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fact check 34th ID at Normandy


phantomfixer
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phantomfixer

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/05/16/town-folks-send-martinez-wwii-vet-back-to-france-for-d-day-ceremony/

 

Jake is pretty detailed in his description of pre invasion activities, the invasion and as to what ID he belonged to...He is pretty clear the 34th was at Normandy...could he be mistaken as to which ID he belonged to...or was part of the 34th at Normandy...

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Kurt Barickman

Since he was raised in MN, and stated he joined the National Guard here in the Gopher State, he definitely was with the 34th Division as they are the National Guard unit here in MN, Iowa and part of the Dakotas then and now for the most part. But definitely NOT with the Red Bull in Normandy as already mentioned they were in Torch and up the Italian Boot! Must have been transferred to another unit that was in the Normandy beachhead. Good story especially at 96 years of age!

 

Kurt

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I'd think transferred and just not conveying that part. There were many reassignments and temporary attachments of smaller units as before major offensives to fill holes but... Problem here to me would be that the 34th was never attached to an army corps that participated in Normandy. But I'd say too many other details in his story to be a misplacement of his service.

Dave

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Right here in this paragraph is where we see he was transfered out of the 34th Inf Div.

 

By 1941, when he just turned 18, Larson says he was called to serve in the U.S. Army and by early winter of 1942 was sent to New York. Because of his typing skills, he was transferred to the region’s Army headquarters in England to work with Col. John G. Hill and others on the V Corps’ Normandy invasion plans.

 

 

So from what we can see so far was he was in say HQ Company V Corps on D-Day and went in in some kind of capacity, one will see this in all assault landings in all theaters, support personnel from a higher organization taking part, even within division, like a section or more of say the divisional signals company etc etc.

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