Beautiful site to honor the old warriors. I knew of Ranger 1st Lt. Robert T. Edlin - Indiana - during his life. I am happy to see his information ... I would like to add my name to your guestbook...

Elizabeth (Goodhue) Hamm - Killeen,Texas

posted July 2007

eliza@hot.rr.com

2006

I am the daughter of Sergeant Vernon Daugherty who passed away on Sept 28th 2006.  I am very proud of my fathers war history, as well as all of the men and women who served in the Rangers.  Thank you for having such a wonderful site to honor these brave men and women.  He was a POW in Stalog IIB for 15 months.  I will miss him greatly.

He was discharged from the Army on September 28, 1945 and discharged from life on September 28, 2006.  My family thought that was quite interesting.

Diane Daugherty Clarke

Proud daughter of a Ranger POW.

billanddiane25@msn.com

My father, Ranger John E. Hill, 1st Ranger BN, Co.B was about 6 feet tall and on the slight side.  He was a 1st scout and would have carried a machine gun. I think that Archibald McCLoud was the 2nd scout. I would love to hear any stories about him if any one would remember or about the experiences.

Gregory E. Hill        lexxor@cox-internet.com

Jim Hennessey WW2-Vet-Co.E.-345th-Regt-87th-Inf.Div.

Ranger John Charboneau 1st Bn

To: WWII 2nd Bn Rangers:

Bob Black (E-address above) would like to contact anyone who was in
the same boat as Col. Rudder on D-Day.I wish more of you were going 

over this time.  There will be only about ten in Grandcamp-Maisy.
RLTW,
Frank South

To contact Bob Black: rgrblack@planetcable.net

Message to all World War II Rangers:

I am in the process of setting up an educational trip to Fort Benning where the WWII Rangers can teach the current Rangers some of the combat tactics-- ( hand-to-hand, house-to-house, instinctive shooting, etc.)--that was used by them in WWII.

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This had it's start when I put my dad (Ben Temkin, 4th Bn) on videotape a few months ago and sent it to the chief Ranger/hand-to-hand combat instructor at Fort Benning. Both he and his staff were very impressed with the content and had a lot more questions to ask.

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Hoping any and all WWII Rangers from all 6 Bns who want to, can attend. Since it is just in the planning stages, we are not sure of the exact date yet, but I have asked Rangers Frank South and Tom Herring to get involved in this.

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Please contact me and I will help to get his set up:

Matt Temkin          temahedysa@aol.com

Looking for Rangers who remember Ranger Anthony J. Damico 4th Btn

I'm trying to put together a timeline of my father's service with the Rangers. He joined the Rangers on January 29,1943 as one of the first group of 100 replacements from the states. I think that this group was known for some time as Company "G". I see by the Ranger Roster link on this website that he was in the 1st Battalion/Company B, and 3rd Battalion/Company E. However, He came home after the Cisterna battle as a member of the 4th Battalion. I'm trying to piece together when he was transferred form one Battalion to the other, and which Battalion he actually spent the most time with so I can determine which operations he might have been involved in. He passed away in 1973, and was very proud to be a Ranger.    Tony Damico, Jr.

Looking for Rangers who remember Ranger Paul G. McCreery

My fathers name was Paul G.McCreery .He was in the 4th battalion Co. C, I was wondering If anyone remembers him or knew him. He died when I was 6. I would appreciate any info. 

Thanks  

Jeff McCreery      Jracsan89@aol.com

Looking for Rangers who remember Ranger Everett W. Lenzen

My father, Everett W. Lenzen, served with the Rangers in WWII.  I believe he was wounded at Anzio, but I know so very little else about his experience ---I am hoping there still may be someone who remembers him, that might share with me information about him.  I believe he was a member of the 1st Bn. I know that my brother was named for a fallen comrade (William Brinkley) who served along side him.

Appreciate any leads you may have that would allow me to follow the timeline and places of his service in the War.

Thank you.
Barbara Jackson

My fathers name was Paul G.McCreery .He was in the 4th battalion Co. C ,I was wondering if anyone remembers him, or knew him. He died when I was 6. I would appreciate any info.

