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German submarine in Chicago...The U-505
Hey wanna know more about me?
I've been collecting WW2 "Stuff" since 1984. I am a WW2 Oral Historian,Archivest and Private collector,living in Kentucky. My main passion is Original WW2 photos,insignia,"Autographed" items from Famous Veterans,& Going out on the weekends buying "MORE" ww2 items.ALWAYS BUYING ITEMS RELATING TO THE 80TH DIV. Let me know what you have.
Here is an article "About Me" that ran in the Lexington Herald last year.
Reared by his grandparents for a good part of his youth in Indiana. The times in which they lived might explain his fascination and love of all things connected with the 1940s, especially World War II.
My grandfather was a WWII veteran, so I gained an appreciation of those veterans through him.
Since the age of 16, I have collected World War II memorabilia; for the past 11 years I have interviewed WW2 veterans, trying to get down on tape what they saw.
Later, I into my eighth-grade history teacher one evening and told her i had conducted my first interview and how excited i was about that. She told me to interview her husband, a D-Day veteran and the superintendent of local Community Schools.
It was that veteran who pointed out how important it was to record Oral History. It is a history that will disappear as time passes. Each year, more and more veterans pass away, taking what they know with them.
I want to put the full interviews in book form for possible publication. The recordings themselves, once all have been transcribed, will be sent to the Library of Congress, where there is a World War II oral history project.
"It would basically be like Tom Brokaws book. "When I picked up "The Greatest Generation", I was like, 'That's what I want to do.'"
"Unless they have written a book about their experience, no one is ever going to know it,Bits and pieces will be told to family members, and the pieces to the puzzle will not be complete.
"When I interview a person I try to get their complete story, from when they were born, where they were born, where they went into boot camp until when they came home, and how they feel about America today."
Everyone has a story to tell, and by telling those stories, history can be fully documented.
"Stuff" in my collection...
Most of my WW2 collection consists of original photographs, *About 90%* I have been collecting Photographs for 8 yrs now and have several Rare/Signed photos. This is a "Signed" original Photo I designed for ** D-DAY 2nd Ranger Leonard Lomell ** and This is what he SENT BACK to me.
**Luther D. LeCount**
A WW2 Veteran of the 80th Division 319th Inf Reg. 2nd Battalion. Co H.
Here is my Grandfathers Service Record.
Service: U.S.Army *Induction:July 8, 1942*
80TH BLUE RIDGE
My grandfather, Luther D.LeCount passed away Feb 1st 1999, he was 82 yrs old. God be with him. He entered service in Toledo, Ohio and was a heavy mortarman/forward observer,having received the combat infantry badge, rifle,carbine, BAR, sharpshooter,& pistol marksman qualification awards.
Medals Received:
EAME CAMPAIGN MEDAL W/2 BATTLE STARS.
PURPLE HEART(3 times) w/2 oakleaf clusters.
BRONZE STAR (2 TIMES) w/1 oakleaf & V insignia for VALOR.
GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL.
WW2 VICTORY MEDAL.
CONTINENTAL SERVICE: 2 YEARS,1 MONTH, 29 DAYS.
CAMPAIGNS/BATTLES: NORTHERN FRANCE.&GERMANY.
SERVICE OVERSEAS: 8 MONTHS 3 DAYS.
My Grandfather was a member of the 80th Blue Ridge Division, 319th INF REG.2nd Battallion, CO. "H" As a forward observer during WW2 and was wounded 3 times in Europe.
Here he is 50 years later. STILL FITS!..*s*
He also recieved the Bronze star 2 times w/ the "V" device for "VALOR".
Luther, my "Grandpa" was a hero in the true sense. as well as all who served in WW2. "Gramps" never wanted to talk about the war, and when he did I didnt hesitate to learn & listen.
He told me one time, he and a Lt. had helped save a town called Heiderschied,Luxembourg
The 319h Infantry had continued its battle by sending the 2d Battalion against Heiderscheid, which lay on the Ettelbruck-Bastogne route and from which a secondary road ran laterally west to Martelange across the 26th Division zone of advance. Just north of Heiderscheid were several crossing points on the Sure River, the chief natural obstacle to be surmounted by the 80th Division in its march northward. The 2d Battalion (Lt. Col. Paul Bandy) reached Heiderscheid about 0230 on the morning of the 23d, but when two rifle companies neared the edge of the village they were stopped by assault gun fire and machine guns firing tracers to point the targets for the gun crews. Infantrymen with submachine guns worked close enough to fire bursts into the positions from which the orange line of the tracers came but could not deal with the German assault guns. Two American tanks belonging to the 702d Tank Battalion came forward only to be checked by a mine field at a crossroad. A German gun took a shot at the tanks but in so doing gave away its own location, and a quick return shot set the assault gun afire. Guided by the light from the blazing gun carriage the American riflemen rushed the gendarmerie, took it, and there barricaded themselves. About this time the explosion of a German shell detonated the mine field, and the tanks ground forward to the village. An hour or so before noon the last of the stubborn defenders had been routed out and the 2d Battalion was north of the village.
The fight was not finished, for at noon two enemy companies converged in a yelling assault on Heiderscheid. Some of the 2d Battalion broke but the rest stood firm, killed the German infantry commander, and wrote quietus to this threat. Then affairs took a more serious turn as eleven enemy tanks hove in sight, decks and cupolas packed with snow for camouflage. While a hurried call was dispatched for armored aid, bazooka teams crawled forward to try their luck. Two of the enemy tanks fell prey to the bazooka teams, led by 2d Lt. Michael Hritsik, whereupon the others showed themselves loath to close in. Friendly tank destroyers appeared in time to account for four more German tanks, and an American tank knocked out a fifth.
What my Grandfather did was go to the highest point in town, and direct mortar fire on advancing tanks. this in turn gave time for re-enforcements to counter attack..
***Actual Quote from a WW2 Vet I interviewed***
(This quote from a WW2 vet of the 612th Tand Destroyer Battalion, recorded in August of 2002.)
Me: Did you have the M-1 Garand?
Vet: I had the M-1 Rifle.
Me: What did you think of the rifle?
Vet: It was EXTRA GOOD..You put it on it and hold it....it dood the work.
THE FIVE MOST DANGEROUS THINGS TO HEAR... A Private saying, "I learned this in Basic Training..." A Sergeant saying, "Trust me, sir..." A Second Lieutenant saying, "Based on my experience..." A Captain saying, "I was just thinking..." A First Sergeant chuckling, "Watch this shit..."
***WANTED TO BUY*** WW2 Relics..
American German Japanese Items
Medals. (Named medals especially wanted)
Uniforms
Photographs.Captured flag photos, anything: bombed,wrecked,crashed,
or destroyed. Dead soldiers & grave shots / cemetery pics
Photo Albums
Discharge Papers
Sweetheart Jewelry
V-mail with greetings.Picture V-Mail. (X-mas, New years, Holiday)
Daggers/Combat Knives
Dog Tags. must be dated (example: T-42 or T-44 etc.)
Money/Currancy
Production award documents
E-awards (example: silver pin with E in center)
Web Equipment (Example: Ammo Belts, Canteens, Mess kits, Personal gear
Anything related to the 80th Blue Ridge Division (WW2 ONLY)
This is a Picture of my BLOODCHIT from the CBI
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