I was contacted last week by a guy I went through the war with and haven’t seen in the 61 years since. His son, who works in Washington, found my name in the course of some of his research and recognized the104th Inf. as being his Dad’s outfit. He checked with his father, who said he knew me, and mailed him the info. It included the fact I was President of the VBOB Chapter in Eustis, FL. so he addressed a letter to that location.
I haven’t missed a VBOB meeting in five years, until our Aug meeting, due to having two teeth extracted the day before. Our treasurer phoned me after the meeting and told me I had a letter there (at the VFW Post) from a “Ralph Rogers.” My old army buddy is the only one I know with that name. I told him to read it to me. It began: “You have got to be the Harry Kirby I served with.” I immediately phoned Ralph and we wasted no time arranging a meeting.
I phoned another of our guys who lives in the area, Al Teller, and invited him to a reunion lunch today at my house in Ocala,FL. We all played in the 104th Infantry Regimental Band, 26th Infantry (“Yankee”) Division. I know the TOO doesn’t provide for a Regimental Band . . . but we had one (CP Security in combat)! Al Teller was the band director, I played a trumpet and Rogers was our bass drummer.
Needless to say it was a great time, and I think our wives enjoyed it as much as we did. So over chicken crepes and wine, we shared photos and rehashed old times for about three hours. There will be more get togethers now that we have made contact.
On October 11, 2014 my father, Harvey S. Meltzer, then living at the Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, MD, with his wife Phyllis, and feeling just fine, went to take a nap in the afternoon so he would have energy for dinner out that night. He never woke up. He was 88 years old, and died as peacefully as a man could. His life was less peaceful, and his experience with the 90th Division, and in the Battle of the Bulge, went to form the core of his life in so many ways.
It started when he turned 18 and went to opt for accelerated induction in the town he grew up in, Worcester, MA. He was told there wasn’t anyone listed under the name of Harvey Meltzer and when he went home to ask his parents what was going on, he was told by them that his real birth name was Seymour Harvey Meltzer, not Harvey S. Meltzer. A neighbor had teased him as a child, so his parents decided to switch his 2 names, forgetting to tell him! Despite that shock, he nevertheless got to register, and kept his Harvey S. Meltzer name for the rest of his life.
Harvey on the right
Ultimately, he was assigned to the 42nd infantry division until the night he had his memorable Christmas 1944 dinner in Strasbourg. Until that moment he had never been close to combat. But back in camp after dinner that night, his outfit was ordered to wake up and told to board trucks, in which they were driven all night, and then told to get off the trucks. Not much else was told them (sound familiar to you fellow infantrymen?). As it turned out he was at that moment being transferred to the 90th Division in Patton’s 3rd Army and headed north into the Battle of the Bulge. He was part of the 359th Regiment, Company F.
His first experience of combat that he remembers was that his new outfit was ordered into the woods in Luxemburg to relieve the 26th Yankee Division (he believed), who had to that date been unable to dislodge the Germans from a key point in that sector. His first taste of combat was a night attack into those woods. He remembered little of that night, other than the tracers and noise and neberlwerfer shells and death and shooting- all as an 18 year old.
He survived, made it through the Battle of the Bulge, was awarded a purple heart after being hospitalized twice for frostbite of both his feet, and survived the rest of the war, helping liberate the concentration camp Flossenburg, in Czechoslovakia, in the process.
For many years after the war, he awoke every night with screams and cries and nightmares, but refused to talk about it. He also refused to visit or return to Europe until middle age, because he could not face his nightmares there.
But, his wartime experience gave him the opportunity to go to college under the GI bill (his family was not well off), and with his accounting degree he ultimately had a very successful career as head of royalties at Columbia Records, part of CBS. He was married many years to my mother, Pauline, and then many further years to my stepmother Elena, and after she passed away, he again found happiness in his 80s and married his surviving wife, Phyllis. But during the prime of his life though, he carried all his experiences and memories inside himself, sharing them with very few people.
Then VBOB came along and he went to one of the VBOB reunions in Europe- I believe the 40th, and it transformed him. All of a sudden, he became aware that he was not alone anymore- he met so many other veterans who “understood” and who shared his pride and his pain. And he fell in love with Europe and vacationed there often, after.
