I was over there. - part 1
Dairy of a WWII G.I. from the Decorated 7th Armored Division, 38th Armored Infantry Battalion.
Meeting my ancestor through his lost diary
My family has had to move around a lot.
By a lot, I mean my Wife and I have lived in about eight different places in the past seven years (probably more). With me going to school and working a multitude of jobs, my Mother going through a fresh divorce and my Sister recovering from being really sick, we’ve all had to adapt to mobility.
With our constant relocation, our large collection of family memorabilia has been scattered to a multitude of places. Only until recently, I felt confident enough with my new job and living situation that I could start recovering at least a large portion of that collection. I was able to recover dozens of boxes full of photos, files and scrapbooks from a family friend’s house.
One night my Wife and I decided to make a night out of going through all the old memorabilia. We found my Mom’s scrapbook from the 60's, embarrassing pictures of me as a kid (always — Always — being naked and proud of it.) And, of course, awesome 70's photos of the male side of the family, with shorts so short and air-tight they could qualify as sexy scuba gear.
While rummaging through everything, my Wife noticed a file that was a bit out of place with the name William T. Lovelady. (Lovelady being the last name on my Mother’s side). Once she showed it to me, I was a little in shock.
I have never heard of this person.
Let alone, I was never made aware of his adventurous involvement in World War II.
The next few nights I made it a point to read through his entire diary from cover to cover. Not only did he see several front lines, and witness the aftermath of The Battle of the Bulge, but he was part of one of the most successful and elite armored divisions to capture many Cities and German soldiers.
From a 1946 news clipping about his outfit:
In an opinion about division that had operated against the German Corps, the G-2 said that the Seventh Armored was one of the five best units — perhaps the best — that it had faced.
After reading his amazing and personal diary, I felt compelled to share his story with the world. My ancestor wrote as he thought, so I took the liberty to break his thoughts into places his division captured and moments in basic training. Everything written are his thoughts. Over the course of the next few months I’ll be recording his diary to Medium in parts.
We regularly take for granted our first-world jobs and living conditions, and often forget the many people who had to die to protect those rights. I have a lot of family and friends in the military serving over seas this very moment. This isn’t just for them, but for all those who protect our rights and sacrifice time with their family, and sometimes their blood, to protect the comfy living we too often take advantage of.
News of the 7th Armored
Division PW Total Over 50,000 — 1945 Newspaper clipping
The Seventh Armored Division has passed the 50,000 mark in the number of German prisoners captured, and is pushing on toward an even more impressive total. More than 42,000 of the enemy have been captured in the past three weeks.
The division total as of midnight April 14 was 51,987. Included in the bag on April 13 was a German Lieutenant General Commander of a German Corps, and his entire staff. Part of the staff had been captured the night before, and had expected to find their colleagues already in the PW cage. The following morning, the General and the rest of his staff sent word to Lt. Harold Bianche, Troop “D” 87th Recon, that they wished to surrender. The entire group was escorted to Division Headquarters, riding in its own staff cars.
Included in the group were the Chief of Staff, Artillery Commander, G-2 Provost Marshal, and aides.
The Seventh Armored Division was no stranger to the German staff. The G-2 and his assistant said they knew they were being opposed by the Seventh because they had captured a lone prisoner from the 23rd infantry. Divisional identification had been made from the shoulder patch, they said, and battalion identification from a slip of paper on the soldier’s person. They said he had not answered any questions except to tell his name, rank and serial number.
The G-2 and his assistant acknowledged that they had been confused by the quick movement of the Seventh from the north of Aachen to St. Vith area at the time of the German Offensive in the Ardennes.
In an opinion about division that had operated against the German Corps, the G-2 said that the Seventh Armored was one of the five best units — perhaps the best — that it had faced.
Many surrendered in formations, some were taken in civilian clothing as they attempted to pass through the lines, intent on going home. A few claimed that they had just been discharged and were no longer members of the German Army.
“All the next day they were firing shells over the hill to where C Company had been. As the shells passed over the trees, they would shake the snow down on us. We had to stay up there three more days and when the enemy found out that we had captured their men, they attacked us to retake their position.” ~ William T. Lovelady — Taking Dot Hill
The Draft
Back in 1939, under dictator Adolph Hitler, Germany proceeded to declare war on neighboring countries, and it looked like war would involve our United States. So, our government set up plans to be prepared in case it did happen.
