Mr. Russell G. Decker Obituary  Parma, Ohio 

Russell G. Decker, age 88 of Parma, 

WWII Army Veteran, beloved husband and soul mate 54 years of the late Ruth E. (nee Askew); loving father of James (Sandy) and Janet Feckler (Thomas); dear grandfather of James, Moneka, Richard (Deanne), Jason, Jennifer, and Heather; great-grandfather of Austin, Haven, Donnie and Olivia; father-in-law of Richard Urich; uncle and friend of many. Russell was a man with a big heart who never knew a stranger. A family man who truly enjoyed being with his family. In a crowd, he was the life of the party. At home, work and church,he always had a great sense of humor. Russell was an active, longtime, and faithful member of St. James Lutheran Church where he served on various committees and as an Elder and youth group counselor. 

He was very proud of his country, serving in the Army during World War II in the European Theatre of Operations with Company C, 752 Railway Operating Battalion. His battalion hauled freight, ammunition, gasoline, tanks, guns, engineer construction equipment, troop hospital cars, and food. Russell was decorated with two bronze stars and was a locomotive engineer operating Army locomotives from Le Harve, France to various locations in Germany. Russell's battalion #752 got together for a reunion every year for 50 years and he never missed one. He was also very active in the local chapter of the Cleveland Lutheran VFW. Russell was a chemical operator 30 years for the B.F. Goodrich Chemical Company in Avon. 

He passed away on Sunday, August 15, 2010. Memorial contributions may be forwarded to St. James Lutheran Church, 4771 Broadview Rd., Cleveland, OH 44109. Funeral Service at St. James Lutheran Church, 4771 Broadview Rd., Cleveland on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at 10 a.m. Interment at Sunset Memorial Park, North Olmsted. Friends may call at the BUSCH FUNERAL HOME, 7501 RIDGE RD., PARMA FROM 2-4 AND 6-8 P.M. ON TUESDAY. 440-842-7800

Alvarez, Miguel A.

Cook, Lewis W. Co.C

 

Dillon,Ronald O.  Co. B

Doss, Martin A.  Co. B

 

Bello, Kenneth Hq. Co.

Lukaziewicz, Thomas S. Hq. Co.

 

 

 Frazier, John E.

 

Beavers, Clarence R. Hq. Co.

Ford, Preston W. Hq. Co.

 

 Piker, Elmer G. Co. A

Poole, Walter L. Co. C

Frank, Sherman C. Co. A Gambill, Dolphis N. Co. A Resoff, Wallace Co. A

 

 

 

 

 

Link

I've always been interested in a collection of document on the 743rd ROB in the National Archives. This my dad's WWII unit and I finally spent the money to get the collection copied by the National Archives and I will post the documents below. 

I have been able to get together a master list of all names mentioned in this investigation, trial and court martial. Getting this file was quite expensive and if would like to donate - please do. (donation link to the right) 

