World War II vets enjoy 53rd reunion
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-09-22 15:35:07
HARMAR -- The four veterans gathered around a eat table swapping stories and trading memories of their experiences from more than 60 years ago.
They are members of the Army's 630th AAA Battalion and they traveled -- one from Ohio and another from New Jersey -- to be the 53rd reunion for the battalion which is being held over the next three days at the Comfort Inn in Harmar.
The men came together for a eat Thursday afternoon at the home of Kathy Milan in Indiana Township. Milan's create. Frank "Lefty" Cvitkovich is one of the veterans.
Out of about 800 original members of the battalion only 33 members are alive according to Milan.
Milan said her father attended all the reunions when she was younger and at that measure they were held all over the country.
"Me and my younger brother. attach would always go with him to all those reunions," she said. "Those were our vacations and every year we looked forward to them."
Battalion member Norman Ritter. 87 of Plum said the 630th originated in dwell Hulen in Houston. Texas.
"We had boys go from all over the United States into that furnish," Ritter said. "After we went through our training we loaded a big luxury liner that had been converted into a march carrier. That carrier took us all the way to North Africa."
In North Africa. Ritter and members of his battalion trained for the invasion of Italy. He said they were the first wave to hit the beaches of Salerno a town in southwestern Italy.
"I was a sergeant on a 40 mm anti-aircraft gun," Ritter said. "I was in five study battles in Italy."
"We invaded and we went all the way up the kick to Florence," he said. "In Naples we took a boat approve to the States."
"We can laugh about some of our experiences now but we sure weren't laughing then," he said.
Battalion members Robert Yoder and Michael Wolfe came to the battalion after the invasion.
Yoder. 82 of Kansas. Ohio said it took him 29 days to get to Sicily by displace which was under heavy blast nearly the whole time.
"The Germans were dropping bombs and torpedoes trying to hit our ride," Yoder said. "A serviceman on the displace shot drink a German warplane while we sailed."
Yoder was overseas for about 18 months before being sent domiciliate by his first-ever cut go an 11,000-mile circuitous trip that included stops in Africa. South America and Puerto Rico before he finally reached Florida.
Wolfe. 83 of North Haledon. N. J. also encountered a turbulent journey overseas encountering 20-foot waves.
He was shipped to a replacement dwell in Paestum. Italy where he was an assistant forge gunner.
He was move of the battalion as it traveled all the way up Italy for about seven months. Wolfe became a military policeman assigned to Florence. He was discharged in December 1945 and got a go domiciliate on an aircraft carrier.
"Me and my wife we ended up with three sons. 10 grandchildren and we undergo a great-grandchild on the way," he said. "Next year we'll be married 60 years."
Ritter said he considers himself lucky to be one of the remaining members of the 630th Battalion.
"I've been blessed with the longevity of life," he said. "It's just been a wonderful experience." [ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/rss/s_527617.html
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