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ANZIO BEACHHEAD REUNION 2008 St. Louis, MO From May 1st through 5th, 2008 |
Click onto the link above for information
Also here is the website for the USS ANZIO CG-68
http://www.cnsl.spear.navy.mil/ships/anzio/
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"The Planning"
The idea of establishing an association composed of veterans from all services and nationalities that served with the Allied Forces on the beachhead and/or supported "Operation Shingle" was the brainchild of a former member of the 1st Armored Division, 1st Lt. William H. Bland of Sanford, Florida with the help of his wife Helen and Frank and Betty Perkins.
The charter members met in Sanford in March 1980 with eighty-seven present, including spouses. From this small representation of the many thousands that were involved in "Operation Shingle" interest in the organization had grown to almost 2,000 members and 1,000 Associate Members (mainly spouses of members). At recent reunions, attendants have numbered over 400.
In March 1982, steps were taken to incorporate the organization as a non-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Florida. Following the issuance of a Charter by the State of Florida, the IRS was requested and was granted non-profit, tax-exempt status on February 2, 1983.
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"Officers" President-------John Boller Vice President---Carmen Cook 2nd Vice President-Walter Sekula Immediate Past President---James Bird Secretary-----------Beverly Hoercher Treasurer-----------John Boller
"Board Members" Edward Benezech Loren Hoercher James Bird Frank Perkins Earl Fries John Ivancik |
"USS ANZIO CG68"
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USS ANZIO was named in honor of the men and women who served at Anzio. She will sail the seas dedicated to preserving the freedom won on the Anzio beachhead while keeping alive the boundless bravery and fighting spirit of each Anzio Veteran. |
"THE BATTLE OF ANZIO"
In late 1943, the Allied campaign to liberate Italy from the hands of the Germans was at a stalemate along the "Gustave Line," a natural stronghold of mountainous terrain stretching across the country just north of Naples. General Mark Clark, commanding the American 5th Army, ordered Operation Shingle; amphibious assaults on the beachheads at Anzio/Nettuno, north of the Gustave Line, to clear the road to Rome. Forty Thousand Allied troops of the American 5th Army, 6th Corps and the British First Infantry Division were landed on January 22, 1944.
After initial success, the Allies were pinned down on the beachhead by a vastly superior German force. The Germans eventually committed 80,000 additional troops to the Italian campaign to "push the Allies back into the sea." Through bravery and heroism, the Allies held the beachhead. Finally, with long awaited reinforcements, the Allies broke out in late May and ultimately marched victoriously into Rome, the Eternal City, in June 1944.
The strategic importance of the Battle of Anzio in the liberation of Italy is well documented. The campaign's contribution to the overall Allied effort in Europe, however, is often underestimated. The two German corps engaged on the Anzio front were originally destined for Normandy. The success of the Allied landings on the beaches in France in June 1944 were due largely to the tenacity of the Allied forces at Anzio.
But the price of this crucial victory was high. Allied forces suffered nearly 28,000 casualties. In one measure of the courage and sacrifice of those who fought there, 22 Americans were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the most of any single battle of World War II.
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Red, White and Blue
3rd Infantry Division:
www.warfoto.com/3rdiv.htm |
History on Anzio:
www.army.mil/cmh-pg/brochures/anzio/72-19.htm |
36th Infantry Division:
pub6.ezboard.com/ftexasmilitaryforcesmuseum36thinfantrydivision.htm
1st Armored Division:
www.1ad.army.mil/
www.baumholder.army.mil/museum/Museum.htm
