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Armor and Tank Destroyer Purple Hearts


Jim Baker
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Here is a PH and group id'ed to Sgt Faith, tank commander in F-company, 106th Cav Sqd.

The Heart is not named but the BS is.

He is also mentioned in the unit history that came with it.

 

Regards,

Stephan

 

 

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Hi, this was really the best armor PH I ever had. It was to Carlton Chapman of the 761st tank Battalion, well documented and original. It now resides in the armor museum in Virginia, sorry I don't have the proper name for the museum. the pics are small but that is all I have left of it, a memory.

Matt

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

PFC Edward R. Haldeman

36th Armored Infantry Battalion

3rd Armored Division

KIA September 22, 1944

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
DwightPruitt

Sgt Edward Forrester, Platoon Sgt of 1st Platoon, Company A, 750th Tank Battalion. KIA on 29 November, 1944 supporting the 103rd Infantry Div assault on Inden, Germany. Forrester was from Dyersburg Tenn, and is buried at the Margraten American Military Cemetery.

 

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DwightPruitt

PFC Charles G. Roos was initially assigned to the USAAF. Due to manpower shortages, he was transferred to Troop D, 88th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 8th Armored Division. From Wellsville, NY, he was KIA 2 April, 1945 near Neuhaus, Germany. He is buried at the Margraten American Military Cemetery.

 

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DwightPruitt

Jim, Erwin, thanks for the kind words. I've been fortunate to have dealt with forum members Tom Lane, Ed Maier, Jeff Floyd and Robert Wilson (Tarbridge) in building my collection. They've all been very helpful and patient, answering my many questions. I highly recommend all of them.

 

EDIT: I forgot Herman Wiesensee of Ohio. Herman is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to US medals and really helped me research my medals. He's been fighting some health problems recently and I hope he gets well soon.

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DwightPruitt

PFC Joseph C. Demers was a member of Company A, 13th Armored Quartermaster Battalion, 1st Armored Division. He was killed when enemy shellfire hit his DUKW during the landing of his battalion at Anzio on 24 February 1944. A native of Manchester, New Hampshire, he was initially buried in a temporary cemetery in Italy. After the war, he was brought home and laid to rest in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Manchester.

 

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DwightPruitt

Pvt. Oliver G. DeNio Jr. was killed on 9 October 1944 while serving with the 50th Armored Infantry Battalion, 6th Armored Division during operations to cross and clear the Seille River in France. He was from Erie County, New York and was brought home after the war. His burial location is unknown to me at this time.

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DwightPruitt

Pvt. Bernard L. Rhode entered the U.S. Army from Pottsville Pennsylvania on 27 March 1942. He was assigned to Troop D, 113th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 113th Cavalry Group. One of the first, if not the first, casualty of that unit, he was on a recon patrol of St. Jean de Daye Normandy when a German dropped a grenade from a upper window of a house wounding Rhode severely in the legs. He was evacuated to the 51st Field Hospital where his legs were amputated. He died soon after surgery just before midnight on 10 July, 1944. He was 26 years old.

 

Rhode is buried in the Normandy Military Cemetery.

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

1st Lieutenant Gordon E. Burt

21st Cavalry Recon Troop

Americal Division

KIA at Leyte February 14, 1945

Killed by enemy landmine

 

 

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Brian Dentino

These are some amazing PH's fella's! Wow, I am weak kneed and almost speechless. I love the history that Dwight and the others were able to share on these amazing pieces. Just fantastic and a great thread! thumbsup.gif

Thanks to everyone for sharing them with the rest of us....

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  • 1 month later...

A new addition. I love the one line case.

 

Pfc. Bruno A. Koditek

41st Armored Inf. Regiment

2nd Armored Division

KIA: Sept. 19, 1944

 

 

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Nice example!

 

Another thing to note about this PH. It is from an un-numbered contract that was almost entirely used up by the PQMD for named medals. Notice the " Shield " is actually part of the planchet and not applied. It also has a matte gold finish that is typical of this contract.

 

Whenever you see a named medal from this contract, you know the engraving is good.

 

Kurt

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Jim, another great medal for your collection. You have some good stuff.

 

Kurt, thanks for that little tidbit of info....that's why I love this forum.

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Nice example!

 

Another thing to note about this PH. It is from an un-numbered contract that was almost entirely used up by the PQMD for named medals. Notice the " Shield " is actually part of the planchet and not applied. It also has a matte gold finish that is typical of this contract.

