Memorial May - Battle of the Bulge

My first cousin 2x removed

Birth Date: 28 Jun 1913
Death Date: 10 Jan 1945

TEC5 Hurst Lewallen was Killed In Action, During WW II, While Fighting In Europe. He fell on the field of Battle while Fighting for Freedom. WITH THE 329TH INFANTRY REGIMENT
83RD INFANTRY DIVISION. HE WAS KILLED ON 01-10-1945 NEAR PETITE LANGELIER, BELGIUM. BATTLE OF THE BULGE

His enlistment records show he signed up on May 21, 1941, at the age of 27. He was a Semiskilled miner, single with no dependents. Height: 68 - Weight: 173. He enlisted.

By the autumn of 1944, the Nazis were facing intense pressure from both the east (the Soviets) and the West (primarily the Americans and British). It was clear they could not fight off both foes simultaneously, so Hitler played his last card: He pulled troops off the eastern front in a desperate last attempt to get some relief in the west. His goal was to hit the Western Allies with a huge unexpected counterattack that would push them off the European continent, free up all his forces to fight the Soviets in the east, and hopefully reach a negotiated peace with Britain and the United States.

Though the attempt ultimately failed, it caught the Western Allies by surprise, because prevailing wisdom at the time was that Hitler was incapable of launching a counterattack. The Nazis were running low on gasoline and the counteroffensive depended upon capturing it from the Allies, but the Allies burned much of its stockpile rather than let it fall into Nazi hands.

Ultimately the Battle of the Bulge probably shortened the war because the forces sent to the West were mostly wiped out, which left Hitler even less able to deal with the Soviet juggernaut to the East.

.General George Patton reviewed the 329th and concluded: "That’s the finest body of soldiers I have ever seen in the field." The 329th Infantry Regiment was the closest US unit to Berlin at the end of World War II, being ordered to stop some 30 miles short of the city.





Subscribe to Rooted by Blood, DNA and a lot of BS by Email

Memorial Month of May - From Dachau to Mauthausen

Searching for Peter Yosef Hasenstab - He was born April 18, 1897, in Gailbach - a district of the Kreisfreien Stadt Aschaffenburg.  The only way I can find that he once lived, are from the scant records when he was a prisoner of war and entered Dachau Concentration Camp on Sept 16, 1937. I am unable to date, to find his parents.

I am positive he was not Jewish. Most of my Hasenstabs were Catholic. I do know he served in WW1 in Germany in the Artillery.  Perhaps, he bravely resisted Nazism.

Dachau had the dubious distinction of being the first camp established (March 1933) after the Nazis came to power. Over its history, about 200,000 prisoners from thirty countries (the largest number from Poland) were registered in the main camp or its many sub-camps. It is estimated that 35,000 prisoners died in Dachau, tens of thousands were released at various times between 1933 and 1945, and thousands of others were liberated by American troops in April 1945. Even larger numbers of prisoners were transferred from Dachau elsewhere and this collection does not establish their ultimate fate. While tens of thousands of the prisoners were Jews, the overwhelming majority were imprisoned for other reasons.

Persons were imprisoned for a wide variety of reasons. The most common designation is Sch. (Schutzhäftling or protective prisoner) which was a catch-all designation with no real meaning. Bifo is an abbreviation for Bibel Forscher, or Jehovah’s Witness, while a P. Pf. (Polish Pfarrer) is a Polish minister or priest. “Z” designated a Zigeuner (gypsy) while a ZA was a Zwangs Arbeiter or forced laborer. And, of course, J stands for Jude or Jew.

On Sept 27, 1939, he was transferred to Mauthausen. The Mauthausen-Gusen camp was one of the first massive concentration camp complexes in Nazi Germany, and the last to be liberated by the Allies. The two main camps, Mauthausen and Gusen I, were labeled as "Grade III" (Stufe III) camps, which meant that they were intended to be the toughest camps for the "Incorrigible political enemies of the Reich"

Sept 27, 1939, is the last date I can find on Peter Josef Hasenstab.













Subscribe to Rooted by Blood, DNA and a lot of BS by Email

Memorial Monday in May - Iwo Jima February 14, 1945

Robert Keith Pieplow was born in 1926 on a farm in Kansas. His father owned a rather large farm. He grew up helping on the farm and from the picture, he enjoyed playing baseball.

He joined the Navy on June 19, 1944, at the age of 18. His birthdate June 29. Earlier in the month, the Normandy Invasion took place, and by the end of August 1944, the Allies had reached the Seine River, Paris was liberated and the Germans had been removed from northwestern France. All eyes were on Europe.


Battle of Saipan 15 June 1944
Battle of the Philippine Sea 19–21 June 1944
Battle of Guam 21 July 1944
Battle of Tinian 24 July 1944
Battle of Peleliu 15 September 1944
Battle of Angaur 17 September 1944
Battle of Leyte 20 October 1944
Battle of Leyte Gulf 23 October 1944
Battle of Iwo Jima 19 February 1945
Battle of Okinawa 1 April 1945


The Landing craft he was later assigned to was the USS LCI(L)-466  (1943 - 1944) The month after he joined the Navy, the USS LCI-466 had completed the Marianas operation with the capture and occupation of Guam, 21 July to 15 August 1944. Young Robert, probably arrived at the ship, a month or two after.