Part 2 List

Surname    First Name    Rank
Ashworth    Edward R.    
Barron    Leo R.    T/4
Beach    T. R.    Lt Col
Beatty    Edward L.    Jr.
Belin    Louis A.    IV
Bennett    Carl I.    T/4
Benson    Herman T.    
Berger    Isaiah S.    
Borders    Ira L.    
Boyd    Frank O.    Jr.
Braternita    Charles A.    Major
Brown    Leonard W.    
Burke    Ralph E.    
Burnett    Harry B.    Jr.
Cagle    B. M.    
Carter    Glenn R.    
Cham        Sgt
Christianson    Kenneth C.    
Coffinberger    Walter S.    Pvt
Connolly    Michael F.    
Cook    Frank G.    Lt Col
Coyne    Richard F.    Pvt
Crank    Alfred    
Crouch    Elijah F.    
Daugherty    Joseph L.    
Davidson        T/4
Davis        
DeWeese    William H.    Pvt
Diebold    Charles L.    
Dixon    William B.    1st/Sgt
Edwards    G.    
Felling        Sgt
Ferguson    Russel S.    
Flake        S/Sgt
Flynn    Donald J.    Pfc
Flynn    Donald J.    Pvt
Foley    George W.    Lt
Foster        S/Sgt
Foust    Johnnie P.    Pvt
Fuller        T/5
Garrett    Daniel A.    
Girouard    Anthony    
Glass        S/Sgt
Gluckmann    Morton    
Godkoska        T/Sgt
Gutkoska        T/Sgt
Harding    Arthur T.    
Harris    Alva E.    
Hathaway    Nelson C.    Pvt
Hester    Charles V.    
Hutchinson        Sgt
Jackson    Raymond W.    T/5
Jean    Wilfred A.    
Johnson    Leon S.    
Kline    Thomas J.    Jr.
Langston    James L.    
Lefever        Major
Lukasiewicz    Thomas S.    
Lutjen    Marvin L.    
Mallibert    Jean J.    
Marsalis    Edwin L.    1st Lt
McCarthy    James    Jr.
McKenna        Sgt
Meske        Capt
Moore    Philip T.    Pvt
Mueller    Francis    Capt
Murphy    Thomas P.    
Pack    Hollis O.    T/5
Parker    Stanley X.    
Pennington    Floyd    
Pommer    Leonhardt C.    Jr.
Power    Robert D.    Lt
Poyner        Pfc
Regan    Philip J.    
Regina    Joseph J.    Pvt
Remington        Sgt
Rieman        Lt
Robenolt    Edward    Jr.
Robertson        Lt
Rust    Herman A.    Major
Santella    Edward P.    
Scribner        T/4
Shelton    John W.    Capt
Simmons        Lt
Sisson    Jack T.    Capt
Smithson        T/4
Spencer    Billy G.    
Stephenson    Robert G.    
Stockman    L. H.    Major
Strommen    Leslie H.    Capt
Swope    John G.    
Tende    George H.    
Thomas    Robert M.    
Tomlinson    John J.    
Turpin    William E.    
Wagner    Jay F.    
Williams    Lemmie X.    
Young    Kermit W.    
Zoldan    Jacob   

 

Part 1 list 

Armstrong    Dean R.    T/5
Beman    Edwin L.    Lt
Black        Sgt.
Brake    Capt Fred A.    Chaplain
Breternitz    Colonel Charles I.    Lt
Buchner    Perry C.    Lt Colonel
Burns    Charlie    
Coffinberger    Walter S.    Pvt
Cook    Frank G.    
Coyne        Pvt.
Coyne    Richard P.     Pvt
Dart        Sgt.
Davidson        Sgt.
Deffeas    William B.    Pvt
DeWeese        Sgt.
Donovan    Leo I.    Capt
Epps    James L.    1st Sgt
Felling        Sgt
Flynn    Donald J.    Pvt
Foley        Capt.
Foust    Johnnie P.    Pvt
Hathaway    Nelson C.    Pvt
Henry        Sgt.
Hutchinson    James N.    T/Sgt
Jackson    Raymond W.    Pvt
Jackson        Pvt.
Jelling    William C.    Tec 4
Leonard    Bob    
Luce        Maj.
McCoy        Sgt.
Moore    Philip B.    Pvt
Mueller    Francis A.    Capt
Polk    George M.    Lt
Power    Robert D.    Lt
Rieman        Lt.
Rust    Norman A.    Major
Schaeffer    Otto B.    T/Sgt
Shelton    John W.    Capt
Sisson    Jack T.    Capt
Smithson        T/4Stockman    L. H.    Major
Stone    John G.    Col
Strain    Leslie H.    Capt
Watts    Raymond L.    Pfc

Part one 

 

713th Railway Operating Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia 

At the outbreak of World War II the Army needed experts who could handle certain missions without extensive additional training. Most of the early Army railroad units were therefore composed of men who worked for specific Railroad companies. The 713th Railway Operating Battalion was formed on March 12, 1942, and consisted entirely of men who worked for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. Their job was to clear, repair, and build military railways as well as operate the trains. 

The 713th, known as the “Santa Fe Battalion”, formed at Camp Clovis, New Mexico, and after initial military training was sent to Camp Dix, New Jersey, on January 21, 1943. The unit was first sent to North Africa where in seven months they transported 500,000 tons of cargo in 47,255 rail cars. The 713th went from North Africa to Italy and then on to Southern France. They ended the war in 1945 serving in Western Germany.