 

Whenever you see a named medal from this contract, you know the engraving is good.

 

Kurt

 

 

This particular contract didn't hold up very well either over the years so its even more difficult to find a "minty" example !!

 

Nice PH !!

 

Vic

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Some great hearts on there.

 

Battle Of the Bulge KIA

PFC. Walfred E. Mattson

Co. B, 60th Armd Inf Bn, 9th Armd Div

KIA 1 Jan 45.

 

I received this heart from from a friend of Wallys sister. She left the heart to him after she passed away.

It arrived wrapped a handkerchief with her initails embroidered on it and a note explaining how she left the

heart to him. I was lucky enough to find the attached news paper clip . He died in the last major German

offensive of the war on the Western Front

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PVT Billy R Kitter 51st Armoured Inf Batt - 4th Armoured Divison

 

KIA 20th July 1944 Originally buried @ Blosville - Carentan he was 24 years old.

Billy landed at Utah Beach 14th July 1944 with the 51st Armoured Inf Batt and entered combat 17 July,

driving to and securing the Coutances area. Billy was killed on the 20th July just 3 days after landing in Normandy.

Location of death :- Blehou just outside of Carentan.

 

Official Combat History 51st Armored Infantry Battalion

 

Monday 17 July 1944

 

Field Order No 1, Hq 4th Armored Div, was received to cover the movement. The Div was assigned to the VIII Corps, 1st Army. The Bn moved out at 1100 as part of Combat Command "B" which was in the lead. And the 51st led the column, with the third platoon of Co "B" as the point. The unit moved through Ste Colombe, Orglandes, Entrenville, Appeville, Boupte, and went into an assembly area one half mile east of Blehou. The trip was approximately 40 miles. Men dug in

 

Thursday 20 July 1944

 

At 0100, Co "B" relieved Co "A" of the 10th on the front line. There was continued shelling in their area. It started to rain a heavy downpour during the afternoon, making conditions in the foxholes miserable. The enemy put down a heavy barrage about 1840 and continued it during the entire night. The enemy counter-attacked and, although Co "B" and Co "A" suffered heavy casualties, they held their positions, and repulsed the counter-attack. The 1st platoon of Co "A" and one squad of the 2nd platoon moved forward to fill in the area of Co "B". At the Bn CP, there, were wild rumors coming back, with exaggerated reports of casualties suffered. There was a great deal of confusion at the CP. Our artillery fired short because the artillery commander had heard a report from a hysterical soldier that we had withdrawn. Thus, a barrage landed in our own front lines. There were many stragglers. One soldier returned to the Bn CP and gave a clear picture of the situation. He reported that the companies were receiving heavy fire and suffering casualties, but that the situation was not desperate and the companies would remain in their positions despite everything. The assault guns and mortars fired for the first time, and the Reconnaissance Platoon moved forward and reinforced the front lines. The drivers and anti-tank platoon of Co "A" moved in to protect the read and flanks of their company and the Recon Platoon of the 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion also went to the front. Every available man was established in perimeter defense around the CP. There was a total of 134 casualties in the battalion. Co "B" had 72, Co "A" had 59 and Co "C" had 3. Lt Leskovar and Lt McIntire were killed.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well after posting my two armored hearts I taught I'd have another dig around and see If i could find any other info on these fine men...

I'd been recently made aware of the site http://www.findagrave.com so I taught I'd check it out. With luck I found Billy R ketter which had a fairly basic memorial with just his burial location and date kiled in action, so I got in contact with the poster and asked them to post the additional info I had on Billy Ketter and I requested a picture of the marker.I received a mail a few days later from Julie Sullivan she'd gone out of her way to go to the local library to look up the local paper for news clips on his death and his obit and further more took a picture of his marker.

It seems some families paid way beyond any expectation and paid the ultimate sacrifice.Papers clips revealed the following....

 

His youngest brother, Harry, died two years earlier in a drowning accident near home and his other brother, Jack, died in Iwo Jima, Japan, less the 8 months after Billy's death.

 

The Ketters Beatrice and Raymond lost all three of there children, one to a tragic accident and the remaining two to WWII

I can only imagine the heart break they suffered ... a truly tragic story. I've linked the updated memorial for both brothers.

 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?p...d=28832925&

 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?p...d=28832935&

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