Thanks  

Jeff McCreery      Jracsan89@aol.com

December 28

Ranger Gene Richmond 6/E

I would like to thank Lynn Towne for assisting me with locating information on my uncle who was a member of the 6th Ranger Battalion during WWII. Your website is a great tribute to all the Rangers. Keep up the great work.  

Thank you, 

DeWayne Richmond

Email: dewyrichmond@juno.com

November

PFC Lee J. Taylor, 35 801 707, 2nd Bn Ranger Inf. is my mother's brother and would have been my uncle had he not been killed in action 12/07/44 in Bergstein, Germany. No records of Lee's military service with the 2nd Rangers have been found, other than the documentation found on www.RangerRoster.org

Does anyone remember Lee J. Taylor as a member of the 2nd Ranger Battalion?. All family records were destroyed by a fire years ago but we do have a picture of Lee in uniform. His shoulder patch is of the 69th Infantry where he did basic training.  

There is a newspaper obituary from July 1949 when Lee's body was returned home.  It states that he joined the Army May 14, 1943, was a 2nd Ranger, took part in the D-Day invasion of France, and was killed in action in Germany December 7, 1944. Any assistance anyone can provide will be greatly appreciated.

If you have any information about Ranger Taylor, please contact me:

Edward Lee King, nephew of Ranger "Junior" Taylor

Elkingding@aol.com

(Click here to view a picture of Ranger Taylor in the photo gallery)

October 2003

Ltc(Ret) George R. Haley

On August 10, 2003, my father passed away in Plymouth, MA. He served in WWII in the 5th Rangers, E Co. His burial was at the National Cemetery in Bourne, MA. He also served in Korea and three tours in Viet Nam. 

Thank you...a proud son!

October 2003

October 2003

Looking for Joe Blanchard 3rd Bn

Matt Temkin writes:

I was at the Airpower Museum in LI when I got to talking with one of the volunteers about the rangers. He mentioned that one of his old friends was in the Rangers in Italy and said that his name is Joe Blanchard. The database shows a Joe Blanchard as a member of the 3rd BN. Does anyone remember him? The volunteer has not seen him in years, but said that he heard that Joe is alive and in good health. He will pass on this website to him when he tracks him down.

If you know where Joe Blanchard is, please contact me:

Email:  Temahedysa@aol.com

October 2003

Ranger John W. White 2/A/F

Ranger nephew Bill Payne is looking for anyone who may remember his uncle, John W. White, 2nd Bn, DSC recipient. 

If you remember him, please contact Bill!

Email: paynebillp@aol.com

October 2003
My name is Jason Adkins. I teach US history at Colerain High School in Cincinnati , I am interested in contacting any WWII Rangers who live in the Cincinnati area that may be interested in speaking to my classes about their experiences. 
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I have quite a list of men who have already visited my classes. They include a Pearl Harbor veteran (USS Vestal), a Doolittle Raider, a D-Day veteran (1st wave, Omaha Beach, 29th division), a Tuskegee Airman, a ball turret gunner on a B-17, a Battle of the Bulge veteran, 2 former German POW's, 1 former Japanese POW, an Iwo Jima veteran, and an Auschwitz survivor.

Please help me make my unit on WWII even more meaningful for my students. I appreciate any contact information that you can give me. 
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Thanks,

Jason Adkins
Social Studies Teacher / Head Basketball Coach
Colerain High School
8801 Heviot Road
Cincinnati, OH 45251
513-741-0311

September 2003

Looking for 4th Bn "D" Co Rangers!

I am a friend of Johnny Matney, a  4th Battalion Ranger who served with Pfc Bert Miller Jr. also of the 4th battalion, "D" Co. Bert was severely wounded at the Anzio beach landing in Jan. of 44. That was the last time Johnny saw Bert Miller Jr.. Johnny had heard Bert had lost a leg from the wound but was still alive at that time. Bert was from the South Bend Indiana area at that time, but Johnny has not been able to make contact with him since the war. He asked me if I would help to try and locate Bert if he is still alive since I have a computer. 

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Any help you could give me on how to go about locating him would be greatly appreciated.     

