Louis Daniel Thompson was born 30 January 1916 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, to David and Florence Thompson. Louis attended public schools in West Virginia, but dropped out of school at age 15 to go to work helping to support the family during the Great Depression. He was employed as a truck driver and made deliveries for businesses in the local area and surrounding counties. For six years his main employer was the Martinsburg Laundry Company of Martinsburg, WV.
Louis married Mary Loretta Kern of Harpers Ferry, WV on the 6th of January 1940. Together they lived in Martinsburg, WV until Louis was inducted into the Army on 26 December 1942, entering active duty service at Clarksburg, WV. He was assigned to the 202nd Field Artillery Battalion and trained in Texas and Oklahoma. He qualified as a marksman with the U.S. Carbine, Cal. .30, M1.
Louis’s wife, Mary Loretta, followed him to Texas and vowed to stay there in the room she rented in a boarding house until he returned after the war as she figured it may be a couple months. But Louis persuaded her to return to West Virginia, so she went back to Harpers Ferry and lived with her parents for the duration of the war.
Louis’s Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was Truck Driver Light (345). He drove all types of vehicles including jeeps, half tracks, half and three quarter ton trucks carrying ammunition for the 155mm guns. As most all men during the war, Louis did an assortment of other duties, one of which was putting up telephone, telegraph, and electric wires for the signal command. This would become valuable experience for him later after the war.
Louis departed the US on the 19th of January 1944, bound for Ireland aboard a troop ship, and arriving there 10 days later.
The next year the 202nd Field Artillery Battalion’s battles, engagements, and movements from Normandy, through Central Europe to the Rhineland are a matter of history as detailed in the book “Howitzers, Grasshoppers, and the Holy Right Hand” by John Niesel.
Louis was never wounded during the war and was in Europe for less than two years, so his accumulation of discharge “points” was 73.
Louis was awarded the following decorations:
The American Theatre Service Medal,
The European African Middle Eastern Service Medal for the battles of Normandy, Northern France,
Central Europe, and Rhineland
The World War II Victory Medal
The Good Conduct Medal
On 21 November 1945, he departed from Europe aboard a troop ship and arrived at Boston, Massachusetts on 1 December. Louis was honorably discharged from the Army at the SeparationCenter, Ft. Meade, Maryland on 6 December 1945. After returning home to West Virginia, he and Mary moved to Charles Town, and Louis went to work for the Potomac Edison Power Company where he stayed for more than 30 years. In addition, Louis had a “hobby job” repairing television sets and radios.
Louis and his wife never had any children. He would not talk about his experiences during the war but it was evident to all the family that it bothered him tremendously. In February 1985 Louis died at home after looking at the pictures of his time at war.
Louis’s biography provided by Michael Basore, nephew.
Weimer, Elmer Gordon was born in Frederick, Tillman Co., Oklahoma on 22 August 1920, one of 13 children of Katie Ledbetter and Marion Haynes Weimer. His family moved to Blaine Co., OK when he was a child.
Elmer joined the Civilian Conservation Corps at the age of seventeen.
Two years later, in 1939, he joined the National Guard.
Elmer enlisted in the Army on 14 September 1940 at Watonga, OK and his National Guard unit was inducted into Federal service on 16 September 1940.At the time of his enlistment, he was a resident of Blaine County, OK.
His MOS was Chief of Section, Medium Artillery (864).At a supervisory level, Elmer was responsible for control, coordination and tactical employment of medium artillery pieces and crew members.
He was assigned to “C” Battery.
Staff Sergeant Weimer was awarded a Good Conduct Medal on 21 May 1945 in Salzburg, Austria.
At the conclusion of the War, he was temporarily assigned to “C” Battery, 772nd Field Artillery Battalion for the trip home.He arrived back in the United States on 19 September 1945. Elmer was honorably discharged from the Army on 25 September 1945 at the SeparationCenter at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas with the rank of Staff Sergeant.
After the War, he rejoined his family in Porterville, California.Elmer married and had three children.He worked as a carpenter for many years.
In 1960 he moved to Costa Mesa, CA and worked in underground construction as a superintendent. He began a job with the City of Fountain Valley as an inspector in 1963. Elmer retired in 1982 as a Senior Construction Inspector.
He and his wife lived in Las Vegas, Nevada from 1988 to 1992.
Elmer died in Orange Co., California on 28 November 1992 at the age of 72.