He attended the 50th VBOB anniversary too, and I had the honor of taking my father to the 60th Anniversary, where we had one of the best weeks of our lives together. I got to meet so many wonderful veterans, and I got to see the battlegrounds and meet the people of Belgium and Luxemburg, who treated all the veterans as if they were liberators that very week- it was wonderful.
I also got to discover, first hand, where my dad’s first night of combat occurred- it is now a national park in Luxemburg- Shumann’s Eke. My dad’s outfit, and others, DID push the Germans out, and that was the start of their withdrawal out of Berle, Luxemburg. He was honored there during our trip, as were others, at the monument located outside the famous woods and by the people of Berle, who carried the torch of memory and thankfulness into our present..
My dad has, ever since VBOB, gotten involved again with his 90th Division Association reunions too, and his group therapy sessions at the NYC VA (PTSD). Indeed, his rolodex, upon his death, had more veterans names in it, then anyone else. My Dad is survived by his wife Phyllis, me and my wife (his daughter-in-law) Wen Xian, his grandsons Zachary and Benjamin, his daughter Sandra and son-in-law Jeff, and his granddaughter Elizabeth, and many friends and family who loved him. I am attaching 2 pictures of my dad- as a young soldier, and as a very proud older veteran.
I am his son Curt Meltzer, and I wanted to write this Remembrance to Honor my father, and his service during WWII. Thank you all for showing my dad he was not alone- thank you all for your friendship and caring and understanding, and for the Honor to yourselves and our Country that you all have brought with your service. God bless you.
Edward “Babe” Heffron and William “Wild Bill” Guarnere — two World War II heroes from South Philly immortalized in the book and miniseries Band of Brothers — will be honored with bronze statues somewhere in the city.
Enclosed is information from South Dakota State University about the passing of my friend Sherwood Berg. I don’t know if he was a member of VBOB, but noticed that he had been a pall bearer for General Patton so figured that might be worth a mention in The Bulge Bugle. He also had crossed the Ludendorf Bridge at Remagen with the 78th Infantry Division.
I was in a statistics class with him at South Dakota State after the war and marveled at his superior intelligence. As I recall there were only seven or eight of us in the class and I was clearly at the bottom. Until I read the enclosed material I had no idea that we were so close together during WWII. My 8th Armored Division crossed the Rhine at Wesel, just above Remagen ~ about ten days later. We had a vets club at South Dakota State and both of us were in it, but I don’t recall any of us talking about our war experiences. I guess we had had our fill of war.
Click on the link below to read Sherwood’s obituary
THE DEDICATION OF AMERICAN VETERANS DISABLED FOR LIFE MEMORIAL By J. David Bailey, 106th Infantry Division – Member of DAV and VBOB
On October 5, 2014 The American Veterans Disability for Life Memorial was dedicated. More than 3,000 people – many disabled veterans, their families and survivors – covered the grounds of this site – 2.4 acres of serene, a bold reminder of the sacrifices still being made daily and the only memorial to honor the disable veterans of America’s wars.
I was impressed by the remarks made by the President and the Secretary of the Interior, along with the Secretary of Veteran Affairs and actor Gary Sinise, our national spokesman.. Special recognition should be made to Lois Pope and Arthur Wilson co-founders and DAV Director Bobby Barrera.
The Memorial pays tribute to the living and the deceased, male and female, as well as disabled veterans across all branches of the military, through all historic, current and future conflicts. Unlike the six war tribute on the National Mass this memorial sits in the shadow of the Capitol, a purposeful reminder that the cost of military conflict linger far beyond the battlefield.
In granite slabs, glass panels and a single flame atop a solemn reflecting pool, the memorial tells the story of veterans from every conflict and from every branch of service who have borne the brunt of battle and lived to carry the visible – and invisible – wounds of war.
Noted this remarkable accomplishment a 16 year journey would not have been possible without the support the DAV received from veteran organizations, foundations, corporations, and more than a million individual contributors.
