I am seeking information on two particular aviation engineer battalions that served in the Pacific during the war. The 1871st was a black enlisted battalion of which my father was a white officer. And the 1874th was an all white battalion. I am historian for both, however, I can find little on the 1871st or any of the black battalions which served in the Pacific. The 1874th remains currently active each year through reunions - now with four generations of relatives involved. Would like to engage with others who had relatives with the 1871st and 1874th to find more facts and stories of soldiers.

Hi, I don't have any info on these battalions except that my Dad was in the 1874th from Oct 1942 to Oct 1945. I have a photo of the whole battalion. Do you have any names or photos?

Hi NY2SB1973 - What is your Dad's name? I have developed nearly an entire roster of the 1874th Battalion members from scouring through old war time field reports and as much historical data I can get my hands on. So far I have the names of nearly 700 men. I have also been trying to find as much service information on individual men (co., enlistment date, rank, transfer in and out dates, special job details...discharge, death)as I can. I do have photos of each Company, but mostly the individuals are unidentified. Perhaps I already have your father recorded on the roster - we can continue correspondence privately if you wish, but I would love to have any information and photos of your father and any other men that he may have identified in photos over the years. And I am absolutely willing to share what information I already have about the battalion with you. My email address is tmci2656@yahoo.com. As I said in my first message, the 1874th continues to have reunions each year and we still have three veterans from H&S and C companies who attend. The reunions were started by members of one company over 20 years ago, but it seemed little deliberate attempt was made to reach out to members of other companies. Understandably, the battalions were so large, it was impossible for men to really know every member of every company. We welcome new members and family members so if you are interested, I would be happy to send you the reunion information for 2011.

Hi,

My Dad was also in the 1874th. His name was Charles Doran. I have a picture of him on a transportship which I believe to be the USS Botetourt(APA-136), which was to have transported troops between New Guinea/Phillipines to Japan. Can you tell me if your father also occupied Japan while in the 1874th?

Thanks for any help.

Hi Susan,

Thrilled to hear from you! I have your Dad's name on my roster - found it listed on one of the field reports I have on the battalion. Going through these reports, I have been able to identify over 700 men who were in the 1874th. I would love have more information on your Dad, though, like his service #, rank, any information about his service. Unfortunately the only information I have is his name, no rank, company, service information or service number. So if you have that information, it would be great. I still have many documents to go through. Would absolutely love to have a copy of the picture you mentioned, for the battalion history. My father, Alfred Conte, was not in the 1874th, but was an officer with sister battalion 1871st. However, Dad's lifelong best friend, Oliver Wisdahl, also an officer, transferred from the 1871st to the 1874th, so it is possible "Uncle" Wis and your Dad knew each other. Unfortunately, both my Dad and Wis have passed on now.

But if your Dad was in Japan with the battalion, he may have known Chet Southworth. Chet is still living in Texas and attends the reunions nearly every year.

The 2012 (the 23rd year) battalion reunion is in Cincinnati, Ohio in June. We go somewhere different every year, but also try to be in the reasonably vicinty of the still living veterans to make it easier for them to attend. We still have a few who make it and some widows as well