Corresponding Scans (6/1/45-6/30/45)

June 1, 1945 - June 30, 1945

June 1945

1.) Sambasso
2.) Sambasso
3.) Went to church this morning in town.
4.) Still here at Sombasso. A C. is on alert due to Tito’s men. Red cross girls brought doughnuts today. 27 months overseas today.
5.) Still at Sambasso. Expected Tito’s men to start fighting tonite. They advised us to move by 6 pm but nothing happened. Rec. letter from Dee - birthday card. Also letter + card from Florence.
6.) Sambasso. Red cross girls were here at noon today with doughnuts.
7.) Was relieved today + went to rear area. Had a dance to nite. Am near Udine.
8.) Still here at Udine.
9.) Had another dance tonite
10.) Udine
11.) Udine
12.) Udine My birthday so I went down to our bar + celebrated some.
13.) Udine
14.) Udine
15.) Udine
16.) Udine
17.) Udine
18.) Udine. Today we were awarded the bronze star by a General from the 91st Division. There were 69 of us in all.
19.) Udine
20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26.) Udine
27.) Today 238 replacements from the 85th Div. came in our battalion. Only 4 men from the medics with over 95 points will be going home when the next bunch goes. Came up to A. Co today to relieve Parker who is going home.
28.) A. Co in town of Oleis
29, 30) Oleis.

Notes about May, 1945

I'm going to begin my analysis of the month of May with a continuation of the quotation at the end of the month of April:

...After crossing the river the attack continued to the north. Bn assembled (1-2 May) in vicinity of Treviso and was attached to 85th INF Div as the Armor force of the various task forces continuing the attack to the north and northeast across the Po Valley and into the foothills of the Alps.  On 2 May all enemy troops in Italy and Austria surrendered.  The following days were spent moving north through German occupied rear areas, to secure the Austrian border.  Bn was attached to 91st Inf Div and moved to Manzano vicinity Trieste, where the territorial dispute between Marshall Tito and the Allied High Command was the major issue.  Bn was part of the Armored reserve under II crops.  Bn was relieved from 91st Inf Div and became Corps troops (11 June).  Balance of month spent in preparation for return to the states.

As the document points out, at the beginning of May the 757th was still marching full-steam ahead.  Vernon moved with the Battalion to connect to the 85th Infantry Div, and on May 2nd they started beating a path toward Austria.  Vernon doesn't make record of it, but the next couple of days were witness to some extreme fighting conditions as the 85th met very confused enemies.  Most simply surrendered, but a select few did misguidedly put forth valiant fights, and those poor individuals often met with very tragic outcomes as the Allies slaughtered their way to Austria.

Corresponding Scans (5/1/45-5/31/45)

May 1, 1945 - May 31, 1945

May

1945

1.) Went over to 85th sector + stayed with rear area for nite.
2.) Today we started in convoy at 12 p.m. with 85th to go to Austria. We traveled 43 miles + biv[..] on the road for the nite. A german [sic] general was captured + he surrendered all the troops in Italy. There is no more fighting in Italy.
3.) Today we traveled 57 miles thru the Alps + it was snowing + cold as hell. We reached a town + stayed over nite in german [sic] barracks + slept with them. Rumors are that war in Germany is over.
4.) We are near the border of Austria + german [sic] people live here. This morning we went in a german [sic] house + made our breakfast. The people were very nice + gave us plates to eat out of + let us use their frying pan. This town is full of germans who have surrendered. Expect to stay here tonite + go over the border tomorrow + start fighting again. It is still cold.

Notes about April, 1945 (Part 3 of 3)

After he was rested, Vernon woke up at 8AM on the morning of April 24, 1945, and traveled 15 miles North.  He was still most likely attached to the 91st Infantry Division.  While the 85th and 88th Infantry Divisions headed north to the town of Verona, the 91st headed North by Northeast to the town of Vicenza.  He then spent the next couple of days trying to cross the Po River.

The bridges over the Po had been deliberately destroyed by the Axis Forces.  As Vernon was attached to a tank Battalion, the solution was not to simply swim the river.  It took the army corps of engineers a couple days to cross the Po.  At 5:05 PM on April 26, 1945, Vernon and the 757th Tank finally crossed the Po.  He then travelled 15 miles north to the town of Legnago Italy, and slept for the night.

Records Disappeared in Fire

I received this letter today from the National Personnel Records Center:

March 12, 2010

RE: Veteran's Name: HOSCHETTE, VERNON P.
SSN/SN: 37274XXX
Request Number: 1-7351509XXX

Good News - Vernon listed in Online Database

I have made a few attempts to get Vernon recognized in online databases devoted to World War II combat veterans.  What I have found so far is that not only is Vernon not listed, but there seems to be no record of the 757th Tank Battalion whatsoever.