Gary Sinise and David Bailey – October 5, 2014Sally Jewell and David Bailey
Michael Hoff was awarded the French Legion of Honor from the Consul General of France, Philippe Letrilllliart, on July 30, 2014. Michael was in the 987th FA Bn and landed on King Green Beach in the British Gold Beach Sector on June 7, 1944. The FA Bn had a 155mm gun mounted on an M4 Sherman Tank chassis. The Bn’s 155mm self-propelled guns were the first heavy artillery to crack the Siegfried Line. The 987th supported the First Army and General Patton’s Third Army. Michael’s position was as a surveyor and fire control for the Battery B of the 987th. Michael has also received the Normandy Invasion Arrowhead Medal as well as five Battle Stars for serving in all of the 5 major European campaigns (Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe).
The Kansas Chapter of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge’s annual reunion is held toward the end of January to commemorate the end of the battle. This year we are partnering with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Museum in Abilene, Kansas. We want to plan a two-day event on Saturday, January 24, 2015 and Sunday, January 25, 2015. We also want to dedicate a granite bench at the Eisenhower Museum on behalf of the Veterans of the battle.
Because of the age of our Veterans (92 is the average of our group), we are in need of transportation, lodging, food, and other items that obviously we don’t have the funding for to reach as many of the Veterans (current and new) that we possibly can. The logistics of getting Veterans from all over the state of Kansas is not an easy one and we don’t want any of them to miss this event honoring them.
Report and photos submitted by Mark Collins, Chapter President
I was unable to locate where I could submit a story request on the NBC Web Site for the Nightly News, so if the person who receives this could possibly forward it to Brian Williams or Tom Brokaw, or the right person who can get it to them for consideration I would greatly appreciate it.
I think this would be a heartwarming 2014 Christmas Story for the Nightly News and would like Brian or Tom to consider airing it. In watching them over the years tell stories of our veterans, I feel they can deliver the heart felt emotion of our recent find, to celebrate and honor the life of my Uncle Jack Varuso, an American World War II Army Soldier from New Orleans, Louisiana, and tell the story of how my dad, his only brother who never truly got over his death 70 years ago, has finally gotten another bit of peace and closure recently discovered in a second and a half of old World War II film footage.
My Uncle Jack like all of the family was born in New Orleans. At just 18 years old he boarded a train, just blocks from where the National World War II Museum sits today, never to be seen again by his only brother and family until now. With this winter and Christmas in particular marking the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, I have located in all probability the last film footage of my uncle Jack alive, taken December 26, 1944 in Bastogne Belgium, after a fierce battle with the German’s on Christmas the day before.
What makes our story interesting, is since the loss of his only brother, my father Frank Varuso has watched hours and hours of and countless World War II film footage over the past 70 years looking for his brother. Over the years and on many occasions watching the old footage with him, my father would say his brother was out there somewhere. For years he stared at the faces of soldiers hoping for just a glimpse of his brother.
Recently as a gift to my father, my older brother “Jack” (named after my Uncle Jack), and recently retired from the Air Force sent him “THE WAR”, a Ken Burns directed and produced DVD set about World War II aired on PBS. On an afternoon visit with my father, I noticed the DVD set and inquired as to where he had gotten them from. My dad, who served in the Navy during World War II, and always eager to talk about the war and military told me about the DVD’s, and mentioned one DVD in particular (Episode Six – The Ghost Front) highlighted some of the Battle of the Bulge battles fought under horrific cold and snow conditions in the Ardennes Forest and on Christmas Day in 1944 in the Town of Bastogne Belgium.
My dad knew it would interest me, because like my dad in recent years I had become increasingly interested in my uncle’s whereabouts in the war and often wondered how he died. At my Dad’s insistence I took the DVD’s home, where they sat on my counter for a month, with my dad inquiring every other day if I watched them. One afternoon he again inquired and I told him I would look it that night, so around 9 PM I put Episode Six – The Ghost Front in the DVD Player. As I viewed the footage, my initial thoughts were the documentary was done very well, the background music, film footage and narrative kept my interest as the story moved closer to the documented date of my Uncle Jack’s death, which was January 26th 1945.
