Ohio WWII history: From Somwhere In France - Cleary's latest book on one Ohio village's effort during the war

From Somewhere in France, Vic Cleary’s second book on World War II, focusing exclusively on Clarksburg Ohio's effort during the war, is scheduled for release in late fall 2009.

The book will feature 186 personal letters from Clarksburg Ohio’s soldiers, sailors, and airmen during training, the transitional and staging period before the war, combat, and following the conclusion of the war including personal reflection on the circumstances and unique experiences faced by the servicemen.

Letters from 70 individual service personnel (listed below) are included in the compilation, over 50 of whom were not included in the individual chapter stories of Clarksburg’s Courageous: World War II, Cleary’s first book on the subject.

According to Cleary, "From Somewhere in France provided me the opportunity to share the unique stories of a number of Clarksburg's World War II veterans, who I lacked sufficient data on to dedicate an entire individualized biography for my first book. Even though I realized I was leaving a number of incredible stories out of Clarksburg's Courageous, I simply couldn't change the research format of the book to include a handful of letters, without carefully crafting them in order, as I have done with From Somewhere in France. With the chronological structure of this second book, an excellent letter from one individual easily fits into one of the four sections of the book - Training, Transition, Combat, or Aftermath. One letter is enough to contribute to the overall reflection of each chapter. I am confident readers will thoroughly enjoy this book which focuses specifically on content generated by the servicemen themselves and relies less on photos and detailed 'research-oriented lists' that I compiled to explain Clarksburg's collective effort during the war. There is nothing more 'real' than reading a letter written from a soldier sitting in a damp foxhole, or from a sailor sunning himself on the deck of a battleship floating in the South Pacific, and painting a picture in your head of what they were attempting to describe to their family members and friends back home in Ross County." Cleary concluded.

Cleary hopes to have the book on shelves before the 2009 holiday season. A limited number of copies will be printed and distributed to retail outlets, as he plans to primarily offer the book for purchase online in print-on-demand and ebook format. Details on how to purchase the book online will come soon. However, to better determine the demand for a printed version of the paperback, the author is compiling a pre-order mailing list for the book. Send your request, including name, physical address, email address, and number of copies requested to viccleary@aol.com.

The following is a list of Clarksburg, Ohio service personnel and family members whose letters are included in From Somewhere in France:

SSGT Ralph W. Anderson
Aerial Engineer
8th Air Force, 92nd Bomb Group, 325th Bomb Squadron

TSGT Robert C. Anderson
P-38 Crew Chief
15th Air Force, 14th Fighter Group, 37th Fighter Squadron

SGT Allen Anderson
Navigator-in-training
36th Training Group, Squadron A

Seaman 1st Class Marcus Ater
Gunner's Mate
USS Denver (CL- 58): Cruiser

LT Joe Ater
Multi-engine pilot
324th Army Air Force Base Unit

SGT Jack Ater
Heavy Machine Gunner
97th Infantry Division, 387th Infantry Regiment, Company D

PFC Robert Bethel
Surgical Technician
58th Medical Corps. 344th Medical Dispensary

SGT Corrine Bochard
General Clerk
WAAC Detachment 4201

SGT William Bochard
Radio Operator
6th Army, 10th Corp., 99th Signal Battalion

SSGT Sylvester Bookwalter
Medical Laboratory Tech
3702nd AAF Base Unit, 344th Bomb Group

CPL Delbert Boyer
Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun crewman

T/5 Wendell Bryant
Amphibious Truck Driver
479th Amphibious Truck Company

Roger Bryant

PVT Charles Bryant

SGT Wendell Carroll
Infantry Medic
3rd Army, 80th Inf. Div., 319th Inf. Reg., HQ Detachment

SGT Willis Cleary
Infantry Clerk
2nd Infantry Division, 23rd Infantry Regiment, K Company

SSGT Charles Crabb
Top Turret Gunner
12th Bomb Group, 81st Bomb Squadron. The Earthquakers!

