Connecticut men, 28th - Bloody Bucket - Division, September 1945.Vol. 1, no. 12

              CONNECTICUT MEN
28th - Bloody Bucket - Division
September 1945
28th DIVISION COMES HOME
The main body of the 28th ( Keystone) Division sailed from Le Havre for the U. S. on July 31st, with other units follow­ing
shortly thereafter, some 22 months after the Division had embarked for overseas in October of 1943.
The Army Transport, James Parker and the U. S. S. General Brooke, two of five ships carrying men of the 28th In­fantry
Division docked on August 2nd at Commonwealth Pier, Boston. The Parker carried men of the 107th, 109th, and 229th Artillery Battalions; 103rd Engineers, 728th Ordnance, Hdq. and Hdq. Co. Btry., CIC Detachment, 192nd P. I. Team, and Hdq. and Special Troops. The Brooke brought in men of the 110th Infantry Regiment and 28th Signal Battalion.
The General Bliss arrived in Boston August 3rd carrying the men of the 112th Infantry Regiment. The S. S. Excelsior docked in Boston on August 5th with men of the 108th Field Artillery Battalion and 28th Q. M. Co., as well as the 28th Cav. Recon. Troop Mech. The troop transport Mormacport anchored off Piermont with the men of the 109th Infantry Regiment aboard, on August 7th.
The units which arrived at Common­wealth
Pier, Boston staged through Camp Myles Standish, near Taunton, Mass., while those aboard the Mormacport were taken off by small craft and trucked to Camp Shanks, N. Y. For the first time in more than five years, the Division was split up at Standish and Shanks into groups for the twenty- two reception centers throughout the country. Connecticut men with the New England group arrived about 24 hours after debarkation at Fort Devens, Mass., and they were for the most part on
the last lap of the homeward journey within another 24 hours.
Connecticut men of the Division are to report at Devens after their furloughs on various dates from September 4th to 9th. The original redeployment program called for the reassembly of the Division at Camp St. Luis O'Bispo, California.
It is expected that the post- war policy which calls for the screening- out of the Division of all men, over 37 years of age, and all those who have more than 75 points will be applied to the 28th at re­ception
stations on conclusion of the fur­lough
periods.
SERVICEMEN'S COMMEMORATIVE BOOKLET
Vol. 1 September 4, 1945 No. 12
CARLETON B. CLYMA, Editor
This booklet on the return of the Key­stone
Division from the European war was prepared by the Office of the Governor, as an addition to the souvenirs and memor­abilia
of those men who participated in the defeat of the once great German Wehrmacht.
The courtesies and assistance of public relations officers, at the ports and at the Fort Devens' Reception Station greatly facilitated the gathering of the material for this booklet. Some of the group pictures are from Signal Corps photographs. The factual materials herein were prepared by the Office of Technical Information, American Ground Forces.
A limited number of copies are available for distribution, to Connecticut men of the Divisions. They can be secured by written request to the Office of the Governor, State Capitol, Hartford.
Reproduction of original material is permissible only with written authorization.
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28th DIVISION STORIES
EDITOR'S NOTE: Memories of the European experience will blur with the passing of years. Accuracy will diminish. Details will become vague and half forgotten. To record, in black and white here and now, the mood, the impressions, the exciting events of the worst days and the best is the purpose of these stories. Connecticut men of the 28th were asked for their own impressions and experiences and in their own words they are here so recorded:
Anderson, George J., Pfc, Hq. Btry., 229th F. A., Milford
" As far as Europe goes, leaving it was the best part."
Aurilio, Samuel, Pfc., Co. G., 110th Inf., Bridgeport
" The Breakthrough was tough. Two B. A. R, men in my platoon got it there. We came out of a little town and started digging foxholes. We heard them coming. Then we saw them coming, tanks and in­fantry.
The whole town was afire. The place was covered with smoke. Fifteen of us met a bunch of tankers withdrawing and they put us on the tanks. All but one of us made it, and we headed for Bastogne. Boy! I was praying'
Banks, Albert L., Cpl., 28th Div. Band, West Hartford
" No matter what I saw over there, it is much better here at home. They can keep the whole place as far as I am concerned'
Biathrow, Elry James, Pfc, Co. A., 112th Inf., Hartford
" Our machine gun section, set up in the most forward positions, was knocked out by mortar fire when Von Rundstedt broke through in December. Six of the eleven men in our section were wounded and both guns were buried. Two of the boys in my gun position were badly shaken and it was no use to try to hold there without weapons. The Germans were 50 yards ahead of us in a ravine, but did not come up, apparently not knowing that our guns were gone. We sent a man to report the situation to the Company CP, 400 yards
to the rear, and after a time another. The first boy made it okay, and the second, under direct observation took cover be­hind
a barn. I headed back, with the mor­tar
fire increasing in accuracy and fre­quency,
and took cover behind that barn. Right then a direct hit blew the barn wide open and the cattle and hogs stampeded out past us cut and bleeding. I told the other lad to take it on the run and I took off about 30 yards behind him. The Ger­man
fire, now adjusted, landed it right on us, and three different shells landed so close that their explosion increased my speed. By good fortune in less than a half hour after our guns were knocked out I reached the CP unscratched, and reported the situation. It was decided we would make a try to go back and pick up our guns, in hopes of making one good one out of the two. Two of the boys were wounded
3
on that trip, and in the course of it I met a German patrol ducking out of their sight just in time. They passed within five or six feet of me. I found out later that the Jerries had infiltrated in around the gun positions and it was a miracle to get back. Five hours later with the wounded and CP people, we got back to our lines, by luck and bluff, and through the good leadership of our Company and Battalion Com­manders.
"'
Brooks, Elbridge F., Cpl., Service Btry., 229th F. A., Seymour
" I think the German people are cleaner than most Europeans. As for the rest of it I am glad to be home with my wife."
