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Note: Alzheimer's Phil, Albert, Billy, and Hazel and Margaret were in Camp Blanding Florida when Pearl Harbor was attacked(he was a corpral) When waiting to be reassigned after the Battle of the Bulge, Phil was told he could take a jeep and a driver and go see his brother. Albert’s unit was dug in, still fighting. When Phil walked into the exec officer’s tent, the exec officer said you must be a Hand boy (apparently strong family resemblance). Went to find Albert, someone asked him who he was looking for and Phil replied Lt. Hand. Then they asked him who he was and Phil replied Lt. Hand (big joke?). Al was older, always the big older brother, said when he saw Phil ‘Boy I’ll whip you’ Phil said all right, step-out, and they started boxing. All the men were watching and clapping. Apparently Phil was winning, so Albert quit and said I guess I can’t beat you now. (according to uncle phil) Phil worked on the police dept in Atlanta somewhere from 1950-1953 went to law school at night, got his masters in law but never tried to pass the bar, went to work for GM on maintenance on the 3rd shift. Taught school for a while after that taught defensive driving. When Phil was little (very young) ASH would have to take him with him on his night watchman job, and Phil slept on a mattress pallet on the floor of a warehouse, so ASH decided to get a Spahish Maid to keep house so he wouldn't have to take Phil with him. When Phil went into the orphanage he spoke Spanish as well as English (according to uncle phil) 82nd Airborne Division 551 Parachute Infantry Batallion On January 7th tragedy struck. The battalion, now down to only 250 men Of the 840 men of the battalion that entered the Ardennes, scarcely 114 men were left at the end of that day. 551st parachute division called the lost battalion finial recognized in Feb. 2001, 2-24-2001 Washington post section b The 551st was created on the 26th of Nov 1942. Painted palm trees on their helmets to show their tropical origin. 551st organized in panama canal zone was to be a regiment with 3 battallions later to be a battalion. Had everything a regiment would have plus 3 rifle companies and artillarty companies Deployed to Europe to serve in the 18th airborne. Credited with the first daylight and the first nazi general captured. During the battle of the bulge that was designed to 16th Dec 1944 2623 artillery guns open fired behind 410 thousand soldiers 1000 tanks. GOYA’S 826 men fully 1/3 died or wounded by 2 weeks later. What does GOYA mean? Jan 7 closed the German’s escape route on that day 110 were all that was left. 94% casualty rates 27th Jan 1945 told that they would be inactivated and absorbed into other battalions. For all intensive purposes Jan 10 1945 the GOYAs were taken off of all army registered. 123 streamers on army colors reflecting from Lexington in during WWII GOYAs have the un 3 separate combat theaters. 551st got a streamer in panama, one for Mediterranean, and one for France and Rhineland. In the Ardennes after Normandy the German’s counter attack began with what Churchill called the greatest battle in WWII. Their final blitzkrieg until then the greatest loss was 51,000 at Gettysburg Exceeded 76,000 in battle of the b 551st got the highest recognition presidential recognition. 551st airborne infantry battalion the motto GOYA stands for get off your ass. In the Philippines when they went to make the symbol (insignia?) with the palm trees and all the sign for the 551st, they wanted a slogan so the guy that was there telling the slogan makers said GOYA, and that’s what it is. Hui Belgium. About 12 of the guys from 551st were reassigned (phil included) to run a rest center for the 82nd. Pulled guys off the line of fire for 3 days, than rest 1 day inbetween, and cater to another 100 guys for another 3 days. The guys would come in and keep their boots and maybe theirovercoat and get a new set of clothes. There would be entertainment, red cross girld there, really good food. <http://users.skynet.be/bulgecriba/551stparachute.html> On December 21, 1944 the Battalion arrived in Ster, Belgium with a strength of more than 800 officers and enlisted men. The battalion was first attached to the 30th Infantry Division, and reinforced the 30th ID's positions around Ster. They were subsequently attached to the 82nd Airborne Division and tasked with supporting the 508th PIR. They took heavy losses advancing through the Ardennes and then on January 7, 1944, the battalion was ordered to take the small town of Rochelinval, Belgium. Col. Joerg protested, saying that his men were tired and frostbitten, but his protests fell on deaf ears. No one knows who Col. Joerg talked to but whoever it was, their refusal to reconsider the order, sealed the fate of the 551st. The fighting was fierce and by the time the town had been taken, the 551st PIB had lost over 70 percent of it's complement. On January 27th, 1945, General James Gavin informed the men that the battalion was being inactivated and all remaining troopers would be transferred to the 82nd Airborne Division. It was at this point that Phil took a Jeep and had a "fist fight" reunion with Albert
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