214th AAA Bn

Did Emil provide any more information on this? I'm assuming this was very late December 1944 or early January 1945. Willard Skoglund's brother Donald was KIA on 12/21/1944 outside of Bastogne. Also, I've heard many AAA units were made into infantry after the Luftwaffe was nearly eliminated. Was their unit transitioned to infantry? Any info you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

Greetings.

On this, the 76th anniversary of the liberation of Dachau by the Seventh Army's 45th Infantry Division, I'm trying to see if I can verify whether my father's unit was part of that division. My search leads me here. This screenshot is from his discharge papers, citing BTRY D 214 AAA, which seems to have been an Ammunitions unit (via AMM N CO 505).

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Is that battalion picture something you can send via email?

 

I'm sorry that I did not see this post sooner. I came on this forum tonight to post that Tim Dulovich passed away today 8/12/21 at 100 years of age. He was sharp-minded to the end, an amazing man. I'm sorry that I don't know if they became infantry. I know they guarded Nazi soldiers (I have patches torn from their sleeves) and have heard their stories.

 

Yes, please provide email. Sorry that I didn't see this message sooner.

The photo I have is the entire 214th AAA Gun Battalion Battery C (not D).

 

please send me a copy as well

email is thomas.schwartzatgmail.com

 

Hi! I'm trying to find some info on my Grandfathers movement through WW2. I'm going on a trip to France next year and I'm hoping to visit some places that he was. His name was Adam Kokoska from Sykesville, PA and I see from his burial certificate he was in the 214th AAA Gun Battalion, Tech 5. Dates of service 6/42-10/45. He told me many stories about his time there and as I read through these posts, things are lining up. I'm pretty confident he trained in Texas bc he used to talk about seeing armadillos and road runners there. I know he went to North Africa and Corsica. One of his favorite stories was about landing on Corsica in the middle of the night, pitching his tent in the dark and upon waking up, discovering that he was sleeping on what he called Napoleon's Grave. I've since checked and while Napoleon's not buried there, he does have a monument on Corsica which I assume made him think that it was his grave. He also talked about spending the winter in Alsace-Lorraine in the freezing cold with just a wool blanket for warmth. Also about giving his meals to the hungry children that would run up to them and eating candy bars instead. And he always ate soup with his big German spoon that he took from a dead soldier. I never realized he was Anti-aircraft until I started this research. He never talked about shooting at planes. He would only ever say that he shot into the woods. I see from one of the other posts that they switched to infantry bc of the downfall of the Luftwaffe so that makes sense. At the time he was telling me these stories, I was a teen and I didn't realize the importance of getting better details or even recording them. He had a stroke in '95 which took his speech and that was the end of his wonderful stories. But thankfully, I have good memories of the ones he told the most. I would love any more details on his his specific battery and maybe even some pics. I want to share as much as I can about his legacy with my children, his great grandchildren. He truly was an amazing man, the greatest I've ever known! Thank you in advance!

 

Amy, the places he mentioned correspond with the movements of the 214th.
However, I did not find his name in the General Orders I have. Sorry.

214th AAA Bn, WW II | Facebook


Dave

 

That is a different unit OP. The 214th AAA Gun Battalion was redesignated from the 1st Battalion, 504th Coast Artillery Regiment on 20 January 1943.

 

Hello,

Is anyone still active in this thread? I am looking for information on the 214th AAA Gun BN's history in the ETO. I appreciate any help anyone can give me.

Regards,

-Renegade6

 

Thank you.

 

Do you have this picture still?