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EDMUNDO DUARTE, born in Laredo, Texas, 7 March, 1926, son of Edmundo Duarte Alvarez and Isabel Arredondo
Perez and old Family of settlers of norther Mexico and Texas, a Family of Tejanos. Brothers, Juan Manuel, Baudelio, Ramiro,
sisters, Elma, Maria, San Juanita, the youngest of the family, born October, 1944.
When on the 7th of December 1941,Pearl Harbor was bombed Edmundo felt the urge for an adventure, even though he was 15
years old at the time, he felt the urge for such an adventure. He had to wait but not for long. W hen he turned 16 on the
7th March 1942,he presented him self as a volunteer at one of the centers for recruitment for service in the Navy, saying
he was 18 years of age. His parents would not accept the fact to see him go to war, as Edmundo was very young, and still a
student..Still Edmundo made the trip to Great Lakes, Illinois for his training as a sailor. .His parents would not give up
on such idea and got in touch with the Department of war, and showed proof of him being 16 years of age Edmundo was returned
home .. Again on the 20th September, 1943 Edmundo Duarte, at the age of 17 returned and enlisted into The US Army .. On the
20th of December 1943, he passed his medical exam . On the 18th Jan.1944 reported to Ft. Sam Houston, Texas for his first
taste of Army life. Next stop Camp Roberts, California, at Paso Robles, California, for his Army Infantry Basic training,
for a period of 17 weeks.
This picture was taken of Edmundo Duarte at the age of 18 years, in May 1944 at Laredo, Texas on his first pass to visit
home, after the 15 days leave, orders to report to
camp Roberts, Ca, after that to report to Camp Howze, Texas for more
Infantry Training with the 103d.Infantry Division, 410th Inf.Reg.1st Platoon, Anti-Tank Company...On to Camp shanks, NY.From
Camp Howze, Tx......On the 6th Oct.1944, shipped out of Camp Shanks, New York...On such DATE WAS THE BIRTH OF Edmundo's youngest
sister, San Juanita, so on that date he was on the way to the european theater of operation. After more trainning in the Marselle,
France area, the rummor next move North to the front lines....No Infantry soldier can ever forget his first day on the
front lines, mine was on the 11th.day of November 1944, one of the most important days of my life and by coincidence, the
date to conmemorate Armistice day, WWI, November, 11 1918, take a hold of such a date, 26 years latter, The good old
USA back at square one, War.......
Saint Die-Les Vosges
The 103rd Inf.Division would became
part of the 7th Army comanded by General Patch an old and experienced career Military Man.The 103rd.was to relive part of
the 3rd.Inf.Division a combat experienced Division. I recall those 3rd Division GI's looked at us with pitty, like saying
this guys don't know what the hell they are getting into.........That day seen the first wounded GI, one of my buddys, a
bad wound, I thought....As I recall it was a freezing cold and snowing day.........Medics were called, not so bad, said
the medic, you have a Million Dollar Wound buddy....my buddy never made it back...Cruel to say it, but such is
war(C'est le Guerre)..........Selestat,France...One of the largest cities in our area
located in Alsace between colmar and Strasbourg----The 103rd. Inf.Division was ordered to take Selestat on or about the 1st.December,1944...The
36th.Inf.Division was to take the Southern part and the 103rd the Northern part, as I remember Selestat a large city, it was
well defended by the German Army.it took close to four days to take the city. After selestat,we were relived by some other
Division,don't recall which Division...After completion, they gave us a few days of rest, two or three don't remember to well
how many days. A letter of congrats. was read to us from the Comanding General of the VI Corps.for a job well done.... Then
prepare to move north was the order of the day....where? Don't know, as all we new was move out..........I will enter
some more soon. How soon, well, soon I hope!
Pfaffenhofen
The next move of troops was was realized in a terrible type of weather, rain, snow. freezing rain,
it had to be as such as it was the the first week of december 1944........The area was close the the Haguenau Forest, some
15 miles f rom Strasbourg, and good tank country, lot's of plaines an open fields....the languageof the civilians
was some type of German as we were getting close to German soil. In that area of Pfaffenhofen a German
ME 109 gave a few passes at our troops, no one got hurt.......our objetive was the Maginot Line.
Mertzweiller
Mertzwieller, at one time was territory of Germany, but of France now, it was some 3 or 4 milles North of
The Haguenau, Forest........We were recieved well by the civilians of the villa, as one part of town was in the
103th Inf Div sector and the other side of river in the hands of the German Army.
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| Edmundo Duarte, Picture By Temo Reyna |
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| WWII, WAR SOUVENIRS, Picture by Temo Reyna |
| The Brenner Pass, border Austria-Italy, May 1945 |
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| My Camaradas,(Los Polacos) Left Jesswick, Center Leibijinski, and Me |
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| Rest Area somewhere in Germany, 1945 |
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| COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE WWII |
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| Bronze Star Certificate, WWII |
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| Certificate Of Gratitude From The FRENCH People. Recognises your Courage and devotion. |
In Construction
Under construction
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