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION to the LCI(G) GROUP EIGHT INCLUDING THE FLAGSHIP OF LCI FLOTILLA THREE for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

"For extraordinary heroism during action in support of beach reconnaissance by Underwater Demolition Teams at enemy Japanese-held Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, on February 17, 1945. Opening heavy strafing fire as they moved in from two thousand yards off shore, the lightly armored ships of LCI(G) Group EIGHT advanced steadily under sporadic fire of the enemy until they reached the one thousand yard line to blast the heavy coastal defenses with barrage rockets. Almost immediately the shattering counterfire from well concealed and strongly fortified Japanese positions began to exact a terrific toll. One by one their guns were silenced; fires started and spread in ready ammunition; under the sustained deadly blast of hostile fire, their engine rooms flooded and those of the gallant ships still operable towed their powerless companionships clear of the overpowering fire of the enemy. Suffering desperate casualties, the units of this valiant group evacuated the wounded, extinguished their fires and resolutely returned to the firing line. Only when the beach reconnaissance had been accomplished did LCI(G) Group EIGHT retire after absorbing an hour and a quarter of devastating punishment in support of the stout-hearted swimmers of the Demolition Team. Manned by fighting and skilled seamen, these gunboats daringly pitted their fire-power against the overwhelming might of Japanese guns zeroed on them from the shores of Iwo Jima and bravely led the way for the invasion two days later."

LCI - 466 taking enemy fire on Feb 14, 1945

Seaman Second Class, Robert Keith Pieplow, age 19 was among the casualties. He was buried at sea.

I can't image the horrific pain his parents must have gone through when they received notification. Just doing the research, upset me.

In 1959, his parents requested a marker - to be laid at a cemetery in Kansas.

Robert K Pieplow received the Purple Heart for his heroism.

BORN: 29 JUNE 1926 • Kansas, USA

DIED: 17 FEB 1944 • South Pacific aboard ship in WWII Iwo Jima

Subscribe to Rooted by Blood, DNA and a lot of BS by Email

Little Boy on Tinian Island.

This month I wanted to devote to those ancestors that died in the war - with the exception of the one guy, who died in the battle of the bulge, so far I am unable to find any.

My husband works for California Veterans- so does my son, his SO and my father-in-law lives at one of California'sVeteran Homes. I know, one time they helped my father-in-law find out about more of his service in WW2. Like he helped unload "little boy" off a ship on Tinian Island. Of course, what was in the sealed crate was top secret. He never knew but there was talk.

The veteran caseworker wanted to research it more fully, since he has skin cancer - and wondered if there was some radiation coming off that crate, however, there is no way to prove it - and at 91 years old, it doesn't matter anymore.

Duane worked on a Navy salvage tugs out in the Pacific. When planes crashed or ships, they would go to the scene and tow it back to shore, sometimes right in the middle of battle.

We are trying to find out more - apparently many military files were destroyed in the Oklahoma City bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in April 1995.

 I joined Fold3 but so far I am not impressed. Maybe I don't know how to exactly use it. So far, I have found NOTHING.

In searching military records, what websites are your favorites?




Subscribe to Rooted by Blood, DNA and a lot of BS by Email

Ulysses Matthew Lewallen.

cute couple

The letter U is a hard one, especially in Genealogy. So I searched for the family with either the first or last name that started with a U.

Duh!

Having no luck with surnames that started with a U - I found a 1st cousin 2x removed, Ulysses Matthew Lewallen.  (Say that name without his middle name 20 times while holding your tongue)   Ulysses Lewallen. I can only get to 4 x.  Anyway,  I pretty much thought it would be just when he was born - died - and where he lived until I read the story of his death. My goodness.





LEWALLEN, ULYSSES.  Born: Jun. 20, 1884 Death: Sep. 11, 1933
He married Abline Pemberton on July 18, 1903, in Scott County, Tennessee.

"Hurstle Lewallen Kills Father Tues." 

Ulysses Lewallen buried Wednesday Near Glen Mary. Ulysses Lewallen aged about 50, residing about three miles east of Glen Mary, was shot to death by his son, Hurstle, last Tuesday night just after dusk. According to reports LEWALLEN and son had been working in the hay field that day and about dusk, the father had sent his son to the house after a lantern with which to complete some work. LEWALLEN claims that his father reprimanded him for not getting the lantern as quickly as was thought he should and after some difficulty between father and son young Lewallen claims that his father came at him with a pitchfork and he shot in self-defense. The father, according to information, was shot six times and died instantly.

Young Lewallen age 20 was given a preliminary hearing before Squire H. O. Lewallen and bound over to court under $5000 bond. The funeral was held Wednesday with interment in the family cemetery. A large crowd attended the burial of Mr. LEWALLEN, who was well known in the county and who has a large number of relatives residing in Scott county. (Scott County News, Fri., 15 Sept. 1933.

Of course, NOW I am interested in the son, Hurstle Lewallen (What kind of name is Hurstle?) Birth Date: 28 Jun 1913
Death Date: 10 Jan 1945

TEC5 Hurst Lewallen Killed In Action, During WW II, While Fighting In Europe.He fell on the field of Battle while Fighting for Freedom. WITH THE 329TH INFANTRY REGIMENT
83RD INFANTRY DIVISION. HE WAS KILLED ON 01-10-1945 NEAR PETITE LANGLIER, BELGIUM. BATTLE OF THE BULGE

Wow.   He was a young child during WW1- and by the time WW2, they were drafting the 18 yr olds. His enlistment records show he signed up May 21, 1941, at the age of 27. He was a Semiskilled miner, single with no dependents. Height: 68 - Weight: 173. He enlisted. He didn't even have to go. I wonder why? SAD story.

General George Patton reviewed the 329th and concluded: "That’s the finest body of soldiers I have ever seen in the field." The 329th Infantry Regiment was the closest US unit to Berlin at the end of World War II, being ordered to stop some 30 miles short of the city.

Regarding the killing of his father, Ulysses, he was charged with murder. I found where I could order the copy of the trial however at $80.50 I won't be placing an order, anytime soon. I am assuming he was found not guilty.












Subscribe to Rooted by Blood, DNA and a lot of BS by Email