1st Lt John Fallon - H Co - 36th Engr Combat Regiment

[dogface44]

- 36th ENGINEERS ARE RUGGED! -

 

 

 

-

 

 

1st Lt John Fallon - 3rd Plt - H Co - 36th Engineer Combat Regiment

 

 

 

 

I asked Mr Fallon about the origin of the "Rugged" motto of the 36th Engr Regt, here is his reply:

 

"Now then, about the motto, RUGGED, it is from a very bawdy Engineer saying from army years back:

 

- The Engineers have hairy ears

- They live in caves and ditches

- They wipe their rump with broken glass

- They're RUGGED sons of bitches."

 

 

 

2nd Lt John Fallon arrived on the Anzio beachhead in February 1944 as a replacement officer.

Prior to the Anzio beachhead breakout the 36th Engineer Regiment received the orders to replace the First Special Service Force along the Mussolini

canal. A few days before the unit exchange is effective, 2nd Lt Fallon is assigned to the FSSF to prepare the terrain for the 36th Engineers.

John Fallon was involved in a few night patrols - FSSF style.

 

 

During the Anzio Beachhead, John Fallon received a 1st Lt Battlefield Promotion.

 

 

Italian made 36th Engr patch.

 

John Fallon takes part in the "Road to Rome" breakout when he is wounded by a German grenade.

He spends some time in hopsital in Naples and gets back to his unit just in time to get on the ship for operation

Dragoon in Southern France!

 

Since he was away for some time he wasnt assigned any particular mission for Dragoon.

Once in France, his orders were to lead anti-sniper patrols on the beachhead.

 

 

"Seahorses" on Red Beach - Cavalaire sur mer - 08/15/44

 

The same place today.

 

 

I asked John Fallon about his first day in Southern France:

"We landed with the first wave and some with the second wave, our heavy equipment was in subsequent waves. We had only a few casualties and I had only a minor mission personally. We were on the extreme left of the landings, right at Cap Cavalaire and my job was sniper hunting and I just caught a few stragglers."

 

 

"Seahorses" of the 36th Engineer Regiment discussing with French FFI near St Tropez 08/15/44.

 

John went up the Rhone Valley and up to the Vosges....

 

Docelles/Vosges octobre 1944

 

John Fallon was again wounded near the German border.

 

1st Lt John Fallon near Bobenthal - Siegfried line - Jan. 2nd, 1945

 

Once the Rhine was crossed, High command said 36th Engineers had seen enough and they were assigned to POW guard and various

occuption duties.

 

 

 

John Fallon went all the way from Anzio to the end of the war with the 36th Engineer Regiment.

 

John Fallon made First Lieutenant with a Battlefield Promotion at Anzio and became Company Commander at the very end of the war.

 

 

He didn't get his Captain orders until he was home.

 

 

John Fallon in Marseille before going home - 1945.

[dogface44]

 

John Fallon stayed in the Reserves but when called up for Korea, he failed every physical tests.

 

 

 

Why ?

 

 

 

He was deaf and still carrying a lot of shrapnel in his backside!

 

 

 

John is still very proud of Regiment and is the coordinator of the annual Seahorses reunions and newsletters.

 

 

 

I am proud to be his friend.

 

 

 

John Fallon today.

 

 

 

36th Engineer Regiment reunion - 2007

 

 

 

Reenactment of a Seahorse NCO - Red Beach - Cavalaire-sur-mer - Operation Dragoon - 08/15/44.

 

 

 

36th Engineer Combat Regiment monument.

 

 

 

6th Corps' Beachhead News article about the 36th Engineer Regiment.

[teltec01]

Thank you for this very interesting and informative post, and special thanks to the veterans of the 36th Engineer Combat Regiment.

[ccmax]

Great thread. Considering Fallon entered the front in February 1944, he probably saw around 300 days of combat action.