Elmer's biography submitted by his daughter, Connie Weimer Genter Hoppe
Darlington, Bruce Aquilla was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia on 31 December 1920 the son of Arvella Meadows and Lawson Darlington. He enlisted in the Army on 18 December 1942 at Clarksburg, WV and entered into active service on 26 December.
Private Darlington qualified as a marksman with the M1 Carbine and M1 Rifle in 1943.He also attended Cooks and BakersSchool at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.His MOS was Truck Driver, Light (345).Bruce was assigned to HQ Battery. He was with the Deuce-O-Deuce throughout its combat duty in Europe.
Bruce left the European Theater of Operations at Marseilles, France on 11 May 1945 aboard the S.S. JOHN SULLIVAN and arrived at the Port of New York, New York on 2 June 1945.The JOHN SULLIVAN was owned by the Shepard Steamship Company and consigned to the War Shipping Administration. His early separation from the Army was due to the death of his mother.Bruce was honorably discharged from the Army at the SeparationCenter at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland with the rank of Private First Class on 6 August 1945.
The following year, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces which became the independent United States Air Force in 1947.
Bruce Darlington with wrecker that he drove
U.S. Air Forceca. 1949
Bruce met and married the love of his life, Helen Porter, at Sumter, South Carolina in 1947.He was stationed at Shaw Field at the time. It was renamed Shaw Air Force Base in 1948. Bruce was also stationed at Wiesbaden Air Base in Germany in 1949. During the Berlin Airlift, more than 80 tons of food and supplies were airlifted from Wiesbaden Air Base.Bruce drove a wrecker and a bus.
Bruce Darlington with the bus that he drove
(note newly designed rank chevrons on uniform)
U.S. Air Forceca. 1948-1950
He was honorably discharged from the Air Force on 20 April 1950 with the rank of Private First Class (the United States Air Force retained the Army Air Forces rank structure until 1952).
Bruce and Helen had five children. The family moved to Jacksonville, North Carolina in 1963 and Bruce opened a salvage yard.He operated the business until his death.
He was a member and deacon of the BlueCreekBaptistChurch, Onslow Shrine Club and SudanShrineTemple, New Bern Scottish Rite, Order of Eastern Star and Lafayette Masonic Lodge.
Bruce died on 16 May 1987 in Jacksonville, North Carolina at the age of 66.
He was buried on 18 May 1987 in OnslowMemorial Park in Jacksonville.
Bruce’s biography submitted by his daughter, Sharon A. Lee
Slemmer, George William was born in Okeene, Blaine County, Oklahoma on 27 March 1910 the son of Nora Parks and Harry Slemmer.
He received his B. A. degree in 1932 and his M. S. degree in Chemistry in 1939 at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.
George was a Lieutenant in the National Guard when his unit was inducted into Federal service on 16 September 1940.He was later promoted to Captain and held assignments in the Battalion as Liaison Officer, Assistant Intelligence Officer, Commander of Headquarters Battery, Assistant to Plans and Training Officer, and Commander of Supply Battery.
In December 1943, he took a small advance party from Camp Howze, Texas, to Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England, crossing the Atlantic on the troopship RMS Queen Elizabeth.The ship carried 13,000 troops.From Kidderminster, the party went to CampDrumilly on the Manor House grounds near Loughgall in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, where the rest of the Battalion arrived on 28 January 1944.
On 18 January 1945, George was transferred to the 312th Field Artillery Battalion of the 79th Infantry Division as Battalion S-3 (Operations Officer). He was honorably discharged from the Army in May 1946.
George became an Instructor of Chemistry in the Liberal Arts Division of the Long BeachCityCollege, Long Beach, California, a two year junior college with about 3,500 students. He was Vice-President of the Long Beach Association of Phi Beta Kappa in 1951-52 and Treasurer in 1952-53.
George died in Los Angeles, CA on 17 February 1991at the age of 80.
Alvin Guillard “Gil” Simpson was born on 24 October 1916 in CrystalSprings, Pennsylvania to Leah C. and Alvin H. Simpson. His family lived at Wells Tannery, Fulton Co., PA.Gil attended HustontownHigh School and finished the eleventh grade.In 1935, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, helping to clear fire trails in the mountains and clean up flood damage in the town of Sunbury, PA.The Susquehanna River flooded the town in March of 1936 and caused over 4 million dollars in damage.
