63rd Armored Infantry Battalion  Back to Member Photos

Bill Trumbo 
wtrumbo@yahoo.com 
Location: Midland, Tx. 
Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Was a Medical Aid Man with 63rd AIB. Hqt Co. Really enjoyed this site. Would like to hear from anyone who knew me 60 years ago. 
Here is a classic photo from my dad's unit. He was a 63rd Medic. I do not know who is in this photo, but would love to hear from anyone that does know. More to come.

John Pearson
www.prucarolinas.com/prudential_nc/pearsonj
 

Visitor's Name: Martha Schneck  Email: dinomom@carolina.rr.com http://community.webshots.com/photo/39616428/54776624NCoznA
You are from: North Carolina
Comments: My uncle, Alex Garbarczyk, was with the 63rd AIB. We are trying to put as many names as we can to the faces in this group photo. Please take a look at it by clicking on the homepage URL. Let me know if you recognize anybody. Alex Garbarczyk said that the photo was taken in 1945 at Zwettl. The exact date, I'm not sure -- maybe May of '45. Many Thanks in advance!


Earl Bahr, Malloy, unknown, Wickering

 I am enclosing documentation for my fathers Silver Star from World War II. He was with the 11th Armored Division, 63rd AIB, Company A. He also received the combat infantry badge and several other citations and medals. He died in 1977. There are a few names I have found in regard to people he served with. Malloy, and Wickering. I have a letter to my father, from Alfred A. Karwoski. I hope this information and photos will help with the history of your web site. I would like to make contact with anyone that served with my Dad. He had a rough time of it after the war, and was in and out of hospitals until his death. Mental and Physical problems nearly consumed him. His affection and respect for the men he served with was the highest. He rarely talked of the war, but made it known that the men he served with and the men he lost had all of his love and respect. The web site if wonderful. I will send more photos as I go through them. I have many photos from the desert training in California. Thank you and please email me with any questions.
Thank you,

Marearl


Earl Bahr with Name Card


Left to right: Lt. Malloy, T/Sgt Karwoski, Earl Bahr. Dad's inscription on back is:" These men are tops in my book."


Hills of Bastogne, Looking east from the Battle of the Bulge Museum at Bastogne, Belgium. Photo taken by Marearl in 1993.


Looking to the southwest, area near the Bastogne Battle of the Bulge Museum, by Bastogne, Belgium. Photo taken by Marearl in 1993. Lilacs in bloom, and wildflowers. A contented cow and red feathered chicken share the pasture.

While this not a picture from 1945 during the war, I thought it might be of interest to other 11th Armored vets to show there grandchildren what a Half Track looks like in restored condition.

I recently met an individual who for the past 30 years has been restoring military vehicles a a hobby. On Veterans Day he brought it out to show others who have an interest in memorabilia of WWII.

This vehicle probably did not see service overseas but instead was probably first sold to a California farmer after the war for use as a tractor. My friend bought it some years ago and has restored it to first class condition.

It has an 80mm mortar as well as 50 caliber machine gun on the mount.

As for me the last time I road in one of these was when I was a rifleman in Company A of the 63rd AIB. On or about the 13th of January 1945 outside of Bastogne as I was climbing down off the hood in the dark another track hit my track and I got my foot and ankle caught between the two vehicles.

Needless to say the half tracks won the contest and I went back to England for surgery and later sent back to the States to recover. My only thing I have to show for this is scars on my ankle and a 10% disability.

Now after 58 years I got the chance to once again see the main method of transport for many 11th Armored vets. Should you have a use for this picture on the web site and find it is not in the correct format for you to use let me know and I'll try sending it another way.

Robert E Macomber Co. A 63rd AIB
Thought I would submit this picture. This was HQ Company 63rd AIB in the early spring of l944. I was the medic in the middle first row. Arthur Wippman is to my right.

William Trumbo
William Columbus Craft, Jr. was an uncle of mine. He was the middle son of 5 boys. I have some photographs and some v-mail letters that have come to me by way of my father who was the eldest son. When Papa died Daddy got as much of the family history as he could and kept it and at his death I gained possession. I am the eldest grandson.

I believe that my uncle is the wounded unnamed Lt.. mentioned in Mr. Dunn's article on the web site, about their first battle after out running their art. support. Futher backed up by data from a book by Howard F. Tucker, Jr. (who helped load my uncle for evac after he was wounded). Mr. Tucker has written a book called Hard's Luck and in it he mentions my uncle by name a couple of times. I have a copy of the book. I believe that Mr. Tucker has died. My last mail contact with him was several years ago. He was from the New England area.

I would appreciate any information that anyone would care to share with me about my uncle and his wartime service.

The family Dad (eldest) had asthma and never had to go in service, the second son, Vernon, was AAF, PI. Is, Clark Field, Batann Death March and later a professor at ETSU, middle son William C. Jr., 4th son Herman, very poor eyesite, no military service either and is last survivor of family and 5th son John P. was AAF but never left CONUS.

Papa, William C. Craft, Sr. as per his diary, soldiered with a new shavetail by the name of Geo. S. Patton at Ft. Sheridan in or around 1909.

Am willing to share any info I have relative to my Uncles as I am very proud to be their nephew.

C.N. Craft
btdiga@cwsva.net


This is Thomas L. Brickman, Staff Sergeant, 11th Armored Division, 63rd Armored Infantry Battalion, Company C. He was from Elyria , Ohio .

He was among the soldiers who liberated Mathausen Concentration Camp.

