714th was building the Alaska Highway at this time ! 

David writes .. I would like to share a Christmas card and photo my Great Uncle Vernon Martin sent to his mother in 1944 when he served in the 714th Railway Operating Battalion. The photo is of my Great Uncle (left) boxing with his unit friend. It is hard for me to make out the name of the other guy, but I did include the writing on the back of the photo just in case you may be able to figure it out.

Uncle Vernon's friend was Orlo Guy Leininger and he was a U.S. Army Military Policeman in Alaska between 4 June 1942 and 6 November 1945. birth: 4 June 1917 in Rockford, Mercer, Ohio to Edwin Anton and Lola May Landfair Leininger death: 10 December 1996 in Portage, Porter, Indiana burial: Graceland Cemetery, Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana https://indgensoc.org/orlo-guy-leininger/

 William T. Coffey 

 

Leonard P. Mays

 

 Emmett John Hegarty 

 

 George E. Van Kleeck also served in 716th ROB

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

 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.

War time editions of N.Y. Central Railroad Headlight are a goldmine and this edition includes mentions of soldiers in the units: 

CH Aug 1945

• 718thth ROB MRS Company B
• 714^th ROB Alaska
• 718^th ROB Luxembourg
• 701^st RGD
• 743^rd ROB Stimson
• MRS India

 

From the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Alaska Post 12/2023

You can find lots more about the 714th here: https://bityl.co/Mzyq

Roland O Dillon Feb 1945 32857414 Co B 764th Railway Shop Battalion

Martin A Doss May 1944 36764802 Co. A. 764th Railway Shcp Battalion Preston W. Ford Apr 1944 38520322 Hq Co. 733rd Railway Operating Battalion Sherman C. Frank Sep 1944 35499189 Co. A 714th Railway Operating Battalion Sherman C. Frank Oct 1944 35499189 714th Railway Oprating Battalion John E. Frazier Aug 1945 35768924 735th Railway Operating Battalion Dolphus N. Gambill Sep 1944 35417629 Co. A 714th Railway Operating Battalion Thomas S Lukasiewicz Jul 1945 36712687 Co A 743rd Railway Operating Battalion Clarence R. Beavers Apr 1944 35894739 Hq Co. 733rd Railway Operating Battalion Kenneth Bello Mar 1944 32881027 Hq Co. 743rd Railway Operating Battalion Elmer G. Piker Mar 1945 38233465 Co A 732d Railway Operating Battalion Walter L. Poole Jul 1945 34888800 Co C 724 Railway Operating Battalion Wallace C Resoff Dec 1944 399516 Co A 714th Railway Operating Battalion Miguel A Alverez Aug 1943 39835580 Hq Co. 791st Railway Operating Battalion Lewis W. Cook May 1944 33157232 Co. C. 791st Railway Operating Battalion

https://www.alaskarails.org/historical/Freshour/

National Defense Transportation Journal , MAY-JUNE, 1951, Vol. 7, No. 3 (MAYJUNE, 1951), pp. 31-34

714th ROB memo pad sample

 

712th Learn more about soldier's art ... Art of the American Soldier by Center of Military History