Gil moved to Michigan in 1937. He worked two years for Steinbaugh Funeral Home in Ferndale, MI as the ambulance driver and Braum Lumber as a trailer truck driver.
Gil enlisted in the Army on 18 June 1941 at Detroit, Michigan.He then reported to the Field Artillery Replacement Training Center at Fort Sill, Oklahoma for his basic training.His MOS was Truck Driver, Light (345).He drove 2 ½-ton capacity (or less) vehicles to transport personnel and equipment.
Private Gil Simpson in 1941
Technician Fifth Grade (Corporal) Simpson was assigned to “B” Battery, 2nd Battalion, 189th Field Artillery at Camp Barkeley, Texas.
The 2nd Battalion of the 189th Field Artillery became the 1st Battalion of the 202nd Field Artillery on 11 February 1942.
Gil was married to Shurley on 1 November 1942 while home on leave.
Alviv G. Simpson in 1/4 Ton, 4X4, Truck-Standard (jeep) Alvin G. Simpson and 1942 Dodge 3/4 Ton WC series Command/Reconnaissance truck marked on rear fender "189th Field Artillery" circa 1942
Gil was with the Deuce-O-Deuce throughout its combat duty in Europe.Gil was a Scout (Reconnaissance NCO) Service Specialty Number 761 and transported the Battery Commander to seek bivouac locations.Once an area was chosen and secured, he would return to “bring up Battery B”.
Gil’s greatest fear was not that of being killed, but of being captured.His vehicle contained orders and Officers’ papers.The Germans were known to torture drivers in order to obtain the unit’s operational details contained therein.He stated… “I couldn’t imagine having to eat all that paper if I were captured.”
During the night of 10 November 1944, near Ménil-Flin, Lorraine, France, “B” Battery came under heavy bombardment from German 10.5cm artillery fire.The Unit Journal narrative described the situation:
The shelling lasted for an hour and a half.No casualties resulted but quite a bit of equipment was riddled by shell fragments.The kitchen fly in Battery “B” received a direct hit, scattering “C” Rations about the landscape.A small dump of powder was set afire but quickly extinguished by T/4 Walton (Sgt. William R. Walton), T/5 Fickus (Cpl. Frank W. Fickus, Jr.) and T/5 Simpson (Cpl. Alvin G. Simpson).
Gil said that the powder dump fire occurred about 0015 Hours on 11 November and that S/Sgt Casimer “Cas” V. Sobieski also assisted in extinguishing the blaze. Technician Fifth Grade (Corporal) Simpson was later awarded a Bronze Star for his actions on that night.The presentation was made by Brigadier General Edward Stanley Ott, Commanding General of XV Corps Artillery on 29 December 1944 in the vicinity of Bining, Lorraine, France.
T/5 (Cpl) Gil Simpson refueling 1942 Dodge 3/4 Ton, Command/Reconnaissance truck in Europe 1944 or 1945
At the end of the War, the Battalion was in Salzburg, Austria.After a champagne celebration of the defeat, Gil was put on special duty – helping to return POW’s to their homelands.
He was temporarily assigned to “C” Battery, 772nd Field Artillery Battalion for the trip home.Their staging area was Camp Lucky Strike.Gil embarked from Le Havre, France aboard the U.S.A.T. ARGENTINA on 18 October 1945 and arrived in New York City on 25 October.There were over 50 other men of the 202nd aboard.
Gil was honorably discharged from the Army at Unit“B”SeparationCenter at Indian Gap Military Reservation, Pennsylvania on 29 October 1945 with the rank of Technician Fifth Grade (Corporal).In addition to his Bronze Star, he received the American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze service stars.He is also entitled to the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, World War II Victory Medal and an additional service star on his European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal for participation in the Ardennes-Alsace Campaign.
In January 1946, Gil went to work for his father-in-law in his printing business under a U. S. government sponsored apprenticeship program.It was a two man shop located in Ferndale, Michigan.Gil became the owner of the company, Commercial Printing, in 1963.
He retired in November of 1981.Gil and his wife Shurley then had time to travel, as there was little time for vacations during his working years.One trip took them to Europe where they retraced some of the routes he had taken so many years prior with the Deuce-O-Deuce.
Gil lives in retirement in Michigan.
Biography provided by Alvin G. Simpson, transcribed by his daughter, Mary
All information and images Copyright 2010 Framing History
