bellasilva Posted June 6, 2016 Share #1 Posted June 6, 2016 So I stopped by a local antique warehouse this morning and happened across what I thought was a neat swagger stick, with an engineer DUI affixed and an inscription to a Jay P. D/a/w/l/e/y, 35th Engineer Group (Construction). I admired it for a bit and walked away, but I had a nagging feeling so I researched the man's name and was floored with the amount of I formation available on him. He graduated from West Point in 1939, and on the morning of December 7, 1941, he was asleep in the Bachelor Officer Quarters at Schofield barracks when he began to hear the explosions when the Japanese began their attack on Pearl Harbor. He stepped outside and witnessed the Japanese zeroes bombing Wheeler Army Airfield. Ordered to the Fort Shafter headquarters, on the way he and his men began firing their rifles at the enemy planes overhead. Fast forward to 1944, and he is attached to the 238th Combat Engineer Battalion, where he was in charge of Operational Map distribution for the D-Day invasion. By September 1944 he took over as Commanding Officer of this unit and saw combat with them, sometimes deployed as infantry. He took part in the Battle of the Bulge where he recalled laying mines that destroyed 5 out of 6 German Panzers after the snow covered the mines. He also participated in combat in taking Aachen. In the mid 1950's, he took command of the 35th Engineer Group, retiring in 1956 as a full Colonel. And the best part of it, is that he is pictured at his retirement ceremony with this very swagger stick!! I suppose it's more of a retirement gift than what we know as a swagger stick. Also included is a link to a 21 minute YouTube video where he is holding a question/answer session with a 5th grade class concerning his combat experience. This incredible man passed away in 2014 at the age of 97. I am ecstatic with this find and hope you guys enjoy it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted June 6, 2016 Author Share #2 Posted June 6, 2016 West Point 1939 photo, more recent photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted June 6, 2016 Author Share #3 Posted June 6, 2016 His obituary and an article concerning the 238th Engineers landing on Utah Beach at 1000 on D-Day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted June 6, 2016 Author Share #4 Posted June 6, 2016 And undoubtedly the icing on the cake..the photo of his retirement ceremony where he holds this very "swagger stick"!! Here is the link to his youtube interview for this interested..it's worth a watch.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratasfan Posted June 6, 2016 Share #5 Posted June 6, 2016 What a fabulous story! Knowing the history behind an item always adds so much! You must be thrilled! Now, what is a swagger stick used for? Or is it just show? That is such a cool find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share #6 Posted June 11, 2016 What a fabulous story! Knowing the history behind an item always adds so much! You must be thrilled! Now, what is a swagger stick used for? Or is it just show? That is such a cool find!Thanks! I've seen more elaborate examples but this one looks like more of a retirement gift, seeing as he did not command the 35th Engineer Group until shortly before his retirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David D Posted June 11, 2016 Share #7 Posted June 11, 2016 Incredible find! It's always great to see the same item appear in a period photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted June 14, 2016 Author Share #8 Posted June 14, 2016 Thanks David! I was pretty excited to find that photo and was equally pleased with all the information available on him online. His interview is great as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now