Welcome to the WWII Forums! Log in or Sign up to interact with the community.

Tribute to My Father and 181st Engineer Heavy Pontoon Battalion.

Discussion in 'Western Europe' started by RichardMathiason, Feb 25, 2010.

Tags:
  1. RichardMathiason

    RichardMathiason Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    I have created a blog to honor my father, Russel Halvor Mathiason and the 181st Engineer Heavy Pontoon Battalion. There was a journal that my father received at the end of the war, so I put it up in blog format.

    181st Engineer Heavy Pontoon Battalion

    Thank you, Dad and to all those who served.
    I Love You and Miss You.

    Richard Mathiason
     
    RichardMathiason, Feb 25, 2010
    #1
  2. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2009
    Messages:
    14,291
    Likes Received:
    2,609
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Richard, welcome to this fine place. Your tribute is a wonderful thing. Thanks for sharing it with us. Please feel free to post whatever you can about your father and his unit. You can be sure it will all be treated with respect and honor.
     
    LRusso216, Feb 25, 2010
    #2
  3. RichardMathiason

    RichardMathiason Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Thank you, Lou. Unfortunately all I have is this journal as he died when I was 12 and I didn't get to know him as an adult. He never talked about the war with my mother. This is just my way of saying Thanks to all of you.

    Richard
     
    RichardMathiason, Feb 25, 2010
    #3
  4. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2009
    Messages:
    14,291
    Likes Received:
    2,609
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    LRusso216, Feb 25, 2010
    #4
  5. Spaniard

    Spaniard New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2010
    Messages:
    1,120
    Likes Received:
    58
    I liked the Maps! Your Dad would be proud to see the site Job well done.
     
    Spaniard, Feb 25, 2010
    #5
  6. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2009
    Messages:
    14,291
    Likes Received:
    2,609
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Evidently, the unit was part of Operation Neptune. Here is a link to a rather long look at the plans and units involved. It says the unit is mentioned on pg. 16. The whole document might be worth look.
    American-Divisions.com - Neptune Operations Plan

    Here's a bit about the origin of the unit
    The division, along with the other National Guard divisions, was ordered to convert from the square to the triangular formation between January and February 1942. The 108th Engineers (Combat) Regiment was broken up on 12 February 1942 and the HQ, HQ and Service Company, and Companies A, B, and C became the 108th Engineer Combat Battalion, which remained with the division. The HQ, 1st Battalion was inactivated on 21 February 1942 and the 2nd Battalion became the 181st Battalion (Heavy Pontoon), an engineering unit.
    Units of the 33rd
     
    LRusso216, Feb 25, 2010
    #6
  7. RichardMathiason

    RichardMathiason Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Lou,

    Sorry, I do have his papers and his tags and some ribbons.

    Richard
     
    RichardMathiason, Feb 25, 2010
    #7
  8. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2009
    Messages:
    14,291
    Likes Received:
    2,609
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Why don't you scan and post them? They would be welcomed, probably in the Militaria forum under Documents and Medals.
     
    LRusso216, Feb 25, 2010
    #8
  9. RichardMathiason

    RichardMathiason Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Spaniard,

    Thank you, I appreciate it.

    Richard
     
    RichardMathiason, Feb 25, 2010
    #9
  10. RichardMathiason

    RichardMathiason Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Lou,

    I will do that and post the pictures. Thanks!

    Richard
     
    RichardMathiason, Feb 25, 2010
    #10
  11. Greg Canellis

    Greg Canellis Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2009
    Messages:
    402
    Likes Received:
    25
    Richard, nice job and a fitting tribute to your dad. Question: Do you know what Army and/or Corps the 181st Eng. HP Bn. was attached to when it landed at UTAH Beach?

    Greg C.
     
    Greg Canellis, Feb 25, 2010
    #11
  12. RichardMathiason

    RichardMathiason Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Here is what the Journal said:

    We left harbor on the 7th of July but returned because of heavy seas, leaving again on the 8th of July. That was our first experience with landing craft, with Ten in One rations, and with pea soup that could be heated by touching a cigarette to a wick. At last Normandy beach showed up and we debarked at Omaha, Red Dog Beach. (See Map No. 1.) On arrival in France we found ourselves attached to the 1111th Engineer Combat Group, the first of a large number of groups we were to work with during the coming year.

    Richard
     
    RichardMathiason, Feb 25, 2010
    #12
  13. RichardMathiason

    RichardMathiason Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    I have added apture links to the blog. What that means is they are links that have more information about the subject. I will add more over time but for now I have added some on each page. Enjoy!

    Richard
     
    RichardMathiason, Mar 5, 2010
    #13

Share This Page