tarbridge Posted March 4, 2013 Share #1 Posted March 4, 2013 Well I have been doing the SOS since #1 and it has always been good to me and this year is no exception.I picked up a USMC Raider Purple Heart and a USN Corpsman Purple Heart,they did not make it home with me.I bought several more Purple Hearts and most of them sold at the show also.I managed to be there at the right time to get this FSSF Purple Heart at the show.RIP Pvt.Arrington Private William L Arrington service# 33742864 DOB: 12 May 1925 Washington,DC 3rd Company,1st Regiment,1st Special Service Forces KIA: est. 24-25 May 1944 near Cisterna,Italy Decorations and Awards: Purple Heart,Good Conduct Medal,European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Service stars,World War II Victory Medal There were copies of letters wrote by Williams Mother trying to establish next-of-kin status.She states"My son was killed May 1944 crossing Hwy 7 on the drive to Rome.He was with the First Special Service Force.He was married -but his widow remarried in the Spring of 1945.I was divorced from his father and custody was awarded to me and the child was raised by me.' The Father wrote to Graves Registration this:"The daily paper stated that questionnaires were going to be mailed out soon to relative to bringing back the dead.My son William L Arrington 3rd Co. 1st Reg. 1st Special Service Force serial no.33742864 was killed in action May 25 19944 on the drive to Rome.At the time of his death he was only 19 years and 2 months of age.But was married a few months before going overseas to a girl he had known only one month.She remarried within seven months of being notified of his death and refuses to correspond with me.She has been trying to hide her second marriage from me.My sons Mother and I want him brought back and buried at Arlington and due to the above mentioned facts.I think the questionnaire should be mailed to me or his mother.Where is he now buried?Respectfully,Fuller L Arrington" Private Arrington rests in Arlington.Sec:12 Site 5025 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S1991 Posted March 4, 2013 Share #2 Posted March 4, 2013 Verry nice Purple Heart Robert. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwinter207 Posted March 4, 2013 Share #3 Posted March 4, 2013 Great heart, Robert! I found this FSSF gallery with some excellent photos in Italy and France. http://www.commando.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=73&g2_page=21 Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriegsmodell Posted March 5, 2013 Share #4 Posted March 5, 2013 Simply amazing Robert! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-o MSU Posted March 5, 2013 Share #5 Posted March 5, 2013 Great pick up Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottplen Posted March 5, 2013 Share #6 Posted March 5, 2013 WOW !! Robert a great heart !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plick27 Posted March 5, 2013 Share #7 Posted March 5, 2013 Outstanding Robert. Congrats and thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torch03 Posted March 5, 2013 Share #8 Posted March 5, 2013 AMAZING!! What a GREAT find!! Congrats Robert! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottplen Posted March 5, 2013 Share #9 Posted March 5, 2013 From find a grave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhcoleterracina Posted March 5, 2013 Share #10 Posted March 5, 2013 Aside from it being a great Purple Heart, I find the family letters to be interesting. Logically the "wife" would have decision making powers but she clearly and quickly moved on. I'm glad the parents got their wish for a burial at Arlington. It makes me wonder how many times the armed forces were faced with conflicting requests from family members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted March 5, 2013 Share #11 Posted March 5, 2013 That is a great addition to your collection. Cisterna was a meat grinder.Lots of rangers lost during the battle there as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriegsmodell Posted March 5, 2013 Share #12 Posted March 5, 2013 Aside from it being a great Purple Heart, I find the family letters to be interesting. Logically the "wife" would have decision making powers but she clearly and quickly moved on. I'm glad the parents got their wish for a burial at Arlington. It makes me wonder how many times the armed forces were faced with conflicting requests from family members. I think that conflicting requests from family members was not at all uncommon. I have several IDPFs with letters from Mothers, Fathers, and other family members in which the burial location is being questioned. As an example, a parent requesting the return of the son's remains after the now divorced and remarried wife chose an overseas internment. They are very poignant to read even now. One response from the War Department listed the order of decision making authority of the respective family members which was rather interesting. Regarding this outstanding piece, as if FSSF was not enough he was also from the District of Columbia. DC examples are rather difficult to locate on my limited experience ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KySoldier Posted March 5, 2013 Share #13 Posted March 5, 2013 Great Purple Heart! God bless this brave soldier and keep him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobgee Posted March 5, 2013 Share #14 Posted March 5, 2013 Wonderful grouping, Robert! Congrats on picking it up. R.I.P. Pvt. Arrington. It was good to see you at SoS. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDK Posted March 5, 2013 Share #15 Posted March 5, 2013 Fantastic piece of history there. Nice find and thanks for remembering him! JD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary B Posted March 5, 2013 Share #16 Posted March 5, 2013 Hi Robert, FYI, the FSSF lost 54 men KIA (or later dying of wounds), 51 MIA and 279 WIA between 1 Feb 44 - 1 May 44, the Anzio campaign for the FSSF. This information coming from The Black Devils by Ray Routhier. Gary B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErwinRommel1940 Posted April 17, 2022 Share #17 Posted April 17, 2022 It appears the the parents were also successful in acquiring a posthumous Purple Heart, as there are now two. Bought out of Fredericksburg, VA (very close to where his parents lived) this week. RIP Private Arrington Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerialbridge Posted April 18, 2022 Share #18 Posted April 18, 2022 So, tarbridge has Pvt. Arrington of Arlington's hand engraved PH presumably presented to his widow, who quickly moved on, and you have one that was issued to the parents, virtually identical hand engraving. Be interesting to see if the IDPF had transmittal letters to establish when the hearts were mailed. Weren't they also issuing a lot of machine engraved hearts at that time, May 1944, presuming his body was immediately recovered? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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