My father was a member of the 53rd armored infantry battalion. He spoke very little of his experiences overseas ( Central Europe I think ). I do know that he was very proud of his service and that he lost most of his brothers in many different wars. As far as I know he was the only one in his family that returned from war. He passed away about a year ago and I have been trying to gather info on what he was involved in while he was deployed. I have checked the internet, maybe not the right places, but have been unable to find any substantial info on what his experiences may have been. What I do know is that he served in the air corps before the divisions were split and then drove food and supply trucks to the front line. There are rumors of consentration camp liberations which would make sense of his silence. He was an " Andy Griffith " kind of guy and would not want to share that kind of info to his inquisitive (then) 8 year old daughter. He told me at that time never to ask again. I didn't. Now that he has passed away and I am in my 40's I want to know. Any info would be tremendously appreciated. Thank you for your time and your help.
The 53rd Armored Infantry Battalion was part of the 4th Armored Divsion, look for the it and you will find info on the 53rd AIB. They saw heavy action all the way across Northwest Europe as part of the US 1st and 3rd Armies. One of it's commanders was Creighton Abrams for whom the US Army's M1 Abrams tank currently in use is named for. This division led the spearhead to relieve Combat Command B of the 10 Armored Division and 101st Airborne Division surrounded at Bastogne Belguim, December 1944. It's sad that your father couldn't speak of what he did for I am sure he saw a lot of history being made, and probably saw way too many friends killed or maimed. I hope he died knowing how much we appreciated his time spent defending this country. Some links to help get you started. The Units Lone Sentry: The 4th Armored: From the Beach to Bastogne -- WWII G.I. Stories Booklet Fact Sheet of the 4th Armored Division The 4th Armored Division 4th Armored Division in the Encirclement of Nancy U.S. Army Divisions of World War II: 4th Armored Division, Casualties, Generals, Battles & Campaigns
My Uncle Nolan was killed in action with the 53rd on Sept.30 1944. Near Arracourt and Nancy , France. He is at rest in Lorraine American Cemtery, France. I plan to visit his grave site in June 2009. I would like to visit battlefield area where he gave his life for the freedom of others. Is there any specific information on the battle of Sept 30,1944? Where can it be found? Is it easy to get to that battle area from Lorraine? Dear Slipdigit, thank you for the information you already provided. I finally have a history of Uncle Nolan's Unit and what great contributions they made in the war. Thanks to everyone involved in this web site. Danny
