?Do You Know John Brown?

[Rhonda-Daughter of John Brown]

:)Hello My name is Rhonda. My Dad (John Brown) Served with The 106 Division during The Battle of the Bulge. In this photo My Dad is on the left...on the right is His Friend (Dan Jones, I believe)...Would Anyone recognize the background? I am looking for Anyone who may have known Him. I am new at this forum/group thing. Hope I'm doing this properly. While Here I have been reading/learning/enjoying it a great deal.

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[Carl W.]

Hi Rhonda,

First of all welcome!
Do you happen to have a better (larger) copy of the photo of your dad. The background is pretty hard to see. :-)
It looks to have been taken in Germany in 1945, because of the uniform the soldiers are wearing and the ribbons/CIB.

From what I know there were several men in the 106th who had the same name as your father. Do you have any idea what unit he served with? (422,423,424 Infantry or another branch of service?)

We'd be more than happy to help and are glad to have you on the forum! :-)

Greetings,
Carl

[gfgrant8443]

Rhonda

Based on your photo and the information you gave I would guess that your father is most probably PFC John Brown S/N 37632204 from Comany B of the 424th Regiment. I concluded this because to have been awarded the CIB the picture was probably taken in 1945 since the awards would have probably been done after the major part of active combat was over. Also the 424th was the only unit that survived the Battle of the Bulge generally intact. Your father also looks to be in good health which would say to me he was probably not a POW. I made a lot of guesses, but in researching my father's time with the 106th I found that was something I had to do in order to move on and locate other facts.

If you know where your father lived just after the war you may be able to get a copy of his DD-214 from the city clerk. It was recommended that vets file a copy when they got home. Once you determine his service number and unit your research can move forward much faster.

Frank Grant

[roger]

Rhonda
If your father was from a town where there was a "home town newspaper" you might want to check it out. Talk to the local library....they probably have the papers on micro-film. The information will probably be found in a "News of Our Boys in the Service" column or something similar. It is a tedious job to read through all of them (select the years your father was in the service)...but they turned up a great deal of information in my searching for info about my dad.

Roger

[Rhonda-Daughter of John Brown]

Carl, I don't have a clearer photo, Mr. Frank Grant from this Group found some interesting info. about My Daddy this fast. He was with Company B with the 424th Regiment

[Rhonda-Daughter of John Brown]

Frank, You are so Wonderful!...Thank You. Yes that is His S/N ...Is PFC and TEC5 (TECH5) the same??? As that is what is on His HeadStone. Another question...He was very proud of the gun He carried. I am curious what kind it may have been. He said... He carried His gun but another man had to carry His ammo (Thats the only clue I have) I can not Thank You Enough

[Rhonda-Daughter of John Brown]

Roger, Thank You for the Good Ideas...I will try that

[bigjohn]

I would venture a guess that if your dad carried his gun and somebody else carried his ammo he would have been talking about either a BAR or .30 cal machine gun. Anything larger such as a .50 cal had a multi-person crew as the gun and ammo were so heavy.

[floydragsdale]

Hi Rhonda:

Pardon me for butting in.

B Company was a rifle company that consisted of four platoons. There were four squads (11 men per squad in a platoon). The squads were: 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. The 4th platoon was the heavy weapons platoon. The 4th (heavy weapons) platoon had 30 caliber (light) machine guns and also 60mm mortars.

I recall that a B.A.R. man, in a rifle cpmpany (browning automatic rifle), carried his own ammunition.

Based on these facts, your Dad was probably a "gunner" in the machine gun section of the 4th platoon. The 4th platoon in a rifle company was often referred to as "the heavy weapons platoon."

The total number of soldiers on an infantry company was approximately 192 men, counting officers, cooks, supply people etc.

Floyd
424th Regiment

[Rhonda-Daughter of John Brown]

I am so HAPPY...Since coming to This Group...I have learned so much! I can't Thank You All Enough! Strange as this may sound, I feel closer to My Dad just talking and learning from Everyone. CYBER HUGS! Have a Wonderful Day All

[Rhonda-Daughter of John Brown]

Frank, How on earth did You have Daddy's S/N??? I had a terrible time finding it.