Thank you,   

John Halik
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frenchmen1965@yahoo.com

September 2003

The following are from the Reunion Message Board in the Hospitality Room:

Looking for any Ranger who may remember Ranger Brooks Minchin, 1st Bn "E" Co. He was MIA around Anzio. If you remember him, his surviving brother would like to contact you.

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Contact the webmaster: WWIIRgrSD@aol.com

______________________________________

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Looking for any 5th Ranger "C" Company who remembers Rex Bryant

Contact Rex Bryant, (Rex Jr.) son 

call 612 722-2271

______________________________________

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Dick Hathaway was stricken with pneumonia last week. He's doing okay now, but won't be able to make the Reunion. He and friend Ed Ferraro salute the Rangers and hope you have a great time.

Bill Frake

______________________________________

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Marcel Swank article written by George Grimm 8/21/49 and 8/25/49 in Star Tribune (Minneapolis Paper). Does anyone have this?

______________________________________

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Herb Epstein, please contact Vic Fast

Vic

______________________________________

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Do any 5th Rangers remember Mose Eilenberger? If so, please contact "Halftrack".

______________________________________

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Looking for information:

Pvt Robert "Bob" Jelsky, 2nd Bn "D" Company replacement, born 1924 and grew up in Gallitzin, PA (near Altoona). Served with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) before enlisting in the Army. 5' 8", approximately 140-160 lbs, spoke fluent Polish. Received purple heart, wounded in action on December 7, 1944. Died November 1999 in New Jersey.

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Please contact:

Phil Dzielski (Bob's nephew)

106 Tulsa Trail

Hopatcong, NJ  07843

phildzielski@worldnet.att.net

September 2003

August 2003

Ranger Delmas Duncan from 2C visited the site.

August 2003

August 2003

Hello,
A very special "Thank You" to Franck and the entire group of children from Digosville Elementary for the thoughtful and generous care of my Uncle's  (Joe Trainor) grave.  I am bringing my Aunt, Eileen Trainor, his only remaining sibling to your reunion in Bloomington, Minnesota at the end of this month. We look forward to meeting any Rangers that may
have known Joe.
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Pat Filbrandt
Niece of Joe Trainor

July 2003

WOW.  What a great job you all did in the production!  I cried along with each of you.  Seeing John Cook, well and hearty, hit me hard.  How fragile you all are!  God Bless and hang around for a long time, will you?  

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Love you all, 

Jim & Kay

July 2003

The production, BATAAN RESCUE, was spectacular.  Congratulations to each of you.  Thank you so much for being at the right place at the right time!  

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Sincerely with respect and love,  

Catherine Hildebrand

June 25, 2003

Hello,

I want to let you know that we have visited the D-day landing beaches with Digosville Elementary School. First we visited Arromanches Mulberry and the D-day Museum, with a picnic on the beach. 

Afterward we visited the American Cemetery at Colleville sur mer, and each child laid flowers on the graves of Rangers Elmo Banning and Joe Trainor. They were proud of their gesture! 

We also visited the Pointe du Hoc battlefields and it was very impressive for them.... There were 37 children on the tour. The children honoring the fallen Rangers are between 9 to 11 years old. I hope they will appreciate what the Rangers have done for them and maybe someday, will lead the way!?

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Flowers of Remembrance

Franck from Normandy. France

May 17, 2003

Memorial Day 2002 Message: Omaha Cemetery, Flowers of Remembrance Society

Worse than death, is to be forgotten...So that this never happens to those to whom we owe so much, the association "Les Fleurs de la Memoire". Flowers of Remembrance, came to life. It happened on December 15, 2000 , in Saint Lo, a city which, after the June 6, 1944 , bombing raids, was called the Capital of Ruins.

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Since that day, along with our members, we have paved the way along memory's roads. These paths of memory lead to the American military cemeteries where those, swept along by the Star Spangled banner, listening only to their courage, came to offer their life, so that we could reclaim our freedom.

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At the core of Les Fleurs de la Memoire, the 720 members, put aside their differences, religious beliefs, and their origins, share the same gratitude towards the GI's who repose at Colleville-sur-Mer or Saint James.

