My fathers documents - am I missing anything?

Are you sure? An army vet said the regimental crests went on the epaulettes...

I did, and have purchased all the unit histories available.

He is listed with D Company, 1st Battalion, 117th, 30th Division, in "Curlew History" (1st Battalion). The entry is the same as the one in the OP, except it includes a joined date of 17 July.

 

Ah, I see. The O's wore it on the epaulette and the E's on the lapel. So, I had it right the first time - I'll tell my son to put it back on the lapel.

One other thing I was never able to clarify was the Croix de Guerre. There were three of these awarded (2 to the Regiment and 1 to his Battalion) for various actions. I could never figure out if a soldier would wear the medal or just the associated Fourragere, or neither, or both. I put them both on. They also had two Belgian Fourrageres awarded so I put one of those on as well...

 

To all - I'm retired Coast Guard, and so am just learning to speak Army...

 

It looks like I got it right with the precedence, and in adding them both. I'm sure there should be rifle and pistol badges and such things as well, but not knowing which level I left all of that off. I recall now that I did receive the parachute wings when DoD packet arrived and gave them to my son to add to the uniform.

 

"The fourragère is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, that is shaped as a braided cord. The award has been firstly adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal."

I took that from a website--what it's saying is that the fourragere is a unit award. It is worn over the left shoulder. I've seen one worn from France and one from Belgium. Holland issued one also and it could be worn with the other two . I've never seen more than one worn from each country.

The actual French Croix de Guerre or Belgium Croix de Guerre medal is an individual award by these two Countries and would be worn like any other medal or ribbon. Foreign awards come after all American awards. It can be worn with a Fourragere from the same Country. I see your father was awarded the Belgian Fourragere (or the unit he was assigned to did). I looked in the " Index of Belgium Orders and Decorations issued to US Service Members During WWII" and didn't see his name for being awared the Belgium Croix de Guerre Medal. (my brother was awarded the individual award and his name appears in the index) The Croix de Guerre medal you show on the uniform appears to be French. France did issue US Servicemen individual CdG but I don't have an index for those issued.

Hope I explained that well enough.

 

Thanks Biak, I forgot I found that--so now I guess I can say for sure where they go. (wonder sometimes where my memory goes)

 

Yeah, none of the foreign awards are individual awards.

30th ID:

BELGIAN FOURRAGERE for 4-10 Sept. 44 action in Toumai, Louvain, Waterloo and Tongres areas

BELGIAN FOURRAGERE for the 17-25 January 1945 action at Malmedy, Stavelot, Stoumont, La Gleize and Trois Ponts., Belgium, per Belgian decree #1393, dated 20 Nov 1945.


117th IR:

FRENCH CROIX de GUERRE with Palm
15 Jun '44
DA GO #14-59

FRENCH CROIX de GUERRE with Silver Star
2-11 Oct '44
DA GO #43-50

1st Battalion, 117th IR:

FRENCH CROIX de GUERRE with Palm
7 Aug '44
DA GO #43-50

 

Keith,
It looks like the French awards the actual medal along with the Fourraguere. I'm not well versed on foreign awards except I've done some reading on Belgium.
I don't know how the French handle multible awards like was given to the 117th IR.

So many of the battles that the 30th ID saw is exactly the same as the 2nd Armored that my brother was assigned to. I believe the 30th was attached to the 2nd at various points. Your father definitely saw his share of action. My brothers stuff got lost over time just as your fathers--I'm from a large family and everyone took what they wanted--really a shame it couldn't be kept together.

 

More information on the French CdG (and the fourragère in the colors of the Croix de Guerre) here:

http://www.ww2f.com/information-req...ix-de-guerre-awarded-us-units.html#post633577

I am not certain how the US Army distinguishes a individual CdG from a unit CdG on the uniform. They could treat a unit CdG like other unit citations (above the right pocket) but I have not seen that practice (but I have not seen much).

 

The 30th Infantry and the 2nd Armored were essentially the same unit after mid August, 1944. They became the heart of the XIX Corps under General Corlett.

 

If I understood the process correctly when I put the jacket together a few years ago, it works like this. If you get the Croix de Geurre, you are always entitled to the Fourraguere. However a unit can also be awarded just the Fourraguere, without the medal - as in the case of the two Belgian Fourrageres awarded the 30th ID - and then you'd just wear that without the medal.