 

 

The Merci Train was a train of 49 French railroad box cars filled with tens of thousands of gifts of gratitude from at least that many individual French citizens. They were showing their appreciation for the more than 700 American box cars of relief goods sent to them by (primarily) individual Americans in 1948. The Merci Train arrived in New York harbor on February 2nd, 1949 and each of the 48 American states at that time received one of the gift laden box cars. The 49th box car was shared by Washington D.C. and the Territory of Hawaii. Parades and ceremonies of welcome were conducted in the state capitols and major cities of almost all the states. The largest and most attended was in New York City where more than 200,000 people turned out to welcome that state's assigned box car. Lots more here : http://www.mercitrain.org/

Special photo caption sent to Luke Harnish 5/28/24 Document saved as: Luke Harnish email Special photo May 28, 2024 

 Two Whitcomb 65-Diessel-Electric 19A locomotives built by the Whitcomb Locomotive Company in Rochelle, Illinois operated by the 732nd Railway Operating Battalion are pulling a train over the Saar River at Konz-Karthaus, Germany, 5 miles south of Trier, Germany’s oldest city. From the fresh look of a just completed construction project, with lumber scattered around and two men seen actively engaged in work, it appears that perhaps this photo was taken to celebrate the crossing of the first train across this just completed bridge. The original photo caption only gave the date as March 1945. Other photographs within the collection from which this one was acquired are dated March 17, 1945. A question on the March 17 date may be in conflict with the content of a newspaper article that appeared in the June 18, 1945, issue of The Gettysburg Times newspaper from Gettysburg Pennsylvania. That article highlighted the actions of Sgt. John H. Keller, a wartime resident of McKnightstown, Adams County Pennsylvania. Sgt. Keller served with the 347th Engineer General Service Regiment. 

In the article, Sgt. Keller stated that from March 14 to 25, 1945 he was in charge of a group of 40 enlisted men who set spans of steel and rail in constructing a railroad bridge across the Saar River. It appears that March 25 may possibly be the completion of the new bridge. If such is the case then a train crossing on March 17 may not have been possible. An alternative possibility is that the bridge was ready for train traffic on March 17, and the 347th Engineer’s remained on site attending to finishing-up their full project on March 25. Clarification on the questions on these dates may be found in the pages of a WWII memoir written by Arthur T. Harnish a welder in the 347th Engineer General Service Regiment. With the cooperation of the Harnish family a copy of Arthur’s memoir, My life during WWII: Headquarter & Service Company, 347th Engineers, General Service Regiment, Army of the United States could be in the hands of Duayne Forsberg to prepare a more accurate history. 

Two men can be seen at the first bridge pier, could one of them be Arthur Harnish, there is really no way to tell, but it’s a great thought to have. Orientation: This train is heading west, approaching the community of Konzerbruck on the west bank of the Saar River. The town of Konz, Germany on the east side of the Saar River, is visible in the upper left background. The row of buildings were severely damaged during the war and no longer exist. To the right is the wreckage of original bridge on the upstream side of the new bridge. Debris of the old bridge eventually was removed to prevent damage to the replacement bridge during periods of high water.

 

 

 

 

 713th Rail Battalion Holds Annual Reunion

The annual reunion of the 713th Railway Operating Battalion is being held in the Commodore Perry Hotel today. About 100 are expected to attend the reunion which will be highlighted with a dinner and dance tomorrow night.

 

 The 714th's 1944 Baseball Team 

1944 Baseball Team-Standing: Phil LaVelle, Ralph Fogel, Tom Prather, Walt Griffin, Joe Leili, Charlie Bedwell, Newman Bolstad. Sitting: (Middle) Bill Pitman, Bob Thompson, Dana Ellis, Bill Williamson, Irvin Ferguson, Toe King, Hershell Gilliland. Sitting: John (chief) Corrilla, Herbert Sparks, Leuie Workman, Bob King, Jack (Wilbur) Marlowe. 

We feel that this team and this picture minus brass or civilians is worthy of our highest praise. We had a wealth of baseball talent in our team and they proved our confidencein them, being ably managed by First Sergeant Bolstad, and coached by Phil La Yelle. Our pitchers, Pitman, Fogel, Chief Corrilla, Williamson; catchers, Leili and Marlowe;the infield, Ellis, first base; Gillaland, second base; Thompson, shortstop, Bob King, third base; and the outfield, Prather, Griffin, Bedwell, Ferguson, Joe King, Sparks; scorekeeper, Workman. 