[gfgrant8443]

Rhonda

I went to the Indianamilitary.org website and clicked on the 106th Division, then went to the roster and did a name search that gave me your father's name, rank and service number and unit. Then I went to a list I got from John Klein at 106th Div. Association of the men awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge to double check the information and found the same thing listed so then I sent it on to you. Now that you have this much information I'll E-mail you a link to the National Military Records Center in St. Louis so you can download a form to request a copy of his service record. As his daughter you are entitled to obtain the information. Chances are you will only get a copy of his DD-214 since they had a fire that destroyed most of the WW II service records, but it will give you information about his medals and assignments and what job he was trained for. I'm really happy to be able to help you find this much information this fast. It usually doesn't work this way.

Frank Grant

[Rhonda-Daughter of John Brown]

Frank, You are a Very Smart Man! I have been Smiling with Excitment for Two Days. I got a copy of The DD-214 and gave It to My Brother to put with Daddy's Flag. Now with the info. You have given Me, I can find out more of His Experiences...Thank You so Much

[Jim West - Indiana Military Or]

Did your copy of his DD 214 have any additional information that is not listed on the 106th Roster (www.IndianaMilitary.org) ? If so, please submit it and I will be glad to update his record. Jim West, webmaster.

[Rhonda-Daughter of John Brown]

I've gained so much from joining this Group. I would like to Thank Each of You. Since joining I have found My Dad ~ SERVED AS A MACHINE GUNNER WITH THE 106TH DIVISION, 424TH REGIMENT, COMPANY B AT THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. ~ Special Thank You to Mr. Franklin Grant who has been a God Send throughout My search. I now have a copy of His DD-214. His name is now listed at the National WWII Memorial @ The Registry of Remembrances. Also Mr. Grant has made it possible for Me to have copies of My Dad's Commendations. I would like to say a Special Thank You to Carl for the Rocks from the the Battlefield in Ardennes. I have made new Friendships from this Group. Being Here has been a very Rewarding Experience. THANK YOU YOU SO VERY MUCH! ;D Hugs

[floydragsdale]

Hello Rhonda:

While looking at the picture of your dad and his buddy I noticed that your father was wearing an Ike Jacket. The Ike jacket was his dress uniform. Soldiers never wore them except when they were in a "dress parade", or, when they were on leave.

It appears that he and his friend are posing on a balcony, perhaps on the second floor. The background, I believe, is a building across the street from where the picture was taken.

After the war ended (early May 1945) passes, usually three day passes, were issued. like candy bars. In other words many Soldiers got one and
just about everyone who got a 3 day pass went to Paris.

Some men received a seven day leave & they went to London, or Switzerland. However, very few people got a seven day leave.

One last thought. Usually Soldiers did not wear their C.I.B. badge, or ribbons, except on their dress uniforms. My opinion is that the photo was taken while your dad was on a 3 day pass & possibly he was in Paris, France at the time, during early Summer, June 1945.

Floyd

[Rhonda-Daughter of John Brown]

Yes Sir, You may be correct. I remember clearly stories about His leave and how He and Dan Jones went to Paris ;D Now I have a date to put with the memory...I'm Building. Thank You Very Much for Your thoughts and input, the information is very helpful. Have a Wonderful Day as You have made Mine Sincerely Rhonda

[floydragsdale]

Hello Rhonda:

When an American Soldier went to Paris on a three day pass, he usually would take one or more cartons of cigarettes with him & maybe several bars of soap. The cost of cigarettes to him were five cents a pack. The Soldier got at least $20.00 a carton for them. Thus two or three cartons of them plus a few bars of soap would net him some nice spending money. The soap cost him nothing.

The American Red Cross ran some French Hotels (leased by the U.S. Government, I believe) & the cost to stay in one of those Hotels was nothing to an American Soldier. The French Government allowed an American G.I. to ride the trains in France at no charge in those days.

Based on these facts a Soldier, and that includes me, could really make whoopee on a three day pass to Paris, if they were fortified with the right stuff when they went there. I imagine your Father did that too.

In September & August of 1945 I was stationed 35 miles from Paris. Often, I was off duty by 4:00 in the afternoon & would take a commuter train to Paris, whether I had money in my pocket or not. If nothing else, I could " just see the sights." It was a beautiful city.

Floyd

[connie]

Rhonda,

I see you were on the discussion board today. I hope that this note will call attention again to this aging but fascinating discussion.

Hope you're still learning finding info on your dad's time in the 106th...

Connie