Burke, Walter, S/ Sgt., Co. H., 110th Inf., Terryville
" In the St. Sevier Woods in Normandy I saw my first action. That was the hedge­row
country, it was terrible fighting, you couldn't see anything. H Company had it worse there. We lost thirty men includ­ing
our machine gunners and the Company Commander was killed. My own platoon leader was wounded. Two in the stomach and one in the shoulder. I didn't get hit, thank God."
Cappello, Frank L., Pfc, Btry. B., 107th F. A., Middletown
" At Clerveaux at a Divisional rest camp, I was supposed to be taking a vacation when the Breakthrough came and we had to fight for our lives. I was with the 110th infantry for awhile and ended up with the 447th Anti- Aircraft Btry. Was that Infantry rough? Was I glad to get back to the Artillery? Oui! Oui!"
Couture, Ernest A., T/ 5, Hq. Co., 28th Division, Plainfield
" I hope this job is done once and for all, and that the growing generation won't have it to do all over again."
Dellaripa, Christie Pfc, Co. D., 110th Inf., Hartford
" What got me was all those places
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blown to hell. We landed in France at Le Havre. It was leveled to the ground, not a house was standing up."
Detlefson, Clifford S., Pfc, Btry A., 107th F. A., Waterbury
" Rundstedt's Breakthrough in Luxem��bourg,
the speed with which he moved and the fact that nobody could figure it out, is what I remember. We had no in­dication
at all that there was an attack coming on."
Foraker, Robert J., T/ 5, Co. C, 110th Inf., Hartford
" With about 60 men of C Company I was trapped behind the Jerry lines during the Breakthrough. We held the town of Munchausen, Luxembourg for two days until our ammunition ran out and battalion ordered us to take off at 4: 30 in the morn­ing.
With the town encircled, we had to slip through the German lines and we crawled between two of their half- tracks which were only a hundred yards apart. The Jerries must have been asleep. There was no cover at all and they could have
mowed us down. We headed for Clerveaux where the regimental PC was, trying to join up with them. But, we couldn't get into the town, Jerry had it completely surrounded. We dug in the next night and sent out patrols to reconnoiter to get the score. We had to wade a swiftly flowing river but we all made it to the other shore safely and split up into smaller groups. For the next few days there were about forty men in the group I was with. We hid in the woods by day and traveled at night by compass heading northwest for Bastogne. For seven long nights we walked all night. Without rations and nothing at all to eat — I even ate the roots of the grass or anything I could find. Some of the boys just couldn't stand it and wandered off. We tried to feel out a spot to break through the German lines and finally got out at Marche, Belgium, where the 83rd Division was just digging in. We got across the river on the last bridge just before our people blew it up. We met a reconnaissance patrol on the other side, in a jeep and an armored car. They gave
5
us a case of C rations and a carton of cigarettes, and told us it was only two miles into our lines. Boy! Did we take off then. Only 9 of those who made the trip were not evacuated to hospitals. Most of the men who were with me have been sent home before our Division came for point discharges.
At home all of us who were trapped behind the lines were officially reported missing for about thirty days."
Foss, Harry C, Pfc, Co. C, 110th Inf., Bristol
" Hurtgen Forest that was the hardest thing I saw. Small arms, mortars and artillery — was there anything they didn't use on us in there? Our Company was using up one hundred replacements a day. They told me afterwards that only seven­teen
men were left in C Company when they were relieved by the 8th Division."
Fowler, Frank E., 1st Lt., Btry A., 229th Art., Bethel
" I would like to put in a plug for the infantry, specifically the 1st Battalion of the 112th Infantry. As a forward observer
I saw what they went through, I saw how they suffered. The fighting they did was magnificent. The infantry deserves the credit. But, as for the artillery, the 229th is the best Battalion in the U. S. Army."
Giesel, Robert, S/ Sgt. Co. D., 110th Inf., Windsor
" The amazing thing about the war was the stamina of the GI Joe and his ability to keep going when he was really down and out. I was even surprised at myself. We made some pretty tough marches. Sixty miles or more in less than four days, under the most adverse conditions. The mud was knee deep and we were carrying those heavy weapons, machine guns and mortars. In that four days we took a dozen towns and many prisoners. We even captured a German mortar, turned it around and used it on them. All this was in the drive from the Vosges to the Rhine on the Colmar front."
Giza, Walter S., Pfc, Btry C, 229th F. A., West Hartford
" It was just a slaughter- house at Brest. They threw everything at us but the kitch-
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- en sink. That was the heaviest artillery fire I ever was under.''
Goodlavage, Edward W., Pvt., Co. F., 110th Inf., Saugatuck
" Europe isn't too bad but there is no place like home. They took an awful beating from our bombers. The cities are just flattened right out."
Kleczkowski, William, T/ 4, Hq., 229th F. A. Bn., Rockville
" I have been with this outfit since November, 1941 ��������� one of the old- timers. I missed out on the Normandy front but I saw some of the rough parts in the battles for the Bulge, Colmar, and the Ruhr Pocket. The most impressive thing I saw was the grand cooperation of the people back home pushing that equipment
and supplies up to the front at the right time. I am glad to be back home but I wish all my old buddies were back with me."
Kowalsky, Stewart E., Pfc, Co. F., 110th Inf., Glastonbury
" This war is just a lot of foolishness. People wasting a lot of time building pill­boxes
and digging foxholes when they could be building up a good country for themselves. Everything is ripped to hell over there now. It will take more than a couple of generations to rebuild Europe."
Leopold, Raymond M., T/ 4, M. D.? 3rd Bn., 112 th Inf., Naugatuck
" If there ever was a fellow who deserved the honest respect of every soldier it was Capt. Jim Thomas of K Company who was killed by a sniper in the Colmar area.
7
He was a tactician and a strategist. He was a great human being and a good sol­dier.
No man was ever mere profoundly missed. The way I got into the medics is a good story. As a scoutmaster at home I had taught first- aid for some time. And, when I was on guard and was shot by a sniper, I took care of the wound myself and extracted the bullet before I reported. The Battalion surgeon asked me about it, and when I told him, he asked me to join the medics and I have been with them ever since."
