More photos from Cioffi family  

Camp Ripley: a 53,000-acre regional training center near Little Falls, Minnesota, served as a crucial training ground for the Minnesota National Guard during World War II, and continues to be a primary training facility today.

Wonderful photos shared by Frank's grandson

 More from Frank's grandson .. Frank was a telegraph operator

 

Shawn grandson to Frank Cioffi writes ...

Thank you for your time and effort to help make sure these units are remembered for their valuable contributions. Also, thank you in advance for adding my grandfather to your blog. 

 Frank was very proud of his service and was deeply committed to his local American Legion the rest of his life. My grandfather attended ceremonial events and just about every commemorative wreath hanging event at veterans park in town year after year. In 1960-61 Frank Cioffi became the Commander of the American Legion. 

He loved the small town of Whitehall, New York that he lived, worked and served the community in for most of his life. 

Frank was also very proud of his Italian heritage and was the first generation born in the U.S. from his parents that came here through Ellis Island in 1912. He was a very friendly, kind person and could strike up a conversation with anybody.

His outgoing personality served him well throughout his life and also made him a successful bar and tavern owner the (Blue Goose) after his service.

I have enclosed a photo of him standing in front of the Blue Goose. (below)

 

 

 Contains great article on 753rd

 

 

Bill writes... 

Just found your wonderful web site on military railways. My dad William Alexander Sheaffer pvt was a member of Co D 746th R.O.B. 1944-45. 

Hopefully he shows up in your records as I’m working, belatedly, on a family history to pass on. I was nine years old when he shipped out on a troop ship in 1944. 

Bottom photo with the “sour puss” captions”these little fishies cost me 50 beans” and his stripes for fishing without permission.

Obit:  William A Sheaffer, Co D 746th Railway Operating Battalion, was born in Mt Union, Pa, in 1910. He became a brakeman on the Pennsylvania RR at Conway Yards, Pennsylvania in 1941. In 1944, at age 34, married with two children, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was trained as a railway operating specialist attaining the rank of T5. He shipped out to the European Theater of Operations later that year. After serving in Europe thru the Rhineland Campaign 1944-45, he mustered out after the war ended. He returned to work at the PRR and retired as a freight conductor in 1973. Upon retiring he and his wife relocated to Newbury Park, California. Enroute to California they attended a reunion of the 746th R.O.B. in Aurora, Illinois. He died in the V.A. Hospital in Los Angeles, in February 1982, while awaiting open heart surgery for a heart valve replacement. He was survived by his wife Gwendolyn M Sheaffer, sons William Alexander, Jr, Robert Charles and daughter Suzanne Ruth Sheaffer. A memorial service was held at the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks Lodge, in Thousand Oaks, Ca, where he had been the lodge chaplain.  

Thanks to Katie for reading "Liberation Line" and for sharing this info and photos about her grandfather,  Raymond M. Penhollow

Katie writes ...

Hello! My name is Katie Briggs and I live in the US in the state of Ohio. I finished reading your book "The Liberation Line," recently and I felt the urge to reach out to you. My grandfather, Raymond M. Penhollow was a Tech Sgt. in the 740th Railway Battalion Company A, serving in World War II. My grandfather was a second-generation railway man. My understanding is that he operated heavy equipment in the war. He was my favorite person as I grew up and yet, he was a bit of a mystery. 

 As many veterans of his generation felt, he left the war in Europe and didn't see the need to relive it. He wasn't a hero he felt, because he made it home. My Dad only knew bits and pieces of my grandfather's experience that my grandfather shared. My grandfather came home from the war in 1945 and proceeded to work on the Nickel Plate Railroad which is now Norfolk and Southern. My grandpa was a signalman's assistant and a volunteer fireman. It's easy to see why I loved him so much.

Reading your book was illuminating. The facts and statements you shared from John Livingstone's history of the 740th Railway Battalion were so interesting. I now know when my grandfather landed at Utah Beach and some of where he had served. I have sat and reread passages to my husband about the details shared specific to the 740th, and we both are in awe of what my twenty-year-old grandfather experienced. 

As I said, he came back home and worked the railroad. He married the girl from down the street, had three children, and had eight grandchildren, of which I am proudly one. He passed away in 2000. I plan on sharing your book with my cousins if they are interested. He was such a wonderful grandfather. 

I would really like to find out more about his unit. I want to ask if there are any suggestions you might have for researching this topic. I found your book because I was searching for railroad battalion information on Google. If you could provide some insight into my search, I would greatly appreciate it. Please find attached 2 pictures of my grandfather taken from the war. The motorbike was supposedly confiscated from a German soldier. 

Thank you for writing this book, it was fascinating. Please take care and again, thank you.