Captain Keith Van Neste

On a visit to the Museum of Nebraska History in Lincoln last Tuesday, I was introduced to the story of Captain Keith G. Van Neste of Anselmo, Nebraska. He was awarded a Bronze Star and posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for actions against German forces in April 1945. But as I closely examined some photos and documents relating to Captain van Neste, I discovered that he was a member of the 2nd Infantry Division throughout World War II. Whoah!!! For me this was an important discovery, the story of a 2nd Division hero from right here in the heart of Nebraska.

Captain Van Neste was born in Brewster, Nebraska. He was a Class of '38 member of Acacia Fraternity at the University of Nebraska. He joined the 23rd Infantry Regiment in July 1941 and was greatly admired by the officers and enlisted men with whom he served. At the time of his death, Captain Van Neste was serving with the Headquarters Company of the 23rd Regiment. He was killed in a mortar attack while trying to repair a wire line in Schkopau, Germany on April 13, 1945.

Here is a photo of Captain Van Neste in the Hurtgen Forest. Photo is from the collection of the Nebraska State Historical Society.

Listed below is a synopsis of his Distinguished Service Cross citation:
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Keith G. Van Neste (0-405360), Captain (Infantry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with the 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces on 13 April 1945. Captain Van Neste's outstanding leadership, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty at the cost of his life, exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 2d Infantry Division, and the United States Army.

Here is the condolence letter to Mrs. Margaret Van Neste from Col. Jay Lovless, commander of the 23rd Infantry Regiment. This letter is from the collection of the Nebraska State Historical Society.
Here is the dreaded Western Union telegram sent to Mrs. Van Neste informing her of her husband's death. This telegram is from the collection of the Nebraska State Historical Society.
I am extremely honored and excited to be able to share the story of Captain Keith Van Neste with others as I continue to present the proud history of the 2nd Infantry Division with the public. This discovery has really re-energized me in my mission to ensure that future generations know what men like these did for our country to protect our freedoms for posterity.

Ralston's Fourth of July Parade

On Friday, July 4th, the men of the 2nd Infantry Division hit the streets of Ralston for Nebraska's largest annual parade. Representing the 2nd I.D. were five of our unit members (Kevin, David, Sean, Eric, and Casey), two of our younger associates (Cody and Derek), as well as Casey's mom, and Sean's wife Becky and his two daughters. The gals all helped out by tossing candy out to the ravenous crowds and our two younger associates led the way by carrying the American flag and our regimental guidon. The weather was warm but tolerable and the cheering crowds were awesome! Patriotism was alive and well as seen in the sea of red, white, and blue revelers.

Armed Forces Day 2008

"Beyond St. Lo" Tactical Battle

The 2nd I.D. was back in action on May 10th for our spring tactical battle. A number of our guys headed out to the event site just north of Mondamin, Iowa on Friday morning. We spent our time scouting the area and digging fire pits. Casey, Sean and I headed in to Mondamin to fill water cannisters and grab a bite to eat at the local bar & grill. In the early evening, a group of us geared-up and went on a patrol to the top of the site's highest point. The view was pretty impressive as the sun set over the western horizon! Upon returning to camp we ate some fried spam and popped open a few K-rations. Mmmmmm!!! Our group sat around the fire telling stories and enjoying our time together until close to midnight. The skies clouded-up and the temperature dropped quite a bit during the night. I was glad that I brought two blankets and had access to one of Big Dave's cots. Right around 5:00 a.m. we heard the rain begin to gently fall on the big GP Medium tent. As the guys began to wake-up, it looked like the weather might bring about a premature end to our plans. But reenactors love a good battle and they began to show up around 7:00 a.m. We had Germans and Allies show up from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and South Dakota. After a hot breakfast of eggs, sausage, sinkers, and coffee, the commanders prepared all of the combatants for the day's first scenario. We headed out under a steady rain to find a hidden fuel dump, secure it, and hold off any German attempts to take it. The fighting was pretty intense and very wet - I was thoroughly soaked from the waist down. My roughout boots each felt like they had a full sponge inside them! We broke for lunch around noon and headed back to camp where Rick and Dave had hot beef stew, peaches, and rolls waiting for us. After a satisfying break we headed back out for another scenario. I was on Sgt. Rowe's maneuver team for this one along with Pvt. Casey Sill. We quickly but quietly maneuvered up a hill and around through the tree line to flank the German position. We passed down through one of our old fighting positions known as "Turkey Shoot Ridge" and then out on to an island of trees and brush. In our final assault we were all valiantly mowed-down by the alerted Germans and fell before reaching our objective. Spirits were high among all of the men as the day drew to a close. We struck camp and all headed home for a hot shower and a good night's rest. I was pretty banged-up and exhausted from the day's activities and in need of some TLC from my wife and daughter. It's when I head home from one of these day-long battles that I really begin to appreciate what soldiers like our grandfathers have suffered through for our nation. That one day of misery that I experienced was played out by them over and over again for months on end. And through it all they were losing friends and comrades all around them. In closing, as silly as our reenactments may be, they definitely give me a greater appreciation for the tremendous sacrifices of our nation's veterans.

