Article about: Hello dear forum members, This saturday I am having dinner with Al Cimperman, who was First Sgt. of the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division at the time of D-Day. He
This saturday I am having dinner with Al Cimperman, who was First Sgt. of the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division at the time of D-Day. He left the army as Battalion Sgt. Major after serving the entire war from 1942 until 1945. He is supposedly mentioned in a few published first-hand accounts of the landings.
I would like, as a favor to you all, to make a list of questions that you all would like for me to ask him. If there was anything specific you ever wanted to know about the D-Day landings, or the entire war from a 1st I.D. soldier's perspective, now is your chance. Men like Al are a dying breed and it is important that we get every bit of their stories before they go.
Feel free to add whatever questions you would like. I will make a list of them and ask as many of them as possible.
This is very nice of you Mo, and a good idea so you can keep him engaged in conversation without losing focus. He is lucky to have survived, as the 16th took a beating unfortunately.
I would love to know if he was directly part of the Battle of the Bulge. The 16th ran into some hardcore skirmishes with the 1st SS-Panzer Division near Faymonville. It would be incredible to hear any first hand account of the Bulge or any of these skirmishes.
And Mo, Im sure you know, but the 2nd Battalion along w/ the 3rd were the main battalions of the 16th regiment that were sent to charge the beach only to find out the allied bombings didnt knock out the pillboxes! These guys saved alot of lives for the men who were coming in behind them!
Good luck at your dinner, and make sure you tell him that the guys from War-Relics Forum thank him for his service + sacrifices!
I have a list of questions stretching a mile long.
But I would appreciate it if you could ask him what was going through his head at the time and today does he still not like the Germans for what they did.
tell him I look up to people like him.
So, the dinner went well. He loved the M41 jacket we bought for him as a unit. It was pretty cool to see him wear what he wore when he landed at Omaha Beach.
Unfortunately I didn't get to ask him about combat. He tended to shy away from talking about his combat experience, and would start to tell jokes whenever it got close. I respect his boundaries, of course, but I really would like to hear about it. It's very important IMO that we get stories from men like him.
Despite the fact that I didn't get to hear about his wartime experience, I got his phone number. He and his wife live on their own and they said that they would love for me and my girlfriend to drive out to Ohio and take them out to dinner. And so, I embark upon my own "great crusade"...
I'm glad the dinner went well, and judging by the photo you just posted, it looks like the vet had a good time, too!
I'm sorry to say it, but I had a feeling it would be hard for him to open up. Even almost 70yrs after the fact, we cannot imagine the horror, death and destruction this man faced. A lot of us have trouble talking about a relative or friend who died peacefully, or even about a favorite pet who has passed! It must be so hard to relive the violent deaths of comrades.
With that being said, it's important that his story not be lost forever! I wish you much luck on your "Great Crusade!"
Nice thread Mo, hope that you will take the time to follow up with Mr.Cimperman. One feels it could well be worth it. When those who were there choose to open up, and reveal whatever facts their memories still hold, it is our great fortune that we are able to experience these memories. Any opportunity to do so is priceless. I am very lucky in that I have had several opportunities to do so over the years, and I always appreciate the experience greatly.
Dinner with Omaha Beach/ 1st. I.D. vet
.
Bookmarks