sgt John Petrell's squad into combat. So far I have identified by photos from my collection all but 4 of the 12 squad members. Does anyone have either a photo of the following, or a perhaps a roster with names from the 139th AEB tied to one of the unit's group photos from the 17th Airborne Yearbook published at Mackall in 1944? I've enclosed a collage of photos if the identified troopers from a copy of the original glider manifest carried by Sgt Petrell. Here are the names for which I am missing photos: SSgt Robert H. Bentzien PFC Mark A. McCarty PVT Salvadore A. Ramirez T/5 Hanson J. Cuneo Of interest I recently located Cpl Warren Skenadore and was fortunate to interview him for my book. He is doing great and has a sharp mind and a great sense of humor. He was recently awarded the French Croix de Guerre for his actions in the Ardennes (Silver Star Winner). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory Posted December 17, 2010 Share #2 Posted December 17, 2010 I realize it may be a long shot... but if anyone has access to any photographs of members of the 139th AEB I would sure appreciate some help trying to capture some photos of a few troopers who rode in a glider used in Operation VARSITY. Glider 47 of Serial A17... Ask the NWWIIGPA. They have searchable electronic data base of all USAAF glider pilots and they know who is alive, where he lives etc. The images you are looking for may be in the glider pilots' homes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17thairborne Posted December 17, 2010 Author Share #3 Posted December 17, 2010 Great suggestion. I am missing a photo of the pilot as well. Oz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camopara Posted December 17, 2010 Share #4 Posted December 17, 2010 Oz, Can't really help you on your quest, but just some pics out of the historical report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camopara Posted December 17, 2010 Share #5 Posted December 17, 2010 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17thairborne Posted December 17, 2010 Author Share #6 Posted December 17, 2010 Camopara, Thanks for providing. I used the same report in the thesis to build LZ maps for the locations where all of the gliders landed/crashed. it was more of an estimate since the dots and the oval for the LZ are somewhat general in nature it makes pinpointing the exact location difficult. I suspect they overlaid aerial photos that were taken after the landings on top of a map and placed a dot where the gliders were in the photo. The image shown is for the first 45 gliders in Serial A16. Glider 47 was in Serial A17 as you have shown in the Varsity AAR. Here is my work as far as that goes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17thairborne Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share #7 Posted November 5, 2012 I finally got around to updating the glider map for the 139th gliders that landed on LZ N on 24 mar 45 as part of Operation VARSITY. There are a couple of gliders missing...I'm still looking for data. I welcome any constructive comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick C Posted July 16, 2013 Share #8 Posted July 16, 2013 A friend of mine is Vicki Bentzien, daughter of SSgt Robert H. Bentzien, who sadly passed away a few years ago as a widely loved and respected gentelman in his home town in WI. Send me an IM and I will get you in touch with Vicki, whom i am sure will be happy to share any information that you may be looking for, or that you can share with her about her Father's service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vlb Posted July 18, 2013 Share #9 Posted July 18, 2013 Our father SSgt Robert H. Bentzien was in the 17th Airborne, 139th AEB. He told a few stories such as parachuting into Germany-Operation Varsity, under enemy fire, and his weapon jamming after firing one round. He said he was part of Cpt Ray MacMullen's Raiders who captured the city of Essen in April 1945. He also spoke of bullets coming through the floor, only to find that it was a trooper shooting flies off the ceiling from the floor below. He also did some training in Puerto Rico. I am in the process of getting some pictures together to send. Vicki and Don Bentzien; (Shirley Bentzien, wife of Robert) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17thairborne Posted September 1, 2013 Author Share #10 Posted September 1, 2013 Thanks for connecting me with Vicki. We have begun a great correspondence and I now have some more great info for the book. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waffentag Posted September 20, 2016 Share #11 Posted September 20, 2016 Oz, At long last! Sorry that it is too late for your book! SGT Frank Cassidy Maybe someone will recognize similar photos and find that lost photo of Dad with an MP43? Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17thairborne Posted September 20, 2016 Author Share #12 Posted September 20, 2016 What an awesome image and a rare one at that. It would have gotten great billing in the book. I am guessing it was taken in Essen in Apr 45 like many others with similar backgrounds and buildings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waffentag Posted December 21, 2023 Share #13 Posted December 21, 2023 I had the photo of my dad restored, he talked about a photo of him in full gear with the wall behind him, He said that he had an MP43 in the photo. This photo has been missing since before I was born. I suspect that the photo above was taken around the same time. Maybe the photographer at the time printed out duplicates? Perhaps someone recognizes the location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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