As I continued to watched, there was this sadness I felt viewing the horrific conditions the young soldiers fought in, but it was the footage of soldiers getting a break from the harsh weather and fighting, and taking a moment to erect a small Christmas tree on December 26, 1944 in Bastogne Belgium that really captured my interest. The soldiers seemed to be relaxed and it appeared moral was good that day after breaking through the German Army that had surrounded them in the Town of Bastogne the day before on Christmas. With that, the camera panned over to several soldiers standing together, and for a second one of the faces, the last solider in the clip caught my eye. It seemed to have happened so quickly, I had to re-play it numerous times to finally pause it in the right spot to get a clear picture of that last solider on the end. In staring at the soldier for the first few seconds nothing registered, and then in a confused moment it hit me, it was my uncle Jack. My God, after all these years there he was. As I sat there in the state of disbelief and amazement as to how I found him in this second and a half film clip, my thoughts and imagination could only wonder if it was a sign from him.
Being my Uncle Jack’s only family member to ever travel to his gravesite at the Henri Chapelle America Cemetery in Belgium a few years ago, my visit was an emotional honor and privilege, and something I will always cherish. Standing at the foot of his grave site I sensed this connection and felt I could see him and feel his presence, and now again for a moment the same emotions of this young man’s face frozen in time has a message 70 years later. Although tempted to call my dad that night and tell him, it had gotten late, so rather than have him up all night thinking about it, I waited until morning.
The next morning I went to my Dad’s home and without telling him why I was there, I placed the DVD in the player and called him over to watch. As he watched the DVD and at the precise moment I paused it, his emotions took over as he realized what he was seeing. Like me the night before, my Dad was in the state of disbelief realizing we found his brother. In looking at the paused still footage of my Uncle Jack with my Dad, we were struck by his expression. My Uncle Jack was smiling, a message and gift for my Dad written on his face. It was his smile that told us he was at peace.
At 87 years old and in failing health, this gift to my Dad was like no other I could have ever imagined, and something else he and I will carry with us always. As to the other men in the footage with my Uncle, it will be interesting to see if any of them are still alive, and can further tell the story of that day in particular. With this year being the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, there is a planned Tour by a group, Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, to Honor the Battle this December 2014. Historians have documented the Battle of the Bulge as a turning point in in World War II that help bring it to a rapid end.
David R. Martin, Mayor of Stamford, CT proclaimed August 23, 2014 to be Dominick Daniel Santagata Day – read proclamation
Dannel P. Malloy, Governor of Connecticut offers congratulations on August 23, 2014 the 90th birthday of Dominick “Danny” Santagata – read official statement
Richard Blumenthal, US Senator, CT wishes a happy birthday on August 23, 2014 to Dominick Daniel Santagata – read letter – read certificate
Connecticut General Assembly extends best wishes on August 23, 2014 to Dominick Daniel Santagata – read citation
Jesse Bowman, 87th Infantry Division, visited the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA on June 6, 2014, to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. There were over 100 WW II Veterans from North Carolina and Florida in attendance. The Ashville NC Rotary Club sponsored the trip. The veterans were in a parade through the town of Bedford and were given a hearty welcome by the people who lined the streets and waved to them as they passed by on the way to the Memorial.
Bedford, VA was the community that had the most per capita D-Day losses in the nation. The Memorial is a tribute to the valor, fidelity and sacrifice of D-Day participants. The Memorial is encompassed by the names of the 4,413 Allied soldiers who died in the D-Day invasion.
Jessie is standing under the left corner of the sign that reads WW II Veterans Memorial Highway.
Pictures courtesy of Jessie Bowman, article written by Doris Davis, Associate & President of VBOB Golden Gate Chapter.
Joy, sadness at Battle of the Bulge reunion
By Henry Howard, The American Legion website – September 3, 2014
About 40 Battle of the Bulge veterans gathered in Columbia, S.C., on Labor Day weekend to share stories, interact with the public and honor the 19,000 Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice during the battle.
On Christmas Day 1944, soldiers battled not only the subzero temperatures, a blazing snowstorm and waist-deep snow, but ducked for cover from German warplanes overhead, said retired Col. Douglas Dillard, president of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Ardennes.
