Clemente Family Album

From: Roy Bartlett
To: william clemente
Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2004 9:58 PM
Subject: Ltcol. William Clemente


DEAR COL. AND FAMILY:
YOUR DAD TOOK OVER THE 488TH PORT BN FROM COL WHITE, WHO WAS THE TC SCHOOL OFFICER WHO PUT THESE BNS TOGETHER AT IGMR. YOU CAN REST ASSURE THAT HE COMMANDED ONE OF THE BEST PORT BNS PRODUCED DURING THE WAR.
I THINK YOUR DAD WAS FROM A COMBAT ARM LIKE ME, I HAD JUST BEEN COMMISSIONED IN FIELD ARTILLERY AND NEVER HEARD OF THE TC BRANCH BEFORE BEING ASSIGNED TO IT. I HAD 6 YEARS IN THE PANG (176TH FIELD ARTY -29TH INFANTRY DIV IN PGH. PA.
ANZIO WAS PUSHED ON THE FIFTH ARMY TO GIVE THE NORMANDY BEACHHEAD SOME RELIEF. THERE WAS NO GREAT PLANNING AND WAS SUPPLIED WITH MEN AND TROOPS IN THE AREA WITH THE BRITISH 8TH ARMY. WE WERE THERE FOR ABOUT FIVE MONTHS. THE COMPANIES WERE ON BOARD LIBERTY SHIPS, ONE COMPANY ON SHORE TO OFF LOAD. BN HQ WAS ON THE RIM OF THE CITY LOOKING OVER THE PORT AND BEHIND THEM WAS THE FRONT LINE OF THE GERMANS . AIR RAIDS WERE REGULAR. A 240 MM RR GUN HID IN A TUNNEL AND CAME OUT REGULARLY. IT WAS A REAL HELL HOLE. WE WERE ORDERED TO WORK UNLOADING THE SHIPS UNTIL THE BOMBS FELL AND THEN HAD NO PLACE TO GO. THE SHIPS WERE LOADED WITH GASOLENE, AMMUNITION, FOOD, SUPPLIES AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES.
THE TROOPS HANDLING THE CARGO WERE BUSY, HEADQUARTERS WERE PAPER PUSHERS HAD MORE TIME TO WORRY ABOUT THE ENEMY. YOUR DAD WAS OLDER THAN HIS TROOPS AND WE WERE DOING THIS IN NAPLES THREE DAYS AFTER SALERNO FELL, IF YOU CAN CALL THAT GETTING USED TO WAR.
I WAS A COMPANY COMMANDER, THEN ADJUTANT, THEN EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND WHEN I CAME HOME I WAS GIVEN TC GROUP HQ AND FINALLY THE DEPUTY COMMANDER OF THE 99TH ARCOM IN PG. WE NEVER HEARD OFFICIALLY WHY YOUR DAD LEFT THE OUTFIT AFTER ANZIO. THERE WERE MANY TRANSFERS IN AND OUT OF THE UNITS IN NAPLES. WE RECEIVED MANY FRONT LINE TROOPS, WHO COULD NOT GET BACK TO THEIR OLD UNIT OR HAS DISABILITIES THAT PREVENTED THAT.
THE COMPANIES HAD MANY CAUSUALTIES MINES WAS LUCKY AND HAD NONE.
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER MAJOR RYAN AN OLD CAVALRY OFFICER FROM THE NATIONAL GUARD WHO ALSO LEFT AFTER ANZIO.
WE WERE ALL YOUNG IN JOBS OVER OUR HEADS TRYING TO TO DO OUR BEST. WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO SOCIALIZE AND GET ACQUAINTED WITH EACH OTHER.
OUR UNIT MEMBERS DID GET TOGETHER EVERY YEAR UP TO JUST A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN WE STOPPED BECAUSE WE WERE ALL GETTING TO OLD TO TRAVEL. I WILL BE 88 ON CHRISTMAS DAY.
JIM CORREL A SON OF ONE OF OUR MEMBERS MAINTAINS THE 488TH WEB WHICH WE ALL CONTRIBUTED OUR STORIES. CARL LEIDY IS STILL IN TEXAS THE LAST I HEARD.
YOUR DAD KEPT US ON OUR TOES AND OUT OF TROUBLE, HE RECEIVED HIS ORDERS FROM THE PORT COMMANDER, THE BASE SECTION AND FIFTH ARMY HQ AND PASSED THEM ON TO THE COMMANDERS. THE COMPANIES COULD OPERATE SEPARATLY . CARL LEIDY DID THIS FOR AWHILE AFTER ANZIO.
I SPENT FIVE YEARS IN WWII AND WAS READY TO STAY HOME BEFORE I WENT OVERSEAS.
I AM SORRY I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANY OFFICIAL REASON FOR YOUR DAD'S EARLY RELEASE, HE WAS GIVEN AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE AND THAT IS ALL THAT COUNTS. HE MAY HAVE WANTED TO LEAVE OR HE MAY HAVE TRAMPED ON SOME ONES TOES UP THE LADDER.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR WHOLE FAMILY HAVE DONE MORE THAN JUST THEIR DUTY AS LONG AS I AM AROUND, I WILL BE HAPPY HELP YOU AS MUCH AS I CAN. GOD BLESS YOU AND THANKS FOR BEING INTERESTED IN YOUR DAD, I HAVE 3 SONS AND 5 GRANDCHILDREN, WHO ARE ALL FAMILY ORIENTED AND COMMUNICATED WITH EACH OTHER. AND OLD WARRIOR

DOTTIE AND ROY