Submitted by his daughter, Leslie Brickman Wingo: lwingo1400@charter.net

 
Left: Art Sharbel - Austria - 1945 Company A 63rd AIB Right: Oscar D. Crosby & Bill Gaskell Company A 21st AIB Art Sharbel Company A 63rd - 1944 Camp Cook
My uncle was in the 11th AD 63rd AIB “C” Co

PFC William H. Hancock
ASN 34163457
Born in: Tallapoosa, AL 
Date of Birth: 5 October 1922
Basic Active Service Date: 13 November 1941
KIA: On 15 January 1945
Location: Belgium
Buried in: Luxemburg American Cemetery, Luxemburg City, Luxemburg 

Awards and decorations:
Combat Infantry Badge (1st)
Bronze Star
Purple Heart
Good Conduct
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
European- African- Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (3 bronze stars)
WW-2 Victory Medal
Honorable Service Lapel Button

Expert Qualification Badge…….. Machine Gun Bar

Sharpshooter Qualification Badge………Rifle Tab

Thank you Kindly

Gary Richardson

Text from the August 2005 Thunderbolt 
an article by Harold Brandt A63AIB

63rd A.I.B.
Harold Brandt -A- 224 Beech St., Hershey, PA 17033
Enclosed please find a copy of a picture (See Next Page) of half-tracks of the 11th Armored Division, 63rd Armored Infantry Battalion, Co. A, the Second Platoon. The third squad of the second platoon is in the foreground. This picture is found in three different books of the Battle of the Bulge. It was taken by a photographer of the Army Signal Corps on December 31, 1944 at
about 4:00 P.M. I am the soldier facing the photographer. The three books this photo is in are:

Book 1. Battle of the Bulge, Then and Now - page 404
Book 2. Battle of the Bulge - page 227
Book 3. Nuts, the Battle of the Bulge -page 32

The captions under the photos in each book are labeled, correctly They are:

Book 1. Half Tracks of the 11th Armored near Bastogne on December 31. The division's Task Force Poker found itself facing the western pincer of the German attack. (U.S. Army)
Book 2. December 31, 1944, Half Tracks of the 11th Armored Division prepare for an attack on the outskirts of Bastogne.
Book 3. A U.S. M-3 half track of the 11th Armored Division prepares for an attack on the outskirts of Bastogne, New Year's Eve, 1944.

When this picture was taken on New Year's Eve, I somehow knew I would see this picture sometime. The first I saw the photo was in 1990 in the book, — Battle of the Bulge, Then and Now. I had a copy made at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. on November 10, 1992. The men 'n the third squad are: Ed Galinski - Squad Leader; James Duncan - Asst. Squad Leader; Matthew Shultz KIA; Russell Welsh KIA; Lester Smith driver; Joe Perillo; -- Smith; -- Filer; Roy Kirby; Oliver Cook; -- Bokish; and Harold Brandt. You can see eight of the twelve men in the picture.
This is a picture of my Dad, he was a member of the 63rd armored infantry battalion (company A).

he is still alive living in a veterans home in Wilmore KY. He was in the 3rd army from march 1943 to October 20th 1945. he received 3 theater ribbons ardennes, rhineland, and central Europe with 3 bronze stars. his name is James E. Doss.

Thanks
Greg Doss

My father, Richard Koehler (1924-1996) was a member of the 63AIB Co C.. His dates of service were November 11, 1942 through December 26, 1945.

He had some photos that I have attached. Only two have any identification: The Fort Polk, and the "me & Julio from Vineland NJ". Maybe someone will recognize a loved one in the photo. Hope you will post them. 

Frank Erbio of the same company C was my dad's best friend. Frank is buried in Luxembourg and my sister (who lives in Luxembourg) was on the 11th Armored website and found a nephew of Frank's. She was able to go to Hamm and take picture for him of Frank's gravesite.

I'm attaching a picture of several members of the association.
This picture is of l to r: Art Sharbel, Warren Fitzgerald, back l to r: ? Paul Sleger

Thanks for your help.

Ginger Sharbel
Leon Szymanski (age 90) A63AIB and his wife Doris (age 88) at the March 21, 2013 celebration of their 70th wedding anniversary along with a photo of their memorabilia from 1943-1944.
First let me say Thanks! Thanks to all who did so much for so many. I am grateful. A special Thanks to those who made this web site possible.

My Father Clyde Russell Medders of Eupora Mississippi, fought with Company "A". 63rd Armored Infantry Battalion, 11th Division during WWII. My Father (according to his DD-214) was a Tech Sgt. Half Track Driver during his tour with the 63rd AIB. I am sending this photograph of him in Austria in 1945. He told me that they had just had a ceremony for the unit and the Soldiers could have individual photographs made to send home. This photograph was sent to my Mother in 1945.

His Awards Include: Bronze Star, EAMETO Med w/3 Branze Stars, Good Conduct 6th Award, WWII Victory Medal, European Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Combat Infantrymans Badge, Overseas Service Medal, Army Of Occupation Medal w/Germany Clasp, Expert Riflemans Badge, Expert Marksman w/Carbine Clasp 

My Father went on after the War to make the US Army a career and he retired in 1970. On 31 October 1980 he passed away but he is not forgotten. He was the first generation Medders to make the Military his career. 

Military Heritage & Medders Pride:

Clyde R. Medders 1944-1970 1st Generation US Army

Danny L. Medders 1966-1992 2nd Generation USMC/US Army

Gregory L. Medders 1988-2008 3rd Generation US Navy

Gregory H. Medders 2008-Present 4th Generation US Navy

74 Years Total and Continues Military Service 

"God Bless America and It's Patriots"

Danny L. Medders
1SG, Retired 

 

 

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