A BREAK IN THE ROUTINE TO HONOR A PARATROOPER WHO FOUGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLOBE AND HIS MOTHER WHO FOUGHT AT HOME. (NEAR THE BOTTOM – PLEASE FIND WHERE TO “CLICK HERE” TO VIEW THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOK)
On June 5th, 1944, high above a war raging in Europe, a paratrooper’s faith helped calm a 20-year-old soldier from the 82nd Airborne Division. The vibration of the military transport plane might have put George to sleep if not for the peril he was about to face. He was about to jump under cover of darkness into occupied France with fellow paratroopers from 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He closed his eyes and recalled a quote he memorized long ago:
Hard things…
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Woody Gorback in Italy.
Woody Gorbach
A local story
Woody Gorbach, a current resident of South Palm Beach County, had served with the 135th Battalion/34th Infantry Division/5th Army during WWII in the European Theater of Operations. He was raised in Westport, Connecticut and enlisted at the age of 19. “I felt I had to fight for the country. I wanted to end the war.”
Woody sailed from Newport News, VA on a trip that would take 30 days and drew the attention from German bombers who tried their best to end the voyage. Gorbach recalls, “…being sick and scared and excited.” His first real fighting was at Monte Cassino, a hilltop abbey on the German defense line. Multiple battles cost the Allies about 55,000 casualties. Woody developed trench foot and was sent to a base in Africa. When he returned to Italy, he discovered his unit had been wiped out.
Woody, photographed in April 2014 w/ his medals.
He would later fight at Anzio beach where the German fought with the advantage of the high ground. “A lot of casualties there,” he said. “I thought my time was up. After that I knew each day was a gift.” He felt lucky and guilty and devastated to have lost so many friends. “But when you’re 19, you didn’t think too much about it, you just did your job.”
Gorbach said he was one of the first to enter Rome, greeted joyfully by the Italians. He slept that night at the foot of the Colosseum. When asked if that meant on the ground, he replied, :Always on the ground. We carried a blanket. It’s not like there were hotels.” As he looks back, he calls the years “Interesting. They weren’t altogether bad because I met a lot of good people and brave soldiers.”
Woody in front of his real estate office.
Retirement for Woody wasn’t all it was cracked up to be and at 90 years of age, he continues to work as a real estate broker in Manalapan, Florida. His wife of 60 years, Lori, put his name in for the Honor Flight, which he recently took to Washington D.C.
Hats off to you, Woody Gorbach!
The facts and quotes were taken from an article written in the Palm Beach Post, by Kimberly Miller, Staff Writer.
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Current veteran’s story….
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ALERT –
Sheri deGrom
Our fellow blogger and good friend, Sheri deGrom, could use our support right now. Her husband Tom has been rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery and I hope each and every one of you will show her that we are behind her with our thoughts and prayers! Thank you!
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Farewell Salutes –
Please click on to read. From ANZAC
Joel “Shelly” Bienstock – Phoenix, AZ; US Army, Korea, Purple Heart
Thomas Carton – Hicksville, NY; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Miami
Jack Dowdall – Pompano, FL; US Army, WWII
Steven A. Farris, Jr. – Alexandria, VA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Colonel, fighter pilot, West Point grad, 48th Combat Support Group, ETO
Herschel Ingram – Anchorage, AK; US Army, Sgt. (Ret.)
Clyde E. Keller – Berryville, AR; US Army, WWII, ETO, 742nd Field Artillery Battalion
Carl Moses – Sand Point, AK; US Army, Korea, artillery
Thomas O’Brien – Forestville, MD; US Army, Korea
Madison Post – Fond du Lac, WI; US Army, Lt. Col.(Ret.), ETO
James Roberts, Sr. – Fairfax, VA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, 379th Bomber Group
Allan Sawyer (90) – Auckland, NZ ; Flt Sgt., RNZAF, RCAF & RAF #636536 & #435581
Norman Sooter – Berryville, AR; US Army, WWII
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“Wild Bill” Guarnere w/ fellow troopers
Personal note – The posts listed under the title of Intermission Stories will be numbered just as the Korean War series is. These will be first hand stories, events missed, pieces I found to be interesting, obituaries and my own experience climbing into a B-17 “Flying Fortress.” (Try not to laugh too hard at that one.) This will enable me to gather and try to organize the data I have accumulated for the forthcoming WWII series.
Please remember – all of your stories are welcome in the comments and they need not be only of these two wars; some of you are current members of the military and some are civilians with home front experiences. If you have a post or web site dedicated to a veteran and/or event, please supply a link so that all of us can read it.
Thank you ALL for your loyalty, friendship and willingness to participate with me in our goal to REMEMBER!
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Band of Brothers Obituary
William “Wild Bill” Guamere – one of the World War II veterans whose exploits were dramatized in the TV miniseries “Band of Brothers” has dies; he was 90 years old. He was a member of Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.
His exploits during some of the fiercest battles of the European Theater earned him his nickname and cost him his leg while trying to help a wounded soldier during the Battle of the Bulge. His commendations included the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.
When he returned from the war, Guarnere lived in the row house in South Philadelphia, where he would eventually reside for 60 years. He worked in construction despite his disability and helped to put together Easy Company reunions. In 2007, he helped to write, “Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends,” with fellow veteran Edward J. “Babe” Heffron and journalist Robyn Post.
Babe Heffron and Wild Bill met during the war and remained friends until Heffron died 1 December 2013,
Babe Heffron during WWII
also 90 years of age and a Bronze Star recipient. Guarnere”s son said, “Now they’re together again.”
The viewing is set for tomorrow, Thursday, at Ruffenach Funeral Home in Philadelphia and the funeral will be held this Friday.
10 Sept. 2008, Guarnere, Babe Heffron & Forest Guth in Kuwait en-route to Iraq
**This information supplied by FoxNews.
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Please click to enlarge this inspirational story of survival.
Holocaust survival
Information supplied by “The Week” magazine.
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Farewell Salutes –
Sanford Ames – Takoma, MD; US Army, WWII
Frederick Cavlovic – Cleveland, OH & N.Palm Beach, FL; US Army, WWII, PTO
Russell Clanahan – Springfield, VA; US Navy, Korea
Colin Gibson – Wheaton, MD; US Navy, WWII, PTO, medical team
Kathleen Grasmeder – Colonial Beach, VA; US Army (Ret.)
Carroll Jordon – Chickasaw, AL; veteran of Korea, targeted and brutally beaten and stabbed by 3 youths.
Spero Kitsakos – Brooklyn, NY & W.Palm Beach, FL; US Navy, WWII
Edward Makowski – Chicago, IL; US Army, WWII
Frank Owen – Ste-Agathe, Quebec; British Columbia 28th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Duke of Connaught’s Own), Major (Ret.)
Edward Touhy – Chicago, IL; US Navy, WWII
Norman Wetzel – Union Bridge, AR; US Army, WWII, 3rd Armored/813th Engineer Corps/29th Division
Charles Zeigman – Manchester, AR; US Army, Korea
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Jeep crossing
Pacific Paratrooper 