Tuesday, June 16, 2009
D-Day at Fort Atkinson
On Saturday, June 6th, our 2nd I.D. reenactment unit spent the day out at historic Fort Atkinson, a short and scenic drive just north of Omaha. Fort Atkinson was the westernmost military fort of the United States during its existence from 1819-1827. Quite a bit of the fort has been reconstructed on its original site and there is an amazing volunteer living history program that puts on monthly reenactments of what life would have been like at the fort. In remembrance of the 65th anniversary of the Allies invasion of Normandy, our group set up a small but impressive display focused on all of the weapons, uniforms and equipment that the G.I.'s would have used on D-Day. We had a great turnout from our membership and all of the guys looked really sharp in our HBT uniforms. The living historians and the state park workers out at Fort Atkinson were really great and the public seemed to really enjoy our display. It was a great day and a fitting celebration to honor all of the D-Day veterans.
Monday, April 13, 2009
A Nebraska 2nd I.D. Veteran
Here is an article from the Omaha World Herald's Monday, April 13th edition. It is a biography from their ongoing "Greatest Generation" series which tells the stories of different World War II participants from around the Midlands. This one caught my eye right away when I read of Mr. Johnson's service in the 2nd Division. Here is the article...
L.L. (Swede) Johnson
Age: 84
Town: Bloomfield, Neb.
Service: U.S. Army
In the war: He was drafted into the Army shortly after graduating from high school and was sworn in at Fort Crook, the predecessor of Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue. He was sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and then Camp Walters in Texas, where he spent 16 weeks training. After a few more stops, he left New York City on the Queen Mary, heading for Scotland. He later arrived at South Hampton, England. He was assigned as a replacement to the Second Infantry Division, First Army. He was sent by landing craft to Omaha Beach. During the drive through France, he was injured by an artillery shell, which caused the loss of his right leg above the knee. For his combat wounds he received a Purple Heart; he earned many other medals during his time in France. Sixty years later, he received a letter from the French government thanking him for defending that country.
In his words: Before we left South Hampton, the Germans sent buzz bombers to this harbor and destroyed many buildings. This was very scary, but it did not hit where we were. At about the middle of the English Channel, we were then loaded on landing craft and were taken to Normandy, Omaha Beach. By the time we got there, which was several days, our troops were a few miles inland. It was tough going as they could not get through the hedgerows until such time someone put knives on the front of the big Sherman tanks. They then could bust through those hedgerows of trees, rock and dirt. I believe all units moved much faster then until they got to Saint Lo, France. The Air Force was called in to bomb Saint Lo on July 26, 1944. They almost leveled Saint Lo. The Second Division was on one flank there. From this point I remember that we moved into Vire, France. This was a small manufacturing town, and the Germans wanted to keep it as they pushed our forces out of it two or three times. Outside of Vire we were pushing forward when an artillery shell burst above me, striking my right leg, which in time caused the loss of the right leg above the knee. This happened in the forenoon and medics did not get to me until 11 p.m. We were in the hills and vehicles could not get to us. Other fellows were wounded, too, so they carried us out to Jeeps. We stopped at Company Aid and from there to Battalion Aid. From there to the shores of France, to U.S. 28th Evacuation Hospital (a big tent with many wounded soldiers). The time spent at these places is unknown by me because I had lots of pain pills. I was put on an airplane as well as other wounded soldiers and was flown to 101st General Hospital in England. I had several operations in this hospital. The doctors there tried to save as much of my leg as they could, but it did not work. In November 1944, I and many of the wounded soldiers were put on the Queen Elizabeth ship and taken back to the USA. We landed on Staten Island, N.Y. When we arrived, the Red Cross came on the ship with ice cream and milk, which was a real treat. I am proud to have served my country of USA, and if I had to I would do it again.
This article is by DeDra Robb
L.L. (Swede) Johnson
Age: 84
Town: Bloomfield, Neb.