SGT Robert K. Dawson
3rd Army, 69th Infantry Division

CPL John M. Dawson
Radio Operator Mechnic
3507th AAF Base Unit, Aircraft Squad III, Flight I

LT Robert E. Dawson
P-39 and P-51 Fighter Pilot
11th Air Force, 54th Fighter Group , 42nd Fighter Squadron

SSGT Herman Dinkler
Quartermaster
3rd Armored Division, 548th Quartermaster Depot, Advanced Communication Section

SGT Carl Dinkler
Infantryman
8th Infantry Division, 28th Infantry Regiment, Company A

LT Myron Dodd
Pilot
15th Air Force, 465th Bomb Group, 782nd Bomb Squadron

AUX Mary Ann Driapsa
Woman’s Auxiliary

Seaman 1st Class Leo Dunkle
Crew
LST #863

CPL Tom Eycke
Intelligence NCO
1st Cavalry, 24th Infantry, 77th Infantry, 234th Quartermaster Salvage Collection Company

PFC Oscar Garrison
Parachute - Field Lineman
82nd Airborne Division, 505th Parachute Inf Reg, 115th Field Artillery Batt., Battery C

LT Lewis Garrison
Navigator
8th Air Force, 466th Bomb Group, 787th Bomb Squadron

PVT Don Garrison
Quartermaster and Crane Operator
3204th Quartermaster Service Co

SGT Richard Garrison
Infantryman
8th Infantry Division, 121st Infantry Regiment, I Company

SSGT Harold Garrison
Forward Artillery Observer
32nd Division, 120th Field Artillery Batt., HQ Battery

Muriel Hale
Wife of B-17 Bomber Pilot Lt. George C. Hale
92nd Bomb Group, 325th Bomb Squadron

LT Robert Hamman
Mobile Howitzer Commander
9th Armored Division, 73rd Armored Field Artillery, Battery A

CPL Forrest Hicks
Fire Control Operator

SSGT Harold Hoffman
Infantry Section Leader
40th Infantry Division, 160th Infantry Regiment, D Company

CPL Harry Holloway
Heavy Mortarman Crewman
82nd Airborne, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, H Company, and 2nd Battalion HQ Company
Silver Star Recipient (June 1944)

Martin Junk

Field Director John Kirkwood
Red Cross Field Director

SGT Bill Lemly
Ball Turret Gunner
15th Air Force, 465th Bomb Group, 782nd Bomb Squadron


SGT John Martin
Infantryman
90th Infantry Division, 358th Infantry Regiment, G Company

CPL Warren Martin
Mail clerk
8th Air Force, 301st AAF Base Unit, 704 Air Material Sq.

PFC Paul McCormick
Life Guard
919 Signal Corps, 48th Repair Squad, 4121st AAF Base Unit

PFC Glenn McPherson
Light Truck Driver
204th Quartermaster Battalion

LT William Merz
Artillery Officer
Americal Division, 245th Field Artillery Battalion, HQ Battery, A Battalion

LT Jack Minser
Railhead Supervisor
Army Transportation Corps: 6th Port Headquarters

CAPT Sarah Moomaw
WAAC Training Center

SSGT Gene Morris
Heavy Mortar Crewman
1st Infantry Division, 745th Tank Battalion, Heavy Mortar Platoon & HQ Company

Seaman 1st Class Glenn Morris
Seaman 1st Class

PVT Charles Morris
Infantry Training

LT Jack Morris
Navigator
8th Air Force, 392nd Bomb Group, 576th Bomb Squadron

Seaman 1st Class Fred Nye
LCL Seaman

SGT Richard Pabst
Stationed in Okinawa

PFC John Peck
Aerial Radio Operator
1333rd Army Air Force Base Unit: 13th Area

Machinist Mate 2nd Class John Pool
Machinist Mate
USS Texas (BB-35) Battleship

SSGT Willis Prince
Aerial Nose Gunner
15th Air Force, 465th Bomb Group, 782nd Bomb Squadron

PFC James Reisinger
Artilleryman
981st Field Artillery Battalion

Ship Fitter 3rd Class Tom Rittenhouse
Ship Fitter
USS Hamul (AD-20)

SSGT John Roseboom
Artilleryman
1st Cavalry Division, 760th Field Artillery Battalion, Battery C.

PFC Ephraim Shull
Cook's helper
58th Ordnance Ammunition Company

PVT Henry Shull
U.S. Army

PFC Cary "Scoop" Skinner
Litter Bearer
41st Infantry Division, 116th Medical Battalion, 5th Squad, Troop B

T/4 Tom Sowers
Infantryman
80th Infantry Division, 318th Infantry Regiment Company A

PFC Richard Stephens
Artillery Observer
20th Field Artillery; attached to the 4th Infantry Division

CPL John Templin
Aircraft Mechanic
Air Transport Command: 1504th Army Air Force Base Unit.

Machinist Mate 2nd Class Robert Templin
Motor Machinist 2nd Class
Naval Sub Chaser

PVT Darrell Templin
United States Army Air Force

LT Daryl Williams
B-25 Pilot
5th Air Force, 345th Bomb Group, 499th Bomb Squadron BATS OUTA HELL

PFC Albert Willis
Firefighter
369th Harbor Craft Company

SGT Dwight Willis
Mess Sergeant
Air Transport Command: 1337th Army Air Force Base Unit, Battery 6

Today in Ohio Military History: Focus - World War II

Today in Clarksburg Ohio World War II history:

September 2, 1942: Lewis Dennis enlists in the U.S. Army.