Back in 1940, every male 18 and up to about 40 years old had to register at a local draft board. All the names were put in a very large fish bowl in Washington D.C. As the names were pulled out one by one, that name was given a draft number. According to the number you had, when the time came, that number to that name was drafted. That is, you were called to active duty in the military, only if you were eligible.
Those in bad health, as well as conscientious objectors to fighting and killing men in combat, could get out of a combat group, even though you may have to take basic training and serve in some other capacity in the service.
So, I registered on the 16th day of October 1941 and I was number 265 at my local draft board. I was 22 years old at the time, and married. I worked in a cast iron foundry, I was not called right away.
I was given deferments for the next three years and received a new number, 4909 and classified 1C, to make flag steam fittings for war supplies, for the US Maritime Commission. Even though I did try to enlist in The Coast Guard and The Army three times, I was turned down because I was considered more valuable at home. In other words, I was frozen to my job and couldn’t quit even if I wanted to. I felt guilty walking down town — people would turn around and stare at me. They seemed to say “Why aren’t you in the service fighting like the rest of the young men?”
Germany being at war in Europe, teamed up with Italy and Japan. On Dec. 7 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. This was supposed to keep us out of the European war, but it did not work.
The foundry that I had worked for eight years went into bankruptcy because of lack of money. So two foundries later, (that is another story) I received a letter from my draft board to report down town LA for my physical examination to see if I was physically fit to serve for our country. About five hundred other men were taking the examination also. Can you see that many naked men running from Doctor to Doctor taking many different tests?
After most of the day, I got through and had to take my medical papers to an Army Captain. When he got through looking them over, he looked up at me and smiled and said, “Ok! You have been accepted;” at the same time he stamped my medical papers OK.
I had about two months to get my personal business in order. He told me to go out in the hall and get in one of the two lines. One was for the Army and the other was the Navy line. Well, the Navy line was long, it extended down the hall, two stair ways and out into the street. So I took the Army line, nobody was in it.
Ten days later I received a letter from the President, telling me to report to Fort McArthur for active duty. On June 17th, 1944, my Wife drove me to the street car station in Lynwood at 8:05 am. We headed for LA where we changed to the Red line street car, then we headed for San Pedro and Fort McArthur. We arrived there at 10:30 am.
Fort McArthur
The first thing they did was give us a GI haircut. Then came our clothes, we were finger printed. We had to fill out many forms of papers, and fall in formation, to take the oath and say I do. We received our serial numbers, #39590225 was given to me. We were given many shots in the arm and a four aptitude test to see just what we were best suited for in the service. On Saturday the 20th Century Fox came to fill in a part of a war film they were making called “Wing Victory.” We had to keep marching up and down the streets till they got the right shots that they wanted.
On the 24th, we got a weekend pass to go home to see our families for the last time for 17 weeks. On Sunday we went to Church. That night I told my folks goodbye and Bill Salsman drove me back to Fort McArthur.
On June 26th, 1944, we got our orders to pull out for Fort McCellan, Alabama. I called Nina and she came to the train depot to see me off. We had two short hours together and then I was off to the most adventure experience I guess that I ever will have.
We pulled out of the station at 17:45 and crossed California that night. We hit Yuma, Ariz. at 4:30 am. On 6/26/44, we crossed Arizona and, let me tell you, it was hot riding in that coal burning train!! Coal cinders came in through the windows and got in our eyes and hair.
We stopped in Phoenix for a few minutes. I wanted to call my brother Gent, who lived there, but I didn’t have enough time. Then during the night we crossed over into New Mexico, and woke up in Texas, slept in Texas, woke in Texas, slept in Texas. Wow that was a big state. Then we crossed over to Louisiana. Then the next evening we crossed over the big Mississippi river. and into New Orleans.
We were delated there for two hours. Our Captain herded all two hundred of us to a big restaurant for dinner that night on Uncle Sam.
On June the 30th, we pulled into Anniston, Alabama 12:00 noon. And at 13:20 we arrived at our destination, Fort McCellan where we would start our basic training — Our new home for the next 17 weeks.
To be continued…
You can follow Casey on twitter @caseyhald. He enjoys riding his 78' xs750 motorcycle, surfing, and drawing puppies. You can view some of his art on dribbble if you want. He works with a bunch of Lucha donqs at Nasdaq OMX (we’re hiring) and loves a good pale ale. Casey occasionally speaks about himself in the third person.