Service: U.S. Army
In the war: He was drafted into the Army shortly after graduating from high school and was sworn in at Fort Crook, the predecessor of Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue. He was sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and then Camp Walters in Texas, where he spent 16 weeks training. After a few more stops, he left New York City on the Queen Mary, heading for Scotland. He later arrived at South Hampton, England. He was assigned as a replacement to the Second Infantry Division, First Army. He was sent by landing craft to Omaha Beach. During the drive through France, he was injured by an artillery shell, which caused the loss of his right leg above the knee. For his combat wounds he received a Purple Heart; he earned many other medals during his time in France. Sixty years later, he received a letter from the French government thanking him for defending that country.
In his words: Before we left South Hampton, the Germans sent buzz bombers to this harbor and destroyed many buildings. This was very scary, but it did not hit where we were. At about the middle of the English Channel, we were then loaded on landing craft and were taken to Normandy, Omaha Beach. By the time we got there, which was several days, our troops were a few miles inland. It was tough going as they could not get through the hedgerows until such time someone put knives on the front of the big Sherman tanks. They then could bust through those hedgerows of trees, rock and dirt. I believe all units moved much faster then until they got to Saint Lo, France. The Air Force was called in to bomb Saint Lo on July 26, 1944. They almost leveled Saint Lo. The Second Division was on one flank there. From this point I remember that we moved into Vire, France. This was a small manufacturing town, and the Germans wanted to keep it as they pushed our forces out of it two or three times. Outside of Vire we were pushing forward when an artillery shell burst above me, striking my right leg, which in time caused the loss of the right leg above the knee. This happened in the forenoon and medics did not get to me until 11 p.m. We were in the hills and vehicles could not get to us. Other fellows were wounded, too, so they carried us out to Jeeps. We stopped at Company Aid and from there to Battalion Aid. From there to the shores of France, to U.S. 28th Evacuation Hospital (a big tent with many wounded soldiers). The time spent at these places is unknown by me because I had lots of pain pills. I was put on an airplane as well as other wounded soldiers and was flown to 101st General Hospital in England. I had several operations in this hospital. The doctors there tried to save as much of my leg as they could, but it did not work. In November 1944, I and many of the wounded soldiers were put on the Queen Elizabeth ship and taken back to the USA. We landed on Staten Island, N.Y. When we arrived, the Red Cross came on the ship with ice cream and milk, which was a real treat. I am proud to have served my country of USA, and if I had to I would do it again.
This article is by DeDra Robb
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Battle of the Bulge at Camp Clark, Missouri
Kirk Gustafson, Casey Sill, Sean Cheek and I headed down to Camp Clark near Nevada, Missouri on Friday, January 16th. We set up our bunks in a new National Guard barracks building once we checked-in. We spent Friday night playing poker with French francs at the USO club that our host unit, the 137th Infantry, had set up. It was a pretty fun time playing poker and listening to some great 40s music. The first photo is of Gus pointing out some possible tactics using coins to represent squad members on Friday night.
This photo was taken of our small group on Saturday morning just before we fell-in with the rest of the troops. There were about 35 Germans at this event and an estimated 95 Allied troops including some Brits, some Russians, the 2nd Division, 29th Division, 35th Division, 84th Division, 4th Armored, 101st Airborne, 1st Special Service Forces, and some Rangers. One really cool twist that we threw into this event was that our small unit of four operated as German soldiers dressed as G.I.'s. We lured a total of 9 other G.I.'s into our little trap and also captured a Weapons Carrier from the 84th Division. It was priceless to see the reactions on the American soldiers' faces when we told them to drop their weapons and come with us.
The next two photos are of us moving out in the morning. We marched up to the first battle site with the 35th and 4th Armored guys. There were some icy patches here and there, but the weather was great and the sun was brilliant!
The next two photos were taken while we stopped to eat some K-Rations. When you're out working your way through some tough terrain to reach your objectives, there's nothing better than some canned meat and crackers to keep you going!
The next two photos are from the end of the day after all of our battle scenarios had ended. I really like the photo of Sean and Gus that I took on our ride back to the barracks. We were lucky to hitch a ride back on a halftrack. The ride was exhilarating!
