USMC-RECON0321 Posted June 12, 2012 Share #4826 Posted June 12, 2012 Troy...did he retain that killer patched '41 jacket!? Ian, No that is long gone. But... I do have one of his jump jackets with the patch on it, he gave me years ago. The funny thing is, inside is written "Pvt Bahlau" and then he has his SSGT. stripes on the sleeves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMC-RECON0321 Posted June 12, 2012 Share #4827 Posted June 12, 2012 close ups Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMC-RECON0321 Posted June 12, 2012 Share #4828 Posted June 12, 2012 Last one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMC-RECON0321 Posted June 12, 2012 Share #4829 Posted June 12, 2012 ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 12 June 2012 Ken and Rick, Thanks again!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4830 Posted June 13, 2012 Last one. They don't come any better than that! Great family heirloom to be passed down to future generations of Bahlaus :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack's Son Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4831 Posted June 13, 2012 I've enjoyed these posts of your Grandfather! He'll be with us for a long while to come! :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4832 Posted June 13, 2012 Ken and Rick,Thanks again!!! Troy, it's a pleasure to have shown your grandfathers name and flag memorial I saw at St Marie du Mont, would love to know the story of how the four flags made it there. Thanks for showing your grandfathers M-42 jump jacket it's in real nice condition and with the family. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 12 June 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMC-RECON0321 Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4833 Posted June 13, 2012 Troy, it's a pleasure to have shown your grandfathers name and flag memorial I saw at St Marie du Mont, would love to know the story of how the four flags made it there. Thanks for showing your grandfathers M-42 jump jacket it's in real nice condition and with the family. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 12 June 2012 Ken, Thank you for your kind words sir. I have no idea about his flag and how it came to be there?? Ian and I have talked several times about my Grandfather and when he saw the post of his flag on your thread he directed me there / here. Anyway, I'm glad he did, because I hate to admit it but I've never seen your amazing 242 page thread!! I love it and will now be checking it day to day, it's like reading a book... Thank you for all your work on this. As far as my Grandfather goes, I returned to Normandy with him in 2000, that was his first time back. What an experience that was!! He has since been back 3 more times and maybe that is how the flag posting came to be? Is there a story behind the flags being posted? Any idea who posted the flags? It's interesting that he is shown as 1st Sgt Bahlau because he ended up as a Lt. with a battle field commission, so that may be a clue also?? Attached is a picture of us in 2000 beside the grave of one of his men "Stan Stockens" I've heard many great stories about. Oh and I'm the younger one... :w00t: Troy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4834 Posted June 13, 2012 Troy, Great pictures of your Grandfather. That is wonderful that you were able to travel with him. I am sure nothing will replace your memories and great stories from him. Thanks for showing these pictures. And this is by far my favorite thread on the forum. I read it every day! Glad you found it! ....Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.A.T. Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4835 Posted June 13, 2012 Hey Pat, I hope you can supply the guy's with a few names here to match up to the faces. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 12 June 2012 Sorry Ken, that's a No-Go, I can't remember where I stole that photo. Seems to happen more often lately, maybe it was something the army put in the mashed potatoes back then, or was that the saltpeter? :think: Found another ww-2 "powder room", looking for the trio in the slit trench. 2nd Lt. Liberty Sakryd (left) and fellow military nurses at the "Garden of Eden" women's latrine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4836 Posted June 13, 2012 Pat...have you made an in-depth study of ladies' latrines? You worry me sometimes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.A.T. Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4837 Posted June 13, 2012 Pat...have you made an in-depth study of ladies' latrines? You worry me sometimes! Ian, not to worry old friend, they say it might heal with time. And no, I'm not really into latrines. On top of that, Ken requested some info, which I could not provide, so I did the next best thing, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4838 Posted June 13, 2012 Ian, not to worry old friend, they say it might heal with time. And no, I'm not really into latrines. On top of that, Ken requested some info, which I could not provide, so I did the next best thing, I think. You mean the Generalissimo wanted info on women's latrines!? :w00t: Even more worrying!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4839 Posted June 13, 2012 You mean the Generalissimo wanted info on women's latrines!? :w00t: Even more worrying!! Speaking as a woman...you men are REALLY worrying me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4840 Posted June 13, 2012 This is an early attempt at a field latrine. Needs tweaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4841 Posted June 13, 2012 Ken,Thank you for your kind words sir. I have no idea about his flag and how it came to be there?? Ian and I have talked several times about my Grandfather and when he saw the post of his flag on your thread he directed me there / here. Anyway, I'm glad he did, because I hate to admit it but I've never seen your amazing 242 page thread!! I love it and will now be checking it day to day, it's like reading a book... Thank you for all your work on this. As far as my Grandfather goes, I returned to Normandy with him in 2000, that was his first time back. What an experience that was!! He has since been back 3 more times and maybe that is how the flag posting came to be? Is there a story behind the flags being posted? Any idea who posted the flags? It's interesting that he is shown as 1st Sgt Bahlau because he ended up as a Lt. with a battle field commission, so that may be a clue also?? Attached is a picture of us in 2000 beside the grave of one of his men "Stan Stockens" I've heard many great stories about. Oh and I'm the younger one... :w00t: Troy Hi Troy ( the younger ), another good shot of your grandfather and yourself, I'm pleased to hear that you got to travel with him and learn first hand of his advertures. Whoever added the flags outside the church obviously knew your grandfather as a 1st sgt here in Normandy and before his commission, so we have to thank that unknown person who enabled this memory of your grandfather to appear here. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 13 June 2012 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4842 Posted June 13, 2012 A remarkable set of coincidences Ken. Some unknown person planted that flag with Troy's grandad's name....you photographed and posted it, not knowing of the link with Troy (the younger!), a fellow forummer...I saw it and immediately made the connection having spoken to Troy about his grandad's service previously, and then passed it on down the line. Amazing... and great for Troy and his family! :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted June 13, 2012 Share #4843 Posted June 13, 2012 Troy, Great pictures of your Grandfather. That is wonderful that you were able to travel with him. I am sure nothing will replace your memories and great stories from him. Thanks for showing these pictures. And this is by far my favorite thread on the forum. I read it every day! Glad you found it! ....Kat Hi Kat, I have to agree with you that it was wonderful for Troy ( the younger ) to have made these journeys with his grandfather. Sadly in my naivety of youth I thought that there was all the time in the world to travel back to Dunkirk with an uncle and record his day's and weeks of fighting and evacuation from there, I left it too long and lost that chance, tragically I would also go on to repeat that same naivety with my own father and recording his youth, service and family history. :crying: Regarding this Normandy topic Kat then you must be my main propagandist always commenting on the ' Then & Now ' photo's and adding subtle additions here and there on the trivia spoken about. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 13 June 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.A.T. Posted June 14, 2012 Share #4844 Posted June 14, 2012 Hi Kat, I have to agree with you that it was wonderful for Troy ( the younger ) to have made these journeys with his grandfather. Sadly in my naivety of youth I thought that there was all the time in the world to travel back to Dunkirk with an uncle and record his day's and weeks of fighting and evacuation from there, I left it too long and lost that chance, tragically I would also go on to repeat that same naivety with my own father and recording his youth, service and family history. :crying: Regarding this Normandy topic Kat then you must be my main propagandist always commenting on the ' Then & Now ' photo's and adding subtle additions here and there on the trivia spoken about. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 13 June 2012 Ken, I know what you mean. My father was a US Navy deep sea diver in WW-2, the Pacific, my mother said he helped seal up the USS Arizona, and went blind for almost a year once when they pulled him up too fast, popped his eyes out. I'll never know, he left us when I was a small child, and I felt nothing but hate for the man, leaving us and no contact whatsoever thereafter.Then my older sister told me a couple years ago, she thinks my mother was the instigator, if I had of known that, I would have tried to contact him. It would have been great to pass on his history to my children and my grandchildren. Also remember my sister wanting to give me his Navy photos, but I wanted nothing to do with them, and now they've gotten lost in a big move. Back to ' Then & Now ', I posted this photo in the "Enemy capture photos", someday when you're on the road in that area, maybe you can locate this street? Might be worth a beer. When you enlarge the photo you can see a sign behind the Kettenkrad with Cherbourg on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack's Son Posted June 14, 2012 Share #4845 Posted June 14, 2012 A remarkable set of coincidences Ken. Some unknown person planted that flag with Troy's grandad's name....you photographed and posted it, not knowing of the link with Troy (the younger!), a fellow forummer...I saw it and immediately made the connection having spoken to Troy about his grandad's service previously, and then passed it on down the line. Amazing... and great for Troy and his family! :thumbsup: Ian, You're just catching on to this?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack's Son Posted June 14, 2012 Share #4846 Posted June 14, 2012 ...... I'll never know, he left us when I was a small child, and I felt nothing but hate for the man, leaving us and no contact whatsoever thereafter.Then my older sister told me a couple years ago, she thinks my mother was the instigator, if I had of known that, I would have tried to contact him. It would have been great to pass on his history to my children and my grandchildren. Also remember my sister wanting to give me his Navy photos, but I wanted nothing to do with them, and now they've gotten lost in a big move. ....... Pat...One day we will have to compare stories. I remember some of my life with father, but it wasn't until 40 years after his death that I got the rest of the story. That, may have changed the way I felt about him while he was still alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack's Son Posted June 14, 2012 Share #4847 Posted June 14, 2012 This is an early attempt at a field latrine. Needs tweaking. Perhaps we should plant a tree around it....we'll feel right at home! :w00t: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMC-RECON0321 Posted June 14, 2012 Share #4848 Posted June 14, 2012 Hi Troy ( the younger ), another good shot of your grandfather and yourself, I'm pleased to hear that you got to travel with him and learn first hand of his advertures. Whoever added the flags outside the church obviously knew your grandfather as a 1st sgt here in Normandy and before his commission, so we have to thank that unknown person who enabled this memory of your grandfather to appear here. ken Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 13 June 2012 . Thanks again Ken, I will surely share the picture with him and all the well wishes from the forum. He has some great stuff from his service I need to document and post a thread on here for. He still has his original note book with the hand written names of those he jumped with on D-day and written next to the names is either KIA, WIA and MIA except for two names, him and another. This was his notes for him to give a morning report several days later. He also has a copy of the order for his 2nd Silver star along with Col. Sink's name. I'll attach some pics of copies I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted June 14, 2012 Share #4849 Posted June 14, 2012 Troy...as your grandad was a 506er, was he acquainted with those we now refer to as "The Band of Brothers", i.e. Easy Co? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMC-RECON0321 Posted June 14, 2012 Share #4850 Posted June 14, 2012 Troy...as your grandad was a 506er, was he acquainted with those we now refer to as "The Band of Brothers", i.e. Easy Co? Ian, He has never watched the series, I even bought it for him on DVD?? So it catches me off guard when he has told stories about some of the men of Easy Co. but doesn't even realize they are known world wide now from the series. For example: He shared a room with 1st Sgt Lipton back in England because they were both battlefield commissioned and went through the Officers course together after the war. He also has a picture of Him, my Grandmother and Lipton sitting together at one of the reunions. He also knew and tells a story about watching Capt Speirs get into a fist fight with another Officer. Saying "He was one tough SOB" And he recalls several conversations with Col. Sink when he was transferred as the HQ Co. 1st Sgt for a short period of time. Troy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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