Liska, Jan A., T/ 5, Hq. Co., 28th Div., Stratford
" One of the amazing things was the change in reception we received from the French and the Belgians when we liberated their countries and that which we received at the time we came back through France on the way home. It was a warm welcome we got on the way in and on the way out it was strictly a matter of dollars and cents."
Mackin, Theodore A., Pfc, Co. H., 103rd Engs. Combat Bn., Hartford
" The first job I went out on was in the Hurtgen Forest, when I joined the outfit. A sniper let one go about two feet above
my head. I was scared stiff. I managed to crawl back to my squad in safety and got out of that area to continue with the work of clearing a path for supplies. I never strayed out of sight of my squad again. My happiest experience was counting heads after we finished a job and found that all our outfit were safe. That gives you a warm feeling that you will always remember."
Martell, William F., Pfc, Co. D., 112th Inf., Stonington
" I spent five months in the hospital and was treated very good by the doctors and the nurses there, but I was glad to be back to D Company in April. We were billeted on the Rhine in a nice hotel and we had all the swimming and recreation we want­ed."
McGuire, Christopher R., Sgt,, Co. D., 110th Inf., Waterbury
" I had one good day over there. Our Company put on a party at Mortain, France. We hired a little band, rolled out the barrels; it was a fair day."
Murray, Thomas J., Pfc, Co. E., 112th Inf., Hamden
" I spent most of a year in England, with the 303rd Station Hospital. The people are nice, treated us well, and it's a pretty good country, but for me, I will take the States."
Pannella, Dominick G., Pfc, Co. E., 112th Inf., East Porchester
" At Wetzler in early April, as an inter­preter
I was in charge of about 3,000 Italians who had volunteered to work in Germany. They were fat, apparently well fed and must have been treated pretty good. When we came through there they were looting and cluttering up the road. We rounded them up and put them in a
8
Stalag which the Germans had used to house Allied prisoners of war. I was on that assignment about three weeks before we turned the Italians over to the U. S. Military Government setup. Being a medic I was unarmed. If I had a rifle, I am sure I would have been tempted to use it on some of them."
Reale, Charles, S/ Sgt., Co. C, 112th Inf., Thompsonville
" I saw the whole show from Normandy to V- E day on the Rhine — that is five battle stars. The worst I saw was at Schmidt, near Aachen where the Germans threw everything they had to stop us. We took it the first day and lost it two days later. That is the only beating the 28th Division ever took, and we well made up for that before the war was over."
Rohe, Lynn H., Pfc. Co. B., 110th Inf., Cheshire
" One of the tough spots I was in was a foxhole full of water near the Rhine with the snipers pinning us down. We couldn't move for three or four hours, then the tanks came through and knocked out the snipers. Thank God for the tanks."
Ryan, Thomas H., Pfc, Co. C, 112th Inf., Bridgeport
" What impressed me was the thousands of homeless people. In their faces you could see resignation, but they were in ¬ dustriouslv going to work to clean up the mess left by the destruction of their homes and cities."
Sorrentino, Warren H., T/ Sgt., Co. E., 112th Inf., New Haven
" As far as the fighting goes, nobody likes that, but once you get in there fighting you don't think of it. It's sweating it out before you go into an attack that affects you more than the actual combat."
Stinson, Lawrence E., Cpl., Co. D., 110th Inf., Uncasville
" What got me was the way the people and everything else in Germany are way behind the times. There is no comparison between the European countries and ours in living conditions and standards and in habits and customs."
Thompson, Charles B., T/ 4. Hq. Btry., 229th F. A., Branford
" Two things impressed me in Europe: First, the complete job of devastation that the combined air and artillery inflicted on European cities and industrial centers, principally in Germany. They really pasted them. The other was the big kick I got out of their agriculture, both in Normandy and Germany. They seem to get everything out of the soil with S3 little to do with. In observing the people, I came to the con­clusion
that there is as much difference in people as there is in folks basically, al­though
they differ in customs and habits, they are about the same everywhere."
Voytek, Joseph, T/ 5, Co. B., 110th Inf., Bridgeport
" We just did a day's work that is all. I was with the 242nd Coast Artillery, a Connecticut National Guard outfit before
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the war. I went back into the service in 1944 and wound up in the infantry, joining the 28th in January, to see five months' of fighting. I was a jeep driver. My job was to get up the supplies. In the last two days of the last push we were making it through mud and snow and rain and sleet. We had to get out and push time after time. That was as tough as anything I had."
Watrous, George L., S/ Sgt., Co. D., 110th Inf., New Haven
" I have only been with the 28th Divis­ion
for a month. Before that I was with the 106th Division. We were in the lines only two days when the German Break­through
that became the Battle of the Bulge started. I was a mortar observer on the night of the Breakthrough relaying fire orders back to gun crews at their pill­boxes
and machine gun nests. On the second night the rest of the Division pulled back. For four or five days we were out of contact with Division. Our food and ammunition lines were cut. We couldn't get our wounded out. After that we went back to St. Vith with the Germans coming at us. When one of our Armored Divisions came through we rode out on their tanks to reorganize. This was only the second battalion of the 424th Inf. Regiment. It was the only battalion of the Regiment to get out. The other two battalions were trapped and lost."
Welch, Robert W., Pfc, Co. F., 110th Inf., Hazardville
" In just two weeks it will be a year since I went into the line. One thing that im­pressed
me about this Army was the close
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relation between officers and enlisted men, particularly in the line and in battle when we all worked together as one team."
Wilson, Robert I., T/ 5, Serv. Co., 112th Inf., Greenwich
" The Rhineland is a beautiful country, the castles, the river and the vineyards. The people there, like all Germans, claim they are not Nazis. They tell you in every house you go that it is the last house on the next street where the Nazis live. As near as I could figure out they were all liars.'