I received an email this morning from Allen Cooley at the World War II History Center in El Dorado, Kansas.  Outside of the "Vernon Hoschette: World War II Records" website I'm creating, Vernon and the 757th will now be listed in their database:

Notes about April, 1945 (Part 2 of 3)

On April 16th, 1945, months of planning culminated in the kick-off of the last Allied offensive in Italy.  Fascist Italy was not a serious competitor at this point in the war.  Mussolini had been at most a puppet ruler propped up by Hitler and his army.  When Allied soldiers marched into and occupied Rome in early June, 1944, his illusory control over Italy effectively disappeared.  But while the Italian Fascists had little power, the five remaining Italian divisions were working in conjunction with twenty-four German divisions, and giving the Allies one hell of a fight in Northern Italy.  And while technically the Allies had yet to suffer defeat at the hands of these divisions, their victories had cost the lives of tens of thousands of American lives.

The Axis forces had set up three lines of defense.  One "protected Bologna and blocked entry into the east-west Po Valley."  The second was a "defensive line along the Po River itself," and the third lay in the "Alpine foothills...dubbed the Adige Line after the river of the same name." (Source: Po Valley, 1945).  When the offensive began, Vernon was located in Loiano, just south of the first Axis defensive line in Bologna.

Notes about April, 1945 (Part 1 of 3)

As I promised in my notes at the end of March, April 1945 was quite the explosive month!  The many months of planning, fortifying their positions, and deceiving the enemy as to troop movements and whereabouts paid off.  The men of the 757th Tank Battalion, along with the 85th, 88th, and 34th infantry division mobilized like they had never before, and began the northward march. 

I've decided to split up my analysis of April into three sections for numerous reasons.  First, I don't have the time to do all of the necessary research for the month of April, work nine hours a day, and spend time with my beautiful wife all at the same time.  Second, notice that Vernon was able to describe the month of March in a little bit over two journal pages.  April is 14 jam-packed journal pages.  And third, there are several

Corresponding Scans (4/1/45-4/30/45)

April 1, 1945 - April 30, 1945

April
1945

1.) Easter Sun. 6th day here. Went to Mass + Comm. this a.m. but no confession.
2.) Mon. 7th day with Asslt. Red Cross girl came here today with doughnuts.
3.) Tues. 8th day with Asslts. Received picture of D. Spiltz today.
4.) Wed. 9th day with Asslt. Wrote a letter to D. Spiltz.
5.) Thurs. 10th day with Asslts. Should get relieved today but didn’t.
6.) Fri. 11th day with Asslts. Should get relieved today for sure. Got relieved this morning was back at camp by noon at Loiano
7.) Loiano. Artillery went up big barrages tonite at 10:30 to 11. It wasn’t an attack just time on target shooting
8.) Loiano. Another barrage went over tonite same as last nite. Soon the summer offensive will begin + its supposed to be the biggest ever staged in Italy yet. It is said the skies will be black with planes + artillery barrage will be bigger than ever. Reason for such an offensive is that they don’t want another Cassino episode or stalemate.

757th Tank Battalion - Medical Detachment

This is a picture of the 757th Tank Battalion - Medical Detachment.

Vernon's hand-written inscription on the back reads:

Med. Det. 757 Tk. Bn. (L.)


Taken Feb. 26 - 1953

Reading front row,

left to right

1. Leo Palucki

Notes about March, 1945

I have been incredibly busy scanning a lot of pictures, and haven't had an opportunity to post my notes about March, 1945 yet.  My hopes are to post my notes later this evening.  I will say that there are a lot of documents (pictures, medals, etc.) that complement the month of March very nicely.

I will make sure to post these and my historical analysis shortly.

UPDATE

The month of March is very sparse in terms of content, and somewhat not surprisingly also creates a few mysteries.  There are a few people mentioned, and I want to make sure information about them is made clear first.

1) On March 1, 1945, Vernon writes "Golden went home on furlough today."  I can only assume this is reference to fellow 757th Tanker, Solomon B. Golden.  He is pictured in my post here .  He is fifth from the left in the second row of men.

Corresponding Scans (3/1/45-3/31/45)

March 1, 1945 - March 31, 1945

1945
March

1.) Thurs. 5th day today with assault. Golden went home on furlough today.
2.) Assault Plt. Friday.
3.) Sat. 7th day with assault. Few shells come in but not close at all.
4.) Sun. 8th day with assault. 2 years today we came overseas.
5.) Mon.) Relieved today.
6.) Tues. Went to Florence on rest.
7.) Rest camp
8.) Rest camp
9.) Rest Camp
10.) Came back today. Bn. Is attached to 34th Div.
11.) Loiano
12.) Loiano.
13.) Loiano.
14.) Loiano.
15.) Loiano.
16.) Loiano.
17.) Loiano. Received letter + picture of Dolores Campbell today + she is pretty nice.

Interesting Photographs - Possibly Italy

These photographs have no inscriptions on the back, but could possibly be from his time in Italy.  I have digitally enhanced these photographs to the best of my abilities.  The originals are quite faded, and practically opaque due to their age:

I'm pretty sure this is either an abandoned Pak 38 or Pak 40.  I am not at all familiar with WWII-era anti-tank weaponry, so I encouarge anyone who knows more about the subject to correct me if I'm wrong.  For all I know this might not be a Nazi anti-tank gun at all.

