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531st Engineer Shore Regiment & 3053rd Engineer Combat Batallion

Discussion in 'Information Requests' started by sandy1369, Sep 14, 2009.

  1. sandy1369

    sandy1369 Member

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    Hi all. I am working on inforamtion and medals for my grandfather. Does anyone know of the citations these units recieved? I have his dd-214 and have some of them.. I was looking for any that were warded after WWII was over.

    Pa's name is Harold W. Harris if anyone knows him or parents/grandparents remember him. I am very lucky, he is still with us and doing pretty good. He has a gret realtionship with my kids, his great grandkids.. He's an awesome man!!!

    Thank you in advance!!!
     
  2. alieneyes

    alieneyes Member

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  3. sandy1369

    sandy1369 Member

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    Thank you.. all info is so much help!!

    Pa ended up in the 531st in Oran Africa. He was at the repo depo (sp) and that is where he started in the war. He was shipped from there to Sicily for Husky. Then he went to Salerno.. I don't think he was at Camp Edwards.. I have to ask him about that.. I know he was at Camp Robinson and Fort Sheridan and his Sepration was form Camp Grant Nov. 21 1945. He came home with the 295th ECB. He was building camps for the GI for 6 months after the war was over.

    For the past week I have read so much.
     
  4. sandy1369

    sandy1369 Member

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    Presidential Unit Citiation was awarded to these men.. found that out today.. Was not on Pa's dd-214 but when we requested his medals they found it.. I think i have gotten all Pa's medals now to buy the shadow box...
     
  5. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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  6. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    Congratulations on finding all that information. The fun part comes when putting the box together. It's quite an emotional thing to do. Make sure to post a picture when it's finished.
     
  7. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Close enough. Slang term back then was repple depple, which was a replacement depot.
     
  8. sandy1369

    sandy1369 Member

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    LRusso216.. that info was just want we needed to showe info to an audiologist.. Many THANKS!!!!!

    I'm hoping to be able to help others like I have been helped with the info i am getting.

    Oh yeah the box will be fun. The Veteran Services Officer is going to help me put it together.. And you guys will have pics.. I'm hoping to have pics from when he receives it too.. If I'm not too shaky.. I will be so nervious yet touched.. I placed my order threw Medals of America.. $332.00 worth but all worth it.. I also bought the Service Officer something for all his help..

    Big HUGZ to you all!! I feel like I'm on cloud nine.. :D
     
  9. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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  10. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    Jeff, I suspected as much. Good on him for doing this kind of stuff. Is it possible to give him rep without doing it on a post?
     
  11. sandy1369

    sandy1369 Member

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    Hats off to him.. I will find him and Salute him for his info... Thanks
     
  12. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    No.

    He certainly deserves it, he spends a lot of time transcribing docs from the era.
     
  13. sandy1369

    sandy1369 Member

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    The men from this unit have been giving the distinguished service medal.. the men that went to exrecise tiger and d-day are.. now i gotta call the department of defense and get that on Pa's list.. there are about 10 guys that was known to be alive and they went to the ceremony and got the medal.. so it should not be hard to get pa's... the more i dig the more i find.. come to find out it is a foundation citation not actual amry issue.. but it still counts.. exercise tiger foundation if anyone want to read about it...
     
  14. mkermiser

    mkermiser recruit

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    Hello, My Father also served with the 531st in French North Africa, Sicily and Italy before being sent home. He passed away in 1981 when I was young and I never got to talk to him about it much. most of what I know was from the few letters and a timeline that he had carried with him from enlistment to discharge. He had his basic at Ft Robinson then he was at camp Edwards Mass before shiping out on the Thomas H. Barry to Ireland and Scottland, one of his letters mentioned being dive bombed in Algiers, but mostly talked about the tangerines, grapes dates sardines and of course the wine, I guess he wanted to remember the good. He did mention seing a buddy shot while on a Dozer, and leaving all his belongings on the beach in Italy. the only medals I have are his ribbons. I also have a letter from a Cpl. Ralph Creek that was sent from France that talked about UTAH Landing. my fathers name was PFC John Miser , maybe your Grandfather knew him.
    Mike Miser
     
  15. sandy1369

    sandy1369 Member

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    So sorry to have been gone for so long..my gram is very ill and i have been so busy.. Pa has talked about algiers and the dive bombs.. he said it was bad.. and the wine too.. i asked pa if he remember him and he said that the name sounds very like someone he knew but pa is 86 now.. Utah is the beach that pa was on.. he haunts him still today..pa was on the beach in Italy too..
     
  16. UNCLEBRIAN

    UNCLEBRIAN recruit

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    My wife's grandfather was in the 531st from start to a few weeks after D-Day. I have his memoirs. Would love to compare notes.
    He passed in a car accident in 1993.
     
  17. hamnitup

    hamnitup recruit

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    My father was also in the 531st his name was Henry Cavanaugh. I know he went through the Normandy invasion also. I wonder if your grandpa knew him? He passed away in 1993 July at 78 Years old.
     
  18. randall52

    randall52 New Member

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    I have in my possession a document dated 29 May 1945,that says in short the following off. and em are awarded the Bronze Service Arrowhead for having participated in the assault which secured the initial Normandy Beacheads,having then been members of the 531st Engineer Shore Regiment,1st Engineer Special Brigade.My father Cpl. Charlie Meade is on this list and was at No. Africa,Sicily,Italy and Normandy and won the Silver Star near Gela,Sicily on `10 July 1943 while in charge of a 30 cal. machine gun crew.I do not find the names of Mr. Henry Cavanaugh,John Miser or Harold W. Harris,but there is a Sgt. Ralph E. Creek,ser. no 37121423.I just wonder if your relatives might have known my dad. Charlie passed away in 2011 at 94 yrs. of age.I have his Silver Star and the canteen he carried all through the war.This doc. has around 300 names of off. and em,so if you have a relative you'd like me to look for, I'd be happy to do it.All replies are welcome.
     
  19. GMarino531

    GMarino531 New Member

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    My father PFC Joseph Marino was in the 531st Engineer Shore Regiment, Company C. He told me he had done his training in Ft. Belviour, VA. and he joined the 531st in England I think near Plymouth. The 531st ESR, had returned to England were they had been at Anzio, Italy. He then soon began training for the Normandy attack. My father was at Utah beach in Normandy. And he tells me he was with the 531st ESR, in St Mere Eglise, St Lo, Carantan, Cherebourg, in France. Maastricht and Auchen in Holland, Belgium, and Germany. I recall he told me he had friends Pagano and Jannette. I'd be interested in finding out in addition about my dad's time in the army with the 531st ESR.
    There is a book about the 531st ESR entitled: Storming Ashore, by Kenneth H. Garn.
    I read the book, and Ken Garn was in the 531st ESR. It's very informative and written as a soldiers account while in the 531st ESR. I highly recommend the book for good reading. Regards.
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2017
  20. Donlower

    Donlower recruit

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    My father was Corporal Joseph G Lower, and also in the 531st. Can you tell me if his name is on your list? Thanks!
     

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