Yuchnyk, George, Cpl., 192nd Pl Team, Bridgeport
" Yeah, I saw Paris. They ought to take the horns off the autos there, Americans haven't got a chance in that traffic. I didn't see anything in Paris I wanted.
There is no place that compares with America."
Zdanczukas, John J., Pfc, Co. H., 112th Inf., New Britain
" The French I talked to in Germany told us that the people they worked for treated them pretty good, that's in the Rhineland, it's a nice country, good farms, well taken care of, but this country is good enough for me."
Zongolowicz, Joseph J., Pfc, Hq., 2nd Bn., 110th Inf., Hartford
" The country in South Germany is really beautiful. Their ideas on homes, furniture, swimming pools, trees, lawns, and nice gardens are like the Americans* in many ways. Some Germans are likeable but I saw the concentration camps. The people in them were filthy, starved, half- naked, freezing and worked to death."
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28th DIVISION BATTLE LOG
Normandy— Through France and even­tually
in Germany itself, the 28th Infantry Division blasted its way to success against an enemy which referred to the Keystone unit as the " Bloody Bucket" division. That phrase described the fury of the assaults which it launched shortly after landing on the Normandy beaches July 22, 1944. By Aug. 28, the 28th was in the thick of the hedgerow fighting. Advances were made at a crawling pace while cities like Percy and Gathemo and forests like St. Sever fell to it. But by Aug. 20, 1944, the division could enjoy rolling down the highways of France. Verneuil, Breteuil and Damville fell quickly.
Paris— The 28th had been effective in clamping a pincers on a goodly portion of the Wehrmacht in France. Now the job became one of preventing German units trapped west of the Seine from escaping and the bag of prisoners grew. On Aug. 29 the division entered Paris. There was not time for rests, however. On Sept. 6 the division crossed the Meuse River. Cross­ing
the Belgian border, the 28th fanned out and swept on a north- south line into Luxembourg. Average daily advances were 17 miles.
Germany— Now the Keystone was set for the drive into Germany. Germany was entered on Sept. 11, only the Siegfried Line standing before the 28th. It became the first division to enter the Reich in force. After hammering away at the enemy the division was given another assign­ment,
that of securing the Hurtgen Forest. The attack there began Nov. 2, 1944. The men stormed through the forest and
the towns of Vossenack, Kommerscheidt and Schmidt. At the end of November, its Hurtgen Forest mission completed, the division once again returned to the front where it had first pushed into the Siegfried Line. On Dec. 15, 1944, the division was stretched along a 25 mile front on the Our River from the northeastern tip of Luxembourg to the vicinity of Wallenstein.
The Breakthrough— In this sector the Germans unleashed the full fury of the all- out effort to smash the Allied line. Von Rundstedt's legions were on the loose. Five crack enemy divisions were hurled across the Our River the first day of that German winter offensive, and later the 28th faced nine German divisions. The Keystone rocked under the weight of this assault but it refused to become panic- stricken. The defense by the division against Von Rundstedt's assault was termed by one correspondent as " one of the greatest feats in the history of the American Army". By the time the 28th was relieved it had thrown the German timetable completely off schedule.
Colmar— Early in 1945 the division went on to defend the Meuse River and the following month captured the stoutly defended city of Colmar. It continued on by crossing the Rhine- Rhone Canal and by Feb. 23, 1945, it took up positions along the Olef River near Schleiden, Germany. In March the 28th struck at the Ahr River. During the weeks which followed the division cashed in on the dis­organized
condition of German forces and by war's end was at Kaiserlautern, Ger­many.
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28th DIVISION FACTS
Nickname— Keystone Division. ( Ger­mans
called it the " Bloody Bucket" Division.)
Shoulder Patch��� A red keystone, symbolic of the State of Pennsylvania, known as the Keystone State. Division was composed in 1917 of men from Penn­sylvania
National Guard units.
Date Inducted— On Feb. 17, 1941, units of the Pennsylvania National Guard gathered at Indiantown Gap, Pa., to consolidate into an Infantry Division.
A, G. F. Training— Division trained at Indiantown Gap, Pa., and in Aug. 1941 went to A. P. Hill Military Reservation, Va., for maneuvers. In Jan. 1942 the out­fit
was sent to Camp Livingston, La., In March, 1942, the division came under control of Army Ground Forces and was placed under the IV Corps of the Third Army. From Sept. to Nov. 1942 the 28th took part in Third Army maneuvers in Louisiana. From Jan. to March, 1943, the 28th received special training in amphib­ious
warfare at Carrabelle, Fla., and was assigned to the VII Corps of the Second Army. In Aug. 1943 the division began almost two months of maneuvers in mountainous terrain in West Virginia after having changed its permanent station to Camp Pickett, Va. Amphibious training was conducted by the Amphibious Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet, at Camp Bradford, Va.
Left This Country— October 8, 1943, for European Theater of Operations.
Overseas Training — Received inten­sive
training in Wales for six months and in England for three months.
Awards— 109th Infantry Regiment received the French Croix de Guerre for capture of Colmar in Feb. 1945.
Commanding General— Maj. Gen. Norman D. Cota from Aug. 1944 to present.
Component Units — 109th, 110th
112th Infantry Regiments; 107th, 109th
and 229th ( L) and 108th ( M) Field Artillery Bns.
Higher Commands— July, 1944, divi­sion
was under First Army. On March 16, 1945 it was assigned to the Third Army.
Slogan— Roll On.
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28th DIVISION PICTURES
The Ships— U. S. S. General Brooke which brought the 110th Infantry and 28th Signal, Boston, Aug, 2, pictured on Cover. The Division's Banner on the U. S. A. T. James Parker which brought the Division's Artillery, Engineers, Ordnance, Head­quarters
and Special Troops, Boston, Aug. 2, picture, Page 3. The S. S. Excelsior, which brought the 108th F. A. Bn., and divisional QM and Reconnaissance, Boston Aug. 5th, picture, Page 7. Men coming ashore from the U. S. S. T. General Bliss, Boston, Aug. 3rd., with the 112th Infantry, picture, Page 8.