And finally, a photo I took just after sunset on Saturday night. It was really beautiful out there that night and I spent quite a while just taking in the wonderful colors that God painted before me. The whole event was top notch and I really hope to return again next year! Our hosts served up and excellent Sauerbraten and noodles dinner and we spent an hour or so playing poker again. The 137th guys put on an excellent demonstration to a local Boy Scout troop on the different uniforms, equipment and arms of several nations' armies during World War II. I actually learned quite a bit from the presentation. We headed home early Sunday morning and were back in Omaha by 12:30 in the afternoon. It was a great weekend and one that I will always treasure among my reenactment memories.
This photo was taken of our small group on Saturday morning just before we fell-in with the rest of the troops. There were about 35 Germans at this event and an estimated 95 Allied troops including some Brits, some Russians, the 2nd Division, 29th Division, 35th Division, 84th Division, 4th Armored, 101st Airborne, 1st Special Service Forces, and some Rangers. One really cool twist that we threw into this event was that our small unit of four operated as German soldiers dressed as G.I.'s. We lured a total of 9 other G.I.'s into our little trap and also captured a Weapons Carrier from the 84th Division. It was priceless to see the reactions on the American soldiers' faces when we told them to drop their weapons and come with us.
The next two photos are of us moving out in the morning. We marched up to the first battle site with the 35th and 4th Armored guys. There were some icy patches here and there, but the weather was great and the sun was brilliant!
The next two photos were taken while we stopped to eat some K-Rations. When you're out working your way through some tough terrain to reach your objectives, there's nothing better than some canned meat and crackers to keep you going!
The next two photos are from the end of the day after all of our battle scenarios had ended. I really like the photo of Sean and Gus that I took on our ride back to the barracks. We were lucky to hitch a ride back on a halftrack. The ride was exhilarating!
And finally, a photo I took just after sunset on Saturday night. It was really beautiful out there that night and I spent quite a while just taking in the wonderful colors that God painted before me. The whole event was top notch and I really hope to return again next year! Our hosts served up and excellent Sauerbraten and noodles dinner and we spent an hour or so playing poker again. The 137th guys put on an excellent demonstration to a local Boy Scout troop on the different uniforms, equipment and arms of several nations' armies during World War II. I actually learned quite a bit from the presentation. We headed home early Sunday morning and were back in Omaha by 12:30 in the afternoon. It was a great weekend and one that I will always treasure among my reenactment memories.
2nd I.D. Unit Christmas Party
The boys from the 2nd got together on Saturday, December 6th for our annual unit Christmas party. Scott and Erica Rowe opened up their beautiful home to us for the night to enjoy some good food and drinks and great company. We even toasted in the new year with our unit's traditional round of Calvados, a rather potent apple brandy from the Normandy area of France. We held our unit elections for 2009 and welcomed in David Jameson as our new President, Kirk Gustafson as our new VP, Scott Rowe as our Treasurer, Casey Sill as our new unit Clerk, and Jeff McCue as our Quartermaster. Congrats guys!!!! I look forward to 2009 and a great year with our merry band of brothers!!!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Modale, Iowa Parade
A small group of Indianheads made the trek north to Modale, Iowa on Saturday, August 2nd for the town's annual parade. With a population near 300, Modale is about 30 minutes north of Omaha along I-29. David Jameson, Jeff McCue and myself pulled into town around 8:30 a.m. and met up with Sean Cheek and his family. We wore our khaki uniforms for this parade, a change from the wools that we wore to the Ralston 4th of July Parade. There was a lot of time spent hanging out after we registered. Luckily, the weather was extremely pleasant for an August morning, with cooler temperatures and a nice breeze. The parade kicked off just after 10:00 as we wound through the streets of the town. There weren't a lot of cheering spectators, but we figured it was because half the town was in the parade!!! After finishing the parade we chatted some more with a few American Legion members. We made our way back to the cars via a short-cut over the railroad tracks. It was fun for us to imagine that we were somewhere in Normandy setting booby traps to blow the tracks for the Germans!!! It was a quick little event but fun as always to wear the uniform and hang out with the guys. The close-up group photos didn't survive the event, but here are a couple of photos that did make it.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
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.
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