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Together, on Memorial Day or individually on any other day of the year, we come to meditate, in silence, or in prayer. Then, in an affectionate gesture, as would a godparent for their godchild, allowing the heart to speak, we place flowers at the base of the headstone. It is not uncommon to see grandparents, at times moved to tears, accompanied by their children and grand children moving along the rows on the way to find "the" grave.

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Once at the gravesite, their heads filled with images.... All listen, all meditate.

Is it the sound of the breeze ?… Rather, isn't it the sound of the souls, the living memory of the dead speaking to our subconscious ?… Then the terrible sounds of combat invade the mind...those unbearable sounds of bombs which explode..the whining cry of diving planes...the agonizing cries of the suffering. All the horrors of war assault our memories.

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Finding the spirit of those who died for that we may live in a better world, kneeling in front of the headstone, placing these flowers, is this not a profound appeal for peace?

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That is, I believe, what each person feels when coming to execute their pledge towards our association, "Les Fleurs de la Memoire". A Humble pledge always accomplished with the infallible faith and immense fraternity with those whom we honor. It is true we have so much to say to you who sleep forever in our Normandy soil. Yes, so many things, which however must be resumed in one word: "Merci." Yes, "Thank You. Always!"

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Claude Lavieille       
Président de l'association 
Les Fleurs de la Mémoire 

Normandy. France

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Nota : This text was written for the Memorial Day 2002

May 17, 2003

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To World War II Rangers,

As it is quite inconvenient for me to visit the graves of my two Ranger friends, Jay H. Mehaffey 5/C and Walter McIlwain 5/B, in the United States, I have elected to sponsor the tomb of two fallen Rangers at Omaha Cemetery, Normandy, France- Elmo Banning 5th and Joe Trainor 2nd-who lie in the Normandy American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. This gesture was made possible through an association I belong to called "The Flowers of Remembrance." We now make regular visits to Elmo and Joe's graves and place flowers there every Memorial Day. Although purely symbolic, this action is my way of simply expressing my thanks to the Rangers and ensuring that my memories of Jay and Walter will live on.  

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Franck from Normandy. France

May 17, 2003

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Subject: Ranger Frederick Staples 3/A

My dad was with the 3rd Bn Rangers, company "A." He didn't talk much about it and passed away August 2002. His name was Frederick William Staples, Pvt 1st class. We purchased a stepping stone for him before he passed away. He was very proud of serving under Darby and named my brother after him, Terrance Darby Staples. After the 1st and 3rd Rangers were wiped out, my dad was transferred to the First Special Service Force. After he was with them for a while, they brought him back to the states to train the new recruits as fast as he could to send them overseas to fight. He trained at Paris, TX until the war was over in 1945. If you know of any Rangers or relatives who may remember him, please contact me.

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Randy M. Staples

rsnss@elko.net

May 15, 2003

Subject: Ranger Sgt Bernard Szewczuk

My uncle, Bernard Szewczuk, was in the 2nd Bn, company "D." He was KIA on D-day at the Pointe. His name is on the monument at Pointe du Hoc. From what I found in JoAnna M. McDonald's book, he is listed as Sgt Szowesuk. Slightly different spelling, but very close. Also, her book lists someone on the ship that entertained the men  by playing the banjo. According to my mom, he was a very good banjo player. He should have been on LCA 668 with Sgt Lomell and Sgt Kuhn. If any of the 2nd Bn Rangers remember him, please contact me.

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Walt Worona

WaltWorona@cs.com

March 20, 2003

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To all the Rangers,
Your sacrifice on the field of battle will never be forgotten in my family.  I was born ten years after your service to this great country, and I feel that each and every one of you sacrificed at least a little something for me and family.  My children, one in college, frequently stop to thank you in prayer, thought or deed and that can't possibly equate to the magnitude of your service.  I realize that on this night as our troops are massed against Iraq, that there is a special sense of honor, duty, and love of not only one's country but for the rest of the world that only America engenders.  You young men saved the world and should be rightfully proud of it.  God bless you all.
The David Buslinger Family,
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buslind@yahoo.com

March 7, 2003

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