The Connecticut Men— Twenty- eight men of the 109th Infantry, at Ft. Devens, Aug. 9, picture, Page 4. Forty- one men of the 112th Infantry, at Devens, Aug. 4, pic­ture,
Page 5. Twenty- six men of the Divi­sion
Artillery and Engineers, Devens, Aug. 3, picture, Page 6. Pvt. Dorothy DeRoose, WAC, at Commonwealth Pier, Boston, greets three Connecticut men of the 110th Infantry, Page 9. Forty- six men of the 110th Infantry, at Devens, Aug. 3, picture, Pages 10 and 11. 1st Lt. Frank E. Fowler, of 229th F. A. Bn., Devens, Aug. 4, picture, Page 13. Three 28th Division Hq. men, Red Cross milk and doughnuts, Commonwealth Pier, Boston, Aug. 2, picture, Page 14.
28th DIVISION HISTORY
The 28th Division was organized in Sept. 1917, at Camp Hancock, Ga., from Pennsylvania National Guard troops. It went overseas in May and June, 1918. It participated in the Champagne- Marne defensive and the Aisne- Marne offensive. Division's outstanding action was in the Meuse- Argonne offensive. One of its great achievements was rescue of the famous " Lost Battalion" of the 77th Infantry Division in the Argonne. During operations the division took 921 prisoners and its casualties totalled 13,980. Division re­turned
to U. S. in spring of 1919. The 109th Infantry Regiment, originally from Scran- ton, Pa., distinguished itself in the Marne battle. The 110th Infantry Regiment bore the full brunt of Ludendorff's Peace Storm", a bid to break through and capture Paris. The 112th Infantry Regi­ment
charged over the top at Hill 201 near Chateau Thierry. Battery " B" of the
107th Field Artillery Battalion has a history going back to service through the Civil War. The 108th Field Artillery Battalion dates back to 1840 and was the first unit to use the name " National Guard," an adaptation of Napoleon's Garde Nationale. The 109th Field Artillery Battalion had three separate companies supporting George Washing­ton's
continental Army.
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THE CONNECTICUT MEN
The names of the officers and men from the 28th Division were compiled from avail­able
official records and by personal interview. Omission of the names of some of the men of the Division is possible despite every effort made to secure complete rosters:
AGAUS, Ben L. T/ 5 224 Front St., New Haven
ALEX, Norman T/ 5 706 Stanley St., New Britain
AMADEO, Paul J. Pfc. 30 Madison Ave., Hartford
AMES, Merle E. S/ Sgt. 125 Court St., New Haven
ANDERSON, George G. Pfc. 138 Rogers Ave., Milford
ANDREACCHIO, Ralph J. Pfc. 136 Greenwood St., New Britain
ANDREWS, Albert A. Cpl. 59 Smith Ave., Norwich
ANGUS, John S. Cpl. 300 Hallock Ave., New Haven
ARCHACKI, Walter J. Pfc. 276 High St., New Britain
ARRICO, Augustus M. Pfc. 75 Marvin St., Stamford
AURILIO, Samuel Pfc. 1617 Madison St., Bridgeport
BAGINSKI, George H. Pfc. 64 Bank St., Portland
BAIO, Angelo A. Pvt. 269 Windsor St., Hartford
BALAMACI, Epaminondas S/ Sgt. 358 Hanover St., Bridgeport
BALDINO, George Pvt. 66 Hudson St., New Haven
BANKS, Albert L. T/ 5 167 Auburn Road, West Hartford
BARIL, Francis J. Pfc. 50 Welton St., Waterbury
BARRY, George R. T/ 5 13 First St., Plainfield
BARTOLUCCI, Alfred J. T/ 5 30 Hall St., Ansonia
BECK, Stanley Pfc. 35 Shelburne Rd., Stamford
BIATHROW, Elry J. Pfc. 8 Lawrence St., Hartford
BOJANOWSKI, Chester Pfc. Main St., Taftville
BOOE, William A. Pvt. 144 Golden Hill, Bridgeport
BOUCHER, Maurice J. Pfc. 421 North Main St., Waterbury
BROOKS, Elbridge F. Cpl. 46 Woodside Ave., Seymour
BRUNETTI, Anthony E. Pfc. 23 Kennedy St., Hartford
BUCKWOOD, Edward Cpl. 13 Hubbell St., Ansonia
BURKE, Walter S/ Sgt. 22 Chestnut St., Terryville
BURRELL, Jarvis C. T/ 4 c/ o Bristol Nurseries, Bristol
BUSCILLO, Nicholas J. Pfc. 398 Center St., Meriden
BUTTNER, Robert J. Pfc. 1348 N. Broad St., Meriden
CALKINS, Richard W. Pfc. 190 Maple St., Norwich
CAPPELLO, Frank L. Pfc. 10 Griffin St., Middletown
CAPUTO, Joseph A. T/ 5 27 Orange St., Stamford