Highlights-Defeating the crack Air Corps and Air Depot teams. Frustrations-Our de￾feat at Fairbanks by a crack team picked from their various teams, 2 to 1 and 1 to 0; and the jinx over us held by the 177th Engineers. Our Alibis-None. 

Facts-We used our regular lineup at Fairbanks and the breaks did go "Agin Us." Our Travel-Up and back by air, fine thing for a railroad team, but we had to see how the other half lived. At Anchorage￾Pop Klaemer (777th Engineers pitcher and an old timer.)

 

The Military Railway Situation Twenty-five Years Later It is perhaps understandable that a government which has allowed the civilian railways-lifeblood of its commerce and vehicle of its own defense-to deteriorate to the extent of the American railway system would allow the bitterly learned lessons of military history to be forgotten as well. By the peak of another conflict-the Vietnam, or Indochina, war-nearly a quarter-century after World War II, the U.S. Army carried out its Railway Battalion as a role. Indeed, that unit, the 714th, stationed at Fort Eustis, Virginia, had been allowed to fall way under strength and was referred to as a Transportation Battalion. 

There was talk of deactivation of the 714th, even as the last four of its steam locomotives were phased out of service. Although there are a few railway units in inactive reserve status and although there are veterans of the World War II Military Railway Service available to form a cadre should the need for a new MRS arise, the railway defenses of the United States have been reduced to a dangerous extent. This is due in part to the tactics of Vietnam-a minor campaign by World War II standards-which is essentially a guerilla-war situation where the few rail lines were made inoperative early in the conflict and where, because of the minor distances involved, supply of troops in the field can be handled by other means of transport. Should a major war break out, the Vietnam logistics would not be adequate for one week. Better lessons in railway movements remain unlearned if overall strategic planning has allowed the importance of railways in.

The entire purpose of my websites and blogs for the past 25 years has been to collect and share the amazing work of the U.S. Army rail units of WWII and Korea. 

Both my father and uncle were officers and served in rail units in both wars. I've felt this unique service was being lost and forgotten. Luckily, so did the British author, Christian Wolmar. He contacted me about 2 years ago with his idea for this book and  I've worked with him as his research assistant on this project.  I am beyond thrilled to present:

The Liberation Line: The Untold Story of How American Engineering and Ingenuity Won World War II (U.S. Title)

The epic story of the railwaymen who ensured Allied victory in World War Two, published to coincide with the eightieth anniversary of D-Day.

As the Allied forces advanced through France following the Normandy landings, just behind the frontline the US Military Rail Service and their counterparts in the Royal Engineers were at work, ensuring that crucial supply lines were up and running – without them the liberation of France and the invasion of Germany would founder. 

Based on original research, The Liberation Line thrillingly reveals how the railwaymen overcame enemy attacks, sabotage and booby traps to repair many hundreds of miles of destroyed railway tracks and dozens of bridges and tunnels in order to deliver victory. Packed with tales of individual heroism, this is one of the last great untold stories of the war. 

The book will be published in May 2024 in conjunction with the 80th anniversary of D-Day. You can
per-order Amazon here: https://amz.run/76Q4 

 Christian will be doing a US tour with the book if you'd like him to speak to your organization email me. If you are interested in an autographed book or to have Christian speak to your group email me at militaryrailwayservice@gmail.com    Thanks, Nancy  (UK cover top left - US bottom right)

If you have any information on a soldier railroader I would love to hear from you! If your father, grandfather or other relative served let me know something about them. I would love to do a blog post about them. Nancy  email: militaryrailwayservice@gmail.com

You can order a signed copy from me here  

Christian Womar April 4th, 2024 promotional video!  

Wolmar's appearance on WW2TV  excellent YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@WW2TV)

 

Wall Street Journal ‘Liberation Line’ Review: Engines of Victory Opinion by James S. Hirsch Link

 

Calling all stations podcast: Transport choices in the UK General Election and 1944 Normandy rail heroes starts 21:00 click here