Mementos from Private Bassler

A while back I obtained a small grouping of personal paperwork items that belonged to a Private John H. Bassler of Martinsburg, Pennsylvania. Pvt. Bassler was in Company G, 23rd Infantry Regiment. I felt that these little treasures from his time spent in Europe during the war would be great to share with any other 2nd Infantry Division enthusiasts out there. So here there are for you to examine and enjoy.

First off is a photo which one can only assume is either Pvt. Bassler or one of his wartime buddies. There were no captions on the back of the photo so the exact date and location of the photo are currently unknown. He is wearing a M-41 Field Jacket and his 2nd I.D. patch is just visible on his left sleeve. He is either wearing a pair of double buckle boots or a pair of cutdown leggings with roughouts in the photo.
Next are a few paperwork items including an Immunization Register and a War Department address card.

Here is the top portion of a newspaper clipping from the Milwaukee Sentinel dated Sunday, January 24, 1943. Pvt. Bassler has circled the 2nd Infantry's "Indianhead" insignia and scribbled some comments above it. It reads: "This is our shoulder insignia - the star for Texas an Indian for Okla. This is what will be on my arm. I will try and send you one home to wear." This must have been the popular story that circulated around the division as to their insignia's origins.
This is a postcard from Pvt. Bassler addressed to his wife back in Martinsburg. The postmark date is Feb. 7, 1944. The card reads: "Darling Wife, Just a line to let you know I am O.K. was at town yesterday got you some souvenirs. I will put some cards in with your letter today. Love, John"

And the last piece of this little collection is a decal from the Carlton Elite Hotel in Zurich, Switzerland. The 2nd Division was never stationed in Zurich during the war, but Pvt. Bassler may have made a trip to Zurich or obtained this decal from a friend.

Paratrooper Sketch

This past Sunday, I spent a couple of hours doing a sketchbook page for the 100 Artists Project. I decided to use the August 14, 1944 LIFE magazine cover as my subject for this one page sketch. I had always wanted to do an illustration of this "now famous" photo. The paratrooper is Lt. Kelso C. Horne on the road to St. Sauveur, Normandy in late June 1944. I thought I did a pretty good job rendering Lt. Horne, his uniform, his equipment and the M-1. I should probably spend more time doing drawings like these because I really did enjoy working on this project although I found the helmet to be particularly challenging!

You can check out what the project is all about by visiting their site at www.100artistsproject.com.

Operation Dragoon

This past Saturday, March 15th, six members of “Item” Company, 23rd Infantry headed down to Kansas for Operation Dragoon. The weather held out for our boys this time and they were able to make it down and back without Mother Nature adding any extra excitement. In attendance were Sean Cheek, David Jameson, Brian Jameson, Will Green, Kirk Gustafson and Casey Sill. I really wish I could have made it down there with them, but I went to a wedding in Omaha with my wife and represented our 2nd I.D. boys on the dance floor instead. We danced to a few Glenn Miller songs which was pretty fun for Tracy and I. So here are some photos from Sean and David from the event. I adjusted the color and grain on these to give them more of an antique feel - and by desaturating the color it makes the landscape look pretty bleak. Enjoy!!!