CARONE, Vincent Pfc. 93 Putnam St., New Haven
CARPENTER, Darwin R. Cpl. 555 Ledgewich Ave., Stratford
CARROLL, James G. Pfc. 392 Laurel Ave., Bridgeport
CARROLL, Leslie E. Pfc. RFD 1, Broad Brook
CHAGNON, James R. Cpl. 179 Camp St., Meriden
CHIKAR, George J. Pfc. 41 Hurlburt St., New Britain
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CHOMINSKI, Stanley Pvt. 22 Main St., Jewett City
CONKLYN, Frederic E. Pfc. Manapah St., Waterbury
CORTIGANO, Michael T/ 4 81 Russell St., Waterbury
COSGROVE, Donald F. Pfc. 45 Niagara St., Waterbury
COUTURE, Ernest A. T/ 5 49 Second St., Plainfield
CRAIN, William Pfc. 128 Alfred St., Bridgeport
CREEM, Frank J. Pfc. Niantic River Rd., Waterford
CRISTOFORO, Dominick Pfc. 123 W. Main St., Plainville
CROSSLAND, Kenneth A. Pfc. 134 Noble St., West Haven
CRUESS, Robert L. T/ Sgt. 148 Chipman St., Waterbury
CUMMINGS, Lewis G. Pfc. New Street, Ridgefield
CUSSON, Leonard M. Pfc. 86 Dyer St., Danielson
DAGENIS, Maurice H. T/ 4 209 E. Main St., Torrington
D'AMELIO, Raffaele Pfc. 42 Cedar St., New Haven
D'AMORE, Dominic J. Pvt. Box 113, Decatur St., Cos Cob
DANIEL, Charles H. Pvt. 148 Barnes Ave., Fairhaven
DAVIDSON, Harry P. Pfc. 78 Pershing St., Hartford
DAY, LOUIS M. T/ 5 35 Main St., Killingly
DELLARIPA, Christie Pfc. 54 Village St., Hartford
DePALMA, Ralph J. Pfc. 70 Maple St., Bridgeport
DEMARSELUS, Victor T/ 5 39 Wooster PL, New Haven
DEMARTINO, Marco A. S/ Sgt. 155 Hurd Ave., Bridgeport
DEMING, Howard P. 2nd Lt. 186 Arbor Drive, Southport
DENNISON, Robert I. Cpl. 116 High St., Manchester
DETLEFSON, Clifford S. Pfc. 100 Kelsey St., Waterbury
DETMAR, Matthew A. T/ S 45 Woodland Place, Stamford
DICERBO, Munzio M. Pfc. 104 Bluff Ave., West Haven
DOLL, Henry Jr. T/ 4 39 Church St., New Haven
DONDERO, Albert S/ Sgt. 529 Woodland St., So. Glastonbury
DOWD, Gerald D. Pvt. 21 Alton St., New Haven
DROST, Albin J. Pfc. 272 Burritt St., New Britain
DUCEY, Edward M. Pfc. 34 Church St., New Milford
DWIRKA, Edward C. Pfc. 139 Warner St., Suffield
EGAN, Edward J. Pvt. 33 Young St., New Haven
ESPOSITO, Pasquale J. Pfc. 81 Wolcott St., New Haven
FARNHAM, Herman L. Pfc. 256 Wolcott Ave., East Hartford
FAUCHER, Rouville J. Pfc. 118 Levesque Ave., West Hartford
FELICELLO, Anthony T. Pfc. 76 Ponelle Ave., New Haven
FERRIER, Roland G. Pfc. 504 New Park Ave., W. Hartford
FORAKER, Robert J. T/ 5 555 Wethersfield Ave., Hartford
FORBES, James L. Pfc. 627 Broadview Terrace, Hartford
FOSS, Harry C. Pfc. 200 High St., Bristol
FOWLER, Frank E. 1st. Lt. 37 1/ 2 South St., Bethel
FRATANTONIO, Anthony Pvt. 141 Silver St., New Haven
FREEDMAN, John D. T/ 5 9 Lexington Rd., Hartford
FUSCO, Frank L. Cpl. 143 Dodge Ave., East Haven
16
GABORCAK, Joseph S. Pvt. 144 Kent Ave., Bridgeport
GARRY, Robert W. Cpl. 238 Main St., Southington
GEISEL, Robert S/ Sgt. 4 Wolcott Ave., Windsor
GINTY, Bernard F. Pfc. 5 Foster St., Danbury
GITLITZ, Louis Pvt. 174 Rosette St., New Haven
GIZA, Walter S. Pfc. 1299 Boulevard, West Hartford
GJANCI, Arthur I. Pfc. 443 Conn. Ave., Bridgeport
GLEASON, Robert M. Cpl. 118 East Liberty St., Danbury
GLEZA, Steven Pfc. Yellow Mill Village, Bridgeport
GLIDER, Victor Maj. 256 Westland St., Hartford
GOBEILLE, Richard Pfc. 44 Maynard St., Putnam
GOCLOWSKI, Henry A. Pfc. 8 Peck St., New Haven
GOODLAVAGE, Edward W. Pvt. 98 Saugatuck Ave., Saugatuck
HALISH, John M. Pfc. 72 Chestnut St., Middletown
HAMILTON, Robert M. Pfc. 106 Franklin Ave., Hartford
HARPER, Samuel Pvt. 20 Beebe St., Naugatuck
HAVELEVITCH, Joseph F. Pvt. 38 Wilson St., New Britain
HEIGEL, Arthur E. Sgt. 81 Pennsylvania Ave., Bridgeport
HENDERSON, Donald E. Pfc. 440 LaSalle St., New Britain
HENTSCHEL, Walter C. Pfc. 145 Florence St., Manchester
HICKING, Carl O. T/ 5 RFD Box 91, So. Coventry
HODDINOTT, Russell F. Pfc. 286 Main St., Danbury
HOLLIS, David W., Jr. Pfc. 1 Joliet Ct., Poquonock Bridge, Groton
HOWLEY, Vincent F. Pvt. 4 Main St., Bethel
HULL, Robert A. Pfc. 691 Hulls Farm Rd., Southport
HURST, Philip A. Pfc. 311 No. Elm St., Torrington