As a unit award, the CDG generally does not follow the soldier if he transfers to another unit, but the CDG's awarded to several 30th ID units were of a status that the soldier was entitled to wear it with whatever unit he subsequently served in.

 

Someone should alert Skipper to this thread. It sounds like it's right up his alley.

 

Not to get too off topic, but can someone explain the Eisenhower Library index? Where do you find it, etc? Sounds interesting and I know nothing about it.

 

Here's a link to the index (grouping right in the middle) and subsequent volume's which detail the main index:

Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum

I've been there three times, copying tank destroyer unit documents. Very user friendly IMO. Send me a PM if you need more info.

 

I can second Steve's assessment of the EPLM. I went there last February and had a great time digging through the files. The folks there are very friendly and helpful. Oh, and Steve was spot on with his advice.

 

Is it possible to get that info without physically traveling there?

 

Buten42 sent me a document that gives very helpful interpretations to each block on on the enlisted record and report of separation, honorable discharge. With his help a few new details emerge. For example, his 7 digit code reveals he was enlisted prior to 1940. And block 39 lists two years prior service, which I had previously overlooked. I am saluting his post #5 in honor of his off the record help with this.

Buten points out that as a prior service man he should have been promoted past PFC, but knowing my dad I'm not surprised at that. He was a hard drinking 1st generation Irishman who tended to punch people in the nose a lot. By the time I came along and grew to know him, he had mellowed and become an impressionist painter and trouble-making labor activist. He was no respecter of authority and probably wouldn't care much for my own libertarian/conservative politics. The only war time friend he kept in touch with was former Captain David Easlick, the battalion S2 (or G2?) - the Ops officer. Easlick had great respect for my dad and they remained friends until his death.

My father once began a book and then later burned it. My neighbor (and 2nd Mom in many ways) was the proof reader and typist, and after his death said it was about the summary executions of Waffen SS soldiers after the Ardennes and into Germany. I'm ambivalent about reading that book. Sometimes I wish the manuscript had survived and sometimes I'm glad it was burned.

In many ways, my father will always remain a mystery to me. I have thought about him every day of my life since his death when I was fifteen. His stories about the war were never about his own heroics. They were about the few light moments in the war. He once shot an enormous European hare from a moving jeep (a terrific shot!), and gave it to a old German woman in the field who was brought to tears by the gift. Another time, on the Czech border, he was sitting on a hillside with a German girl and a wolf approached, close enough that he could see its yellow eyes. The girl with him urged him to kill it, but he shot over its head and pretended he had missed.

He hated and despised the SS, yet liked and respected the German Wehrmacht soldiers, and the German civilians as well. He absolutely loved the Dutch and spoke of both the civilians and resistance men he met in the most glowing terms. He disliked the French because they always wanted payment for shelter or food or information. He had great respect for the Tommies and their cheerful and patient character. Of his own unit, he always said the "hillbillies" from the original 30th National Guard units from Appalachia were the toughest and best men in the unit.

He served honorably in the 30th Division from St. Lo to the Elbe. The few glimpses he left me will probably be the only insights into his war that I'll ever know. He hid the horror and left me with a few memories that he felt a child could handle. Perhaps that is for the best..

The story of PFC Francis Joseph Rogan, Runner/Messenger, Dog Company, 1st battalion, 117th Infantry Regiment, 30th Division, will live on in the family because I've written a short history from the available records and passed it on to every descendent.

That is all I can do for him.

Edited to add a couple of pictures.

I believe the first photo was taken in Belgium in January, 1945. The second photo was taken in France in late August, 44 - my father is the man in the middle.

View attachment 17892

Edited to show one more photo taken after the war. My dad was a beatnik... what can I say? My older brother is on his shoulders and I wasn't born yet... This photo is taken at Harsen's Island, Michigan, a place where a lot of painters, beatniks and reefer madness characters tended to congregate in the summer.

View attachment 17893

 

Thanks Natman and TDTommy--great info!

KodiakBeer, what great stories you have about your father! I've really enjoyed reading your posts. Thank you for sharing with us.