US 79th infantry division official history info?

[Spitace41]

Hi, does anyone know anything about obtaining a copy of the US 79th division's officail WW2 history? Any ideas would be much appreciated.

[jws54]

I wish I could, mate, seems that was hard to come by even by those who were in it. My friend, Fred Bailey went to the dinners and all, but could not come by one of those himself. He was a wireman and was wounded near Saarbrucken. He also did not even get all his medals. Bless you if you can get one.

I can tell you stories about what Fred went through, but that would just be ramblings, and not official.

Good luck

[cricketchris1944]

I wish I could, mate, seems that was hard to come by even by those who were in it. My friend, Fred Bailey went to the dinners and all, but could not come by one of those himself. He was a wireman and was wounded near Saarbrucken. He also did not even get all his medals. Bless you if you can get one.

I can tell you stories about what Fred went through, but that would just be ramblings, and not official.

Good luck

WE love to hear the story from the vets,so go on and ramble.

[jws54]

Fred worked at a plane manufacturing facility or something like that in Elmira,N.Y. He had a good job and was making good money. He said however,it became apparent to him that he should not stay out of the fight, since he was a capable man and not 4-F, so he joined.

He was out in Oregon doing training of sorts in an area covered in poison oak . He said they were told to sleep out on the ground anyway. He said that Mark Clark stayed in a trailer with all the comforts, as well as a special outhouse for his own personal latrine.

Fred said it did not seem right for everyone to be suffering from poison oak, and Mark Clark who made them do it, get off scot-free.

So Fred, takes some poison oak and rubs it all over the toilet seat.

He says the general was scarce for a while after that.

He says that he seemed to be General Clark's "whipping boy".
As they traveled overseas in a ship, Fred states that certain decks were "off-limits". He says conditions were bad as many of us have heard. He would go up to the main deck and lay out in the sun,where the air was fresh and the trip was better.
He was out there one day when General Clark sees him on deck and says to him,'Bailey, don't you know this deck is reserved for officers and gentlemen?"
Fred replies to him,"Well I consider myself a gentleman."
Clark says to Fred,"Well I don't! Now get the hell off this deck!"

Fred did. Later on, whenever Fred met General Clark, especially in the field, he said he would salute the hell outta him, in hopes of drawing sniper fire on the General.
He was wounded in the foot and separated from the rest of his group. Tired and hungry and in the rain, he went to a small house and went in. There was an old man and his wife who let Fred stay the night in their feather bed, and covered him with another feather quilt, just about as big as the one he slept on. He said he was concerned for his safety,but so tired, that he did go to sleep.
They fed him and he did get back with his unit.
He told me of other things like driving around Germany after the war, chauffeuring some officers around which was better than just hanging around the barracks. He got to see the Berchesgarden
and the Eagles nest I believe, where in one of the two, he blew some marble off the fireplace mantle with a grenade. He had that made into an ashtray and a paperweight and kept those in his front door sidelight display boxes. He had an SS helmet and some others. A scrapbook of pics and many other things, like fieldgear and medals and such. He had many other stories he shared with me. People who knew him when he lived at his Mother's house, said he had the wall going upstairs, covered with swords and such.
I met him when he had already his own place.
I did see some things he had in his attic though as he would have me go up and look for things for him.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Great stories. I love this kind of thing!

Cheers, Ade.

[jws54]

Thank you very much.
I am reticent to recite too much of this,yet if it fits, I will share more.

Fred was quite a special friend .

There was a period in my life when I felt overly compelled to listen to vet stories, and it seemed to come in a tsunami. I guess I have heard "confessions" and such like of many a great men. A great many things have come into my life because of that. It was just an interesting time in my life. Very powerful.

[Adrian Stevenson]

I understand exactly where you are coming from on this. I do a lot with British Vets and have heard many things I could not repeat in public.

Cheers, Ade.

[jws54]

yes

[BWorek]

i have the "official" 79th division pamphlet the the Army sent to the families after it had been "cleared".i would be more than happy to scan it and send you the files. My family has very little information about the time my grandfather spent in France before he was K.I.A.However,the pamphlet was in his personal effects,which i have.

Sincerely,

Bill