IANNOTTI, Richard D. Pfc. 69 Cherry St., Waterbury
IERONIMO, Sam J. Pfc. 84 South St., Waterbury
JAKUBOWSKI, John F. Pfc. 94 Grove St., New Britain
JOSEPHTHAL, Erwin R. Pfc. 79 Thompson St., Waterbury
KANAVAL, Michael Pfc. 18 Vought PL, Stamford
KANE, Fenton G. Pfc. C411 Overlook Terrace, Hartford
KEELER, Franklin B. Pfc. 218 Carroll Ave., Bridgeport
KIERMAN, Hugh E., Jr. Sgt. 192 Maplewood Ave., Bridgeport
KLECZKOWSKI, William T/ 4 14 Morrison St., Rockville
KLEIN, Allen C. T/ 5 56 Knoll St., Waterbury
KOBA, Joseph F. Pfc. 69 Lafayette St., Stamford
KOKOSKA, Julian J. Pfc. 100 Twiss St., Meriden
KOPKO, John, Jr. Sgt. 79 Vought Place, Stamford
KOVAC, Joseph J. Pvt. 418 Park St., Bridgeport
KOWALSKY, Stewart E. Pfc. 349 Naubuc Ave., Glastonbury
KRAJEWSKI, Henry H. Pfc. P. O. Box 48, Montville
KRAMER, Otto F. Pfc. 27 Catoonak St., Ridgefield
KRAWFSKY, Raymond T. Pfc. 11 Byron Rd., Manchester
KSIEZAK, Eugene A. Pfc. 56 Factory St., Derby
KUENSTLER, Leo M. Cpl. 104 Saugatuck Ave., Saugatuck
17
KURLE, Arthur R. Pvt. Boston Post Rd., Madison
KURNICK, Stanley P. T/ 5 102 Gold St., New Britain
KURSMARK, Antone Pfc. Russell St., Jewett City
LANGER, Edmund G. Pfc. 34 Artisan St., Forestville
LAONE, Joseph F. Pfc. 57 South St., Waterbury
LASALATA, Anthony W. Cpl. 159 Orange St., Waterbury
LASH, James W. Pfc. 114 Saugatuck Ave., Westport
LAY, Frank H. Pfc. 22 Spring St., Devon
LeCLAIR, Donald A. Pfc. 490 Prospect Ave., Hartford
LENIHAN, John P. Cpl. 67 Fifth St., Derby
LEOPOLD, Raymond M. T/ 4 Waterbury Rd., Naugatuck
LESCINSKY, Victor A. Pfc. 141 Brookfield Ave., Bridgeport
LEWIS, Kenneth C. Pfc. 25 No. George St., Meriden
LISKA, Jan A. T/ 5 168 Appleton St., Stratford
LITKE, Arthura S/ Sgt, 63 McGurness St., Torrington
LOPEZ, Bruce M. Pfc. Knapp St., Easton
LUKAS, John Pvt. 54 Norwich St., Hartford
MACIEJNY, Walter J. Cpl. RFD No. 1, Uncasville
MACKIN, Theodore A. Pfc. 945 Wethersfield Ave., Hartford
MADORE, Ralph L. Pfc. 571 Zion St., Hartford
MAHER, John G. 2nd Lt. 50 Grove St., Windsor Locks
MAJESKY, Walter E. Pfc. 348 Jackson Ave., Stamford
MANENDE, Lawrence V. T/ 5 120 High St., Bridgeport
MANGINA, Daniel C. Cpl. 348 Berkeley Ave., Waterbury
MARCELLE, Joseph, Jr. Pfc. 515 Third Ave., West Haven
MARMANILLO, Eliodoro Pfc. 245 Dwight St., New Haven
MARTELL, William T. Pfc. RFD Box 44, Stonington
MARTIN, William V. Pfc. 30 Colorado St., Bridgeport
MATIS, John G. Pfc. 178 Clarence St., Bridgeport
MAULUCCI, Sebastian Pvt. 53 Cedar St., Hartford
MAZIAREK, Charles Sgt. 42 Dean St., Stamford
McBRIEN, Robert E. Pfc. 101 Darus Hill, Portland
McGUIRE, Christopher R. Sgt. 40 Rose St., Waterbury
McHUGHS, John P. Pfc. 70 Atwater St., New Haven
McKENZIE, Eugene K. Pfc. Poquonock Bridge, Groton
MERCIER, Albert Pvt. 126 Hillside Ave., Hartford
MERCIER, George H. Pvt. RFD 4, Brooks Rd., Waterbury
MESSMER, George E. S/ Sgt. Mulberry St., Plantsville
MILANESI, Edward W. Pfc. 53 Perkins St., Torrington
MILANO, Samuel Pfc. 322 Winthrop St., Torrington
MILLERD, John F. T/ 5 526 Pleasant St., Willimantic
MISERENDINO, William Pvt. 191 Wolcott St., New Haven
MISKY, Nickolas Pfc. Matianuck St., Windsor
MONGILLO, William R. T/ 5 133 Greenwood St., New Haven
MONTAGNA, Nicholas P. Pfc. 3018 Whitney Ave., Mt. Carmel
18
MURRAY, Thomas J. Pfc. 25 Maxer Ave., Hamden
NAKONECANXY, William Pfc. 209 Main St., Danbury
NIEDZWECKI, Stanley W. T/ 4 36 Gold St., New Britain
NORTON, Elmer W. Cpl. 162 Main St., Terryville
O'CONNELL, George D. Pvt. 74 Vandenort St., Putnam
OLIVER, Charles M. T/ 4 P. O. Box 44, W. Cornwall
O'NEIL, Allan F. Pfc. 13 Garden St., Thompsonville
PALAZZI, Peter E. Pfc. 46 Bissell St., Manchester
PALLADINO, John R. Pfc. 885 No. Main St., Waterbury
PANNELLA, Dominick T. Pfc. 85 Pemberwick Rd., East Port Chester
PATTERSON, Carl W. Pvt. 326 Sigourney St., Hartford
PAVANO, John F. Pfc. 236 Pearl St. Middletown
PECKINGHAM, Bennett C. Pfc. Dogburn Rd., Orange
PELTIER, Kenneth W. Pfc. Bricktop Rd., Willimantic