Notes about February, 1945

There are several corresponding documents that I have read through that are of note.  One is a well-prepared summary of the movements of the 757th Tank Battalion between February 1944 and June 1945.  There is an entry in the log that reads:

1 Jan - 31 Mar 45: The Bn was in the Apennines during Jan, Feb and Mar with elements attached to 34th, 88th, and 91st Inf Div.  Aggressive patrolling by the Inf within the sector required direct fire support from tanks, but the enemy remained sensitive to any reconnaissance. To support these actions, additional tanks were placed in position where they could be more effectively used for direct fire.

It thus appears that the 757th was used by the different infantry divisions for tactical support.  From what I've

Corresponding Scans (2/1/45-2/28/45)

February 1, 1945 - February 28, 1945

February
1945

1.) Loiano. Germans say Russians are 45 miles from Berlin.
2.) Loiano. Our reports are that Russians are 45 miles from Berlin. Krauts changed their minds & say they will not evacuate Berlin but will fight to the end for it.
3.) Loiano
4.) Loiano
5.) Loiano
6.) Loiano
7.) Loiano
8.) Loiano
9.) Loiano. Shelled.
10.) Loiano Shelled a little today but no harm done seriously. One man had finger blown off & another little hit in leg but not serious. Furlough are in effect now for medics & one has been chosen today but wasn’t revealed who until the day he leaves. We expect a man to go home every month now. Names of men are put in helmet & Co. Commander draws out one name & he goes.

Notes about January, 1945

Tracking the movements of the 757th Tank Battalion has proven to be quite difficult, and something that I've decided to postpone until after the complete archival record has been created.  Some preliminary research into the issue has elucidated why it so difficult.  The tank battalions of World War II were not like modern-day battalions, which are normally considered to be the smallest unit capable of carrying on independent operations without tactical support.  The WWII tank battalions were comprised of much smaller numbers of men, and were often passed around to different army divisions as needed.  Vernon makes references to being attached to several different infantry divisions throughout his time overseas, and eventually I will compile the complete history of the 757th Tank Battalion itself.  For now all I can say with certainty is that the Battalion was made up of several companies of men - so far I know of A, B, and C companies.  Vernon was a member of B Company.

For an idea about how difficult tracking the tank battalions can be, and what the end result of my battalion research would look like, I recommend viewing this history of the 746th Tank Battalion:

http://home.hiwaay.net/~blan/

Now as for the historical references, there are few interesting things to note about his January notes:

Addendum to "Notes about Editing"

There's a few points of clarification that need to be made about my process in general. Perhaps this project would be easier to understand if I were to compile the documents in chronological order. That way we could start from the day that Vernon was drafted, and trace his trip from St. Paul to boot camp, to North Africa, up through Sicily, and finally into mainland and Northern Italy. This would probably answer a lot of strategic questions. To which Army Divisions was his tank battalion attached? What were their strategic objectives? Why were they in Northern Italy in 1945 when they were at one point in Casablanca? Etc.

I don't have answers to a lot of these questions because I'm not a history professor, and I've decided to compile the documents in order of "least complication." While Vernon has some very thorough records that document his life all the way back to the beginning of 1942 - before he was even drafted - his later journals are much more thorough, and more importantly, much more legible. I figure that it will be much more easy to start with his good handwriting, and work my way backward to his hastily-written scrawl.

Corresponding Scans (1/1/45-1/31/45)

January 1, 1945 - January 31, 1945

Journal A

[Inside Front Cover:]
“Property of Vernon Hoschette Med. With 757 Tank Batt.”
First Page:
I owe
John Grove – 2.20 for ticket at the bar pd.
Wenjant - $3.00 pd.
Seif - $10.00 5.00 pd
Banicki – 5.00
Banicki - $20.00
Seifert - $5.00
Banicki - $50.00 pd
Banicki - $67.00 pd
Olav 10.00

1945
January

1.) At front with B. Co. Was relieved at 7:30 p.m. today. Went back to kitchen over mule track of 2 miles + slept there outside without any cover. Snowed a little during nite but slept warmer / had feather tech under me + slept in army sleeping bag.

Purpose of Project

The recent passing of my Grandmother, Veronica Hoschette (pronounced Ho-Shay), has inspired me to undertake a project I have been postponing for years. Her husband, my maternal grandather, died when I was four years old, and because of this I have very few memories of Vernon. I have heard many stories about Vernon throughout the years, most of which center around his remarkable sense of humor. My father maintains to this day that the two funniest people he's ever met are Vernon Hoschette, and Vernon Hoschette after a few Brandy 7's. My mother maintains that he's one of the kindest souls who ever lived.

Whatever the case, what most interests me about my Grandpa Vernon is his service to our country in World War II. There's a whole host of rumors as to what transpired while he was serving abroad, and many of them conflict. One story has it that he took a flights suit off of a dead Nazi. One story has him holed up in a French castle for months, surviving off of SPAM and rum. Yet another story has him lying on his belly in the mud for months on end, advancing only inches per day through the Italian front. Which stories are true?