September 2, 1943: Cecil Richardson, attached to the 3916th Quartermaster Gas Supply Company arrives North Africa by troop carrier ship. Dale Boyer volunteers for the United States Marine Corps.

September 2, 1945: Sgt. Charles Crabb receives an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army Air Force after completing 53 missions in a B-25 over North Africa, Sicily, and Italy attached to the 12th Bomb Group. Ward Garrison, aobard the USS Antietam, sails into Chinese waters near the port of Shanghai.

Today in Ohio World War II history: Ater writes home while laid up in an Army General Hospital

Today in Clarksburg Ohio WWII history:

August 26, 1943: Joe Downing returns to Clarksburg for a ten day furlough from maneuvers in Nashville, TN.

August 26, 1944: Almer Sowers enlists in the U.S. Army. Jack Ater writes parents from an army hospital about a visit the troops received from Hollywood actor - Eddie Cantor. Cantor and other stars performed tirelessly for the troops in the hospital.

August 26, 1945: Richard Stevens’ ship, the Joseph Leidy, docks in New York Harbor and calls his parents in Clarksburg from New York, New York to tell them he'll be home soon.

Bradenton Florida newspaper Features Bob Dawson upon Death

Below is a link to a nice article and pseudo-Obituary written for Clarksburg Ohio's own, Colonel Robert E. Dawson, following his death in April 2008.

Following his retirement from the service, he was a long time Bradenton, Florida resident. He had an amazing Air Force career and I continue to admire him so much.

The photo included is a shot of Bob standing in front of his F-105 Thunderchief.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080413/NEWS/804130750&SearchID=73322577407275

Today in Ohio WWII history: Clarksburg's Sgt Carl Dinkler moves closer to Brest, Norman Trapp prepares to lead B-17 crew

Today in Clarksburg Ohio World War II history:

August 8, 1942: Corporal Forrest Hicks is based in Panama defending the canal zone and eastern seaboard attached to the 1st Coastal Artillery, Battery K at Fort Sherman.

August 8, 1944: SGT Carl Dinkler, A Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry is attached to the 6th Armored Division to pressure Germans in the Brittany Peninsula and cut off the port city of Brest. The group meets at the village of Landivisiau in preparation for scouting the German defense in the area. Captain Norman Trapp departs the U.S. bound for England to serve as a command pilot of a B-17 Bomber crew with the 351st Bomb Group, 508th Bomb Squadron.

August 8, 1945: PFC Almer Sowers (pictured during the war and in 1984 on his farm outside Clarksburg Ohio) returns to the U.S. from the Philippines and is interned in a hospital in Kentucky, following his service as a light truck driver in the Pacific. Corporal Warren Martin departs Antwerp, Belgium on the U.S.S. Howard A. Kelly liberty ship bound for New York.

August 8, 1946: SSGT John Roseboom is discharged from the U.S. Army following honorable service in the 1st Cavalry Division’s 760th Field Artillery Battalion.

Today in Ohio World War II history: Martin faces the worst enemy shelling of the war at Landivy, France

Today in Clarksburg Ohio World War II history:

August 5, 1944: T/4 Francis Ater is transferred to Lawson General Hospital to serve as a Lab technician for three months before his rotation to the Pacific Theater. At midnight, TSGT John Martin, a rifleman with G Company, 358th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division is ambushed by Germans near Landivy, France. Martin clings to the ground in desperation and is dazed by close landing artillery shells in one of the worst shellings experienced by the 90th during the war. Photo included is Vic Cleary standing at the 90th Infantry Division's monument located in Normandy, France - Utah Beach (1999).

August 5, 1945: PFC Troy Reisinger departs the U.S. bound for the Pacific Theater to serve as a Light Truck Driver for the Service Company of the 186th Infantry Regiment and the Occupation of Japan.

New Clarksburg Ohio World War II photos Discovered

Check out these newly discovered photos of Clarksburg veterans and families uncovered by my mother while working on the History of Clarksburg Ohio book coming out soon!

PICTURE ONE: Lt. Lewis Garrison (466th Bomb Group), MM2C Robert C. Templin (United States Navy), and Sgt. Dick Garrison (8th Infantry Division)

PICTURE 2: Fire Control Operator Third Class: Forrest "Frosty" Hoffman: United States Coast Guard

PICTURE 3: Garrison ladies in front of Clarksburg's Service Roll sign erected next to the town hall in 1943.