PETOSA, Emilio E. Pfc. 123 Greene St., Bristol
PIERCE, Douglas E. S/ Sgt. 82 Highland Ave., Waterbury
PRUZINSKY, Joseph M. Pfc. 107 Horace St., Bridgeport
PUCCIO, Anthony J. Pfc. West Taylor Ave., Norwalk
PULVER, Ray W. Pfc. 49 Davenport St., Stamford
PUSKARZ, Eugene R. Pfc. 13 Nash St., New Britain
RADIN, Morris M. Pfc. 600 George St., New Haven
REALE, Charles S/ Sgt. 38 Russell St., Thompsonville
RHODES, John S. Pfc. 55 Oxford Drive, East Hartford
RICCIO, John J. T/ 5 124 Lee Ave., Bridgeport
RITUCCI, Louis G. Pfc. 145 Plaza Ave., Waterbury
ROBARGE, Arthur 1st. Sgt. 26 Peck St., Norwich
ROHE, Lynn H. Pfc. RFD 2, Jinny Hill Rd., Cheshire
ROLFE, Burton W. Sgt. 73 Oneco Ave., New London
ROMAN, Ferdinand A. Cpl. 40 Magnolia St., New Britain
ROMAN, Paul J. Pfc. 159 Judson Ave., Bridgeport
ROOT, James H. Pvt. 233 Orange St., Waterbury
ROSCOE, Howard S. Pfc. 4 High St., New Milford
RUOCCO, Pasquale T/ 5 111 Freene St., New Haven
RYAN, John J. S/ Sgt. 101 Atlantic St., Stamford
RYAN, Thomas H. Pfc. 475 Pearl Harbor St., Bridgeport
RYDEL, Aloysius P. Pfc. 20 LaSalle St., New Britain
RYDZY, Theodore J. Pfc. 86 West St., Thompsonville
SAPIA, John A. Pfc. 19 Brook St., Hartford
SASIEWICZ, Edward G. Pvt. 117 Newfield Ave., Hartford
SCARPELLO, Salvatore Pfc. 6 Hanford Block, So. Norwalk
SCHRADER, Henry J. T/ 5 83 Lincoln Ave., Torrington
SCHUCHARDT, Theodore L. Pfc. 35 Soule St., Jewett City
SCHWANKA, Reinholdt S/ Sgt. Hight St., Terryville
SEBESTYEN, William A. Pfc. 74 Nichols St., Fairfield
SEELEY, George N. T/ 5 9 Frederick St., Hartford
19
SHEA, Harry J. Pvt. Box 100, South End Rd., Plantsville
SIMMONS, Samuel E. Pfc. 11 Grey Rock Pl. Stamford
SKINNER, Edgar M. Pvt. RFD No. 1, Box 49, Oakdale
SMORAGIEWICZ, Charles E. Pfc. 64 1/ 2 Ward St., Hartford
SOPENSKY, Paul P. Pfc. 9 Branch St., Waterbury
SORRENTINO, Warren H. T/ Sgt. 191 Whalley Ave., New Haven
SPADLINO, William P. Pvt. 1040 Pembroke Ave., Bridgeport
STANTON, William J., Jr. Cpl. Lakeville
STARON, Albert P. Pfc. 161 Clarence St., Bridgeport
STEVENS, Robert C. Pfc. Lake St., Manchester
STINSON, Lawrence E. Cpl. RFD Box 177, Uncasville
SUDDARTH, Malcolm O. Sgt. 9 Concord St., So. Norwalk
SULL, Edward S. Pfc. 4399 Main St., Bridgeport
SVENSSON, Erik Pfc. YMCA, East Putnam, Greenwich
SWARTZ, Walter A. 1st. Lt. 370 No. Front St., New Haven
TABOR, Stanley A. Pfc. 108 Seymour St., New Britain
TABORY, Louis Jr. Sgt. Turkey Hill Rd., Green's Farms
TARASAVITCH, Joseph Pfc. Box 45, RFD, Thompsonville
THOMPSON, Charles B. T/ 4 1 Harbor St., Branford
TONUCCI, Julio Pvt. 2421 Main St., Hartford
TROEGER, Howard L. Pfc. 95 Cliff St., Norwich
TUREK, Henry W. T/ Sgt. 30 Farmington Ave., New Britain
VANYO, Joseph T/ Sgt. 751 Ogden St., Bridgeport
VINCENZO, Joseph A. Cpl. 32 Maple St., Warehouse Point
VOYTEK, Joseph T/ 5 538 Hallett St., Bridgeport
WALENCZYK, Zigmund Pfc. Box 171, Maple Ave., Montville
WATROUS, George L. Ill S/ Sgt. 16 Tilton St., New Haven
WEAVER, Ray H. Pfc. 10 Bartley Ave., Thompsonville
WELCH, Robert W. Pfc. Main St., Hazardville
WELCH, William J. Pfc. 282 Hallock Ave., New Haven
WEISS, Herbert W. Pfc. Bldg. 34, Success Park, Bridgeport
WERPECHOWSKI, Felix P. Capt. Huron Rd., Lake Beseck, Middlefield
WESTCOTT, Walter K. Pfc. 17 Renwick St., Stamford
WHITESELL, Roderick Pvt. 665 Farmington Ave., Hartford
WICKSON, John H. Pfc. RFD No. 1, Oakdale
WILSON, Robert I. .. T/ 5 Sound View Ct., Greenwich
WITSIL, Frank W. Pfc. Wilton
WOOD, Homer G. 1st. Lt. 37 Turner Ave., Hamden
WOODARD,- Ernest P. Cpl. North Canton
WOOSTER, Frank E. T/ 4 RFD 2, Carrington Rd., Bethany
YABROSKY, Joseph Sgt. 378 Webster St., Unionville
YOUNG, Paul W. Pfc. 15A Forest St., Manchester
YUCHNYK, George Cpl. 645 Union Ave., Bridgeport
ZACHAREWICZ, Julius J. Pfc. 16 North St., Danbury
ZDANCZUKAS, John J. Pfc. 134 Winter St., New Britain
ZONGOLOWICZ, Joseph J. Pfc. 106 Montrose St., Hartford
ZOSS, Oscar E. Pvt. 25 Second St., Beacon Falls