Heroes: the Army
"...In an old box from my late grandmother, I found some pictures of US soldiers who had their camp (1944?) on the estate or near the farmhouse of my grandparents, as my family told me..."
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Some Old Photos of men in Co. B.,
379th Field Artillery Battalion,
102nd Infantry Division
We recently received a message from the Netherlands. A Mr. Rob Schouw had located some old photos that were identified as being of soldiers of Co. B., 379th Field Artillery Battalion, 102nd Infantry Division.
The message stated:
Subject: Some Old Pictures
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 13:46:49 +0100
Hello,
I saw the internetsite about the 102nd Infantry Division.
In an old box from my late grandmother, I found some pictures of US soldiers who had their camp (1944?) on the estate or near the farm house of my grandparents, as my family told me.
I wonder if you can do something with my information or is there a chance to contact the family of those soldiers?
Information and names I found on the pictures are:
"B" 379th F.A.bn
Forward Observers
T/S Ben Worsester
(Webmaster note: A Ben Worsester, Jr. was located in the 102nd Infantry Division Roster of Living "Ozarks" as of March 15, 2002.)
T/S Walter James (home)
Cpl Caspar Scarpace
Sgt Foster Blakney (wounded home)
lt Henry Weema
lst Cooly S. Jaspar (wounded)(home) and pictures of his wife and daughter Sherry Kay also a remark pointing to San Antonio near Randolph Field
(Webmaster note: A Cooly S. Jasper was located in the 102nd Infantry Division Roster of Living "Ozarks" as of March 15, 2002.)
Captain James Aiken
"Johnny"
"Inky"
Tonny Jozef
Lane Duane
Looky Lockhart.
Regards,
Rob Schouw <rob_schouw@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <rob@schouw.vlissingennet.nl>
Netherlands
Below is a series of images that were forwarded to us by Mr. Rob Schouw.
At the time, Rob's grandparents were living between Brunsum and Waubach in the south of the Netherlands, which is in the vicinity of the German city of Aken.
Asking Rob to pass on some background information about his grandparents and the photos that are shown below, Rob replied:
30 January 2005
"...As I said before, my knowledge about the visit of the "B" 379th F.A.bn is very limited, because I was born post-war in 1951.
First of all, I want to explain my grandparents (Piet Schouw and Maria Schouw-Westerman) family composition at 1944. At that time four of their nine children where still living at home; the girls Lietje (oldest), Mientje and the boys Cor (my father) and Henk (the youngest).
At that time, the girls where about the age of 25 and still single, so I asked myself if that was the reason of all those G.I.'s around the house? It probably explains the writing at the backside of picture number 5 stating:
"Love Johnny + Inky".
My aunt Mientje is the woman on the right at picture number 3.
None of the generations of my grandparents and their children are still alive as far as we know, so questioning the situation at that time is not possible anymore.
My father (Cor Schouw) went directly after the war in the army and had is training in England because of the poor post-war conditions in the Netherlands.
My mother is still alive, but she is from the north-western part of our country and met my father in 1948. After my parents married in 1950, they lived for some time in the house of my grandparents, because of the post-war shortage of housing. I was there first born in 1951 in that house.
But what do I know? Well, it all happened at the Brunssummerweg, the road between the city Brunssum and the village Waubach.
By the way, on the site 102nd Division History Brigade General Wilson R. Reed says in the brief history of the 102nd, that Waubach is in Germany, but as a Waubach-born, I can assure you, that it was and still is in the Netherlands. At this moment it is a part of the city of Landgraaf.
As far as I know, the Americans slept in the cellars of some houses in that road. At least in that of my grandparents and that of their neighbors, the Jansen-family.
I remember from my childhood, that my grandmother had a huge German sabre in the house. The Americans captured that on a POW German officer and gave it to my grandparents as a gift for their hospitality.
It was about 1965, when the police took it, because two of my fathers brothers had a quarrel, and one of them threatened the other with it!
My father told me, that the Americans had also a small recognizance-airplane in the meadow behind the farmhouse.
About ten years ago, Frieda Jansen (one of the neighbor daughters) was contacted by the daughter of an US-veteran, who made an appointment for a visit, because she was in Europe with her father. But they never arrived and afterwards we heard, that they couldn't find her house. What a petty !
Well people, it isn't much, but that is all I know about it. In the last month I learned more out of the internet-sites of the 102nd history. And that was only possible, because of the information on the backside of the pictures.
Finally I want to thank you (American soldiers of the 102nd Division) &endash; as far as words can &endash; for the unbelievable thing you did for us in that war.
I just cannot understand that the world didn't learn anything about it, with wars still going on. Being nice and respectful to each other is just all we need.
If you want to use my letter, please be so kind and translate it in proper English please."
(As far as we are concerned, the letter is already in proper English.)
Maria Schouw-Westerman
Petrus Schouw
C. S. "Cooley" Jasper, 1st. Lt., BSM, his wife, and daughter Sherry Kay. Lt. Jasper was assigned to the 379th Field Artillery Battalion as entered the service from Arkansas.
C. S. "Cooley" Jasper and daughter Sherry.
Names of men listed on reverse of this photo.
T/S Ben Worsester, Lt. Cooly Jasper (wounded/home), T/S Walter James (gone home), Cpl. Casper Scarpace (KIA), Sgt. Foster Blakney (wounded-home), Lt. Henry Weema, "B" 379th F.A.Bn Forward Observers.
Comment from Rob Schouw:
"My aunt Mientje is the woman on the right at picture number 3."
Men in the jeep identified as:
CAS, (Possibly Casper Scarpace) Ben (T/S Ben Worsester) and Walter (T/S Walter James.
Love, Johnny and Inky
Captain James Aiken
Tonny Jozef, Lane Duane and "Looky" Lockhart
27 January 2005
Contact with Mr. Rob Schouw.
Thank You, Mr. Schouw for your contribution of some excellent photos of men in Co. B., 379th Field Artillery Battalion. Bringing to light these photos has contributed to the history of the 102nd Infantry Division, and especially to some of the former 102nd veterans who are still with us. We at World War II Stories -- In Their Own Words are most grateful for your timely contribution to our ongoing research project.
31 January 2005
Contact with Mr. C. S. Jasper.
Thank You, Mr. Jasper for your World War II service contribution as well as your story contributions to the 102nd "Ozarks" Division pages on the World War II Stories -- In Their Own Words web site.
Interested in some background information?
Check out the related links below...United States Army, 102nd Infantry Division
History of the 102nd Infantry Division
Attack on Linnich, Flossdorf, Rurdorf - 29 Nov -- 4 Dec 1944
-
Gardelegen
War Crime
Gardelegen:
April 13, 1945:
Massacre
at the Isenschnibbe Barn
American Battle Monuments Commission: WWII Honor Roll
National World War II Memorial
The above series of photographs of men in Co. B., 379th Field Artillery Battalion, was passed on to us by Mr. Rob Schouw, of the Netherlands.
We wish to offer our heartfelt "Thank You" to Mr. Schouw for his very kind consideration in allowing World War II Stories -- In Their Own Words the use of the images depicted on this page.
We would also like to extend our sincere THANKS to Mr. Edward L. Souder, former historian of Co. F., 405th Regiment. His collection of stories of the "Kitchen Histories Project" series entitled, Those Damn Doggies in F, were responsible for bringing the stories of the men of the 102nd Division to the forefront.
Original
photographs and information submitted on 30 January
2005.
Story
added to website on 31 January 2005.
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