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Forward
Amnesia is an awful disease. Few diseases are more frightening or disabling than amnesia because it strikes at the root of one's identity, their memory. Our identities are little more than the sum of our experiences. When we lose the capacity to remember where we have been, whom we have met and what we have done, we lose our identity. The identity of the family proceeds the identity of the individual; indeed, knowledge of one's family is required to answer the question: "Who are you?" (Answer: "Bob Blaskiewicz." Follow up: "Junior or Senior?") Because the family is woven into the fabric of our identities, it is amazing how easily the exploits of our ancestors are forgotten, how easily we lose sight of where our ancestors have been, and whom they have known and what they have done. In order to maintain our own identities, to know who we are, we must recollect and preserve our own family's history. For this reason, we have written "John's War".
"John's War", in its present incarnation, accounts for John Blaskiewicz's experiences in Europe with the 103rd Infantry Division in as exact detail as is possible at this time. From Nov 1944 until May 1945, John fought in Company "L" of the 3rd Battalion, 410th Regiment, 103rd Infantry Division. John rarely spoke of his time in Europe. Before we undertook this project, our understanding of John's experiences overseas was fragmented and disjointed, and most of what we knew survived only in anecdotal form. Whenever possible, we have specified actions at the company level, but even the actions of battalions are rarely sited in official reports. At times, we have only been able to discern details at the regiment level.
In our effort to uncover as much detail as possible, we have consulted numerous sources. The 103rd's Report after Action, the divisional "yearbook", was a most useful source. Keith E. Bonn's When the Odds were Even provided valuable insight into the 7th Army's Vosges Campaign. Primary sources included company reports, the order of battle, and U.S. and German intelligence summaries. Eventually, as more sources and information become available, we will include the observations of members of "L" Company into the narrative, as well as expand the time frame to include John's time in the service. Many of the photos appearing in the narrative appear courtesy of veterans of "L" Co. Sonny Dahlman, Edna Webster and Jeanette Blaskewicz also supplied useful information as well as several photographs. John's letters to Kathleen Sargent, though they were censored during the war, provided many useful details, and it is interesting to note that the frequency of these letters is greatly diminished at the moments when John's unit was committed to action. These letters have been excerpted and italicized and punctuate the narrative. In order to help orient the reader chronologically, we have included information about the home front in bold type to show what was happening in St. Louis as John moved across Europe.
Recovering this information has been an enlightening experience. The 103rd played a significant, yet typical, role in World War II. Through our research not only have we come to realize the magnitude of the achievements and sacrifices of John's generation, but consequentially, we better understand our family's history and ourselves.
Robert J. Blaskiewicz
Robert J. Blaskiewicz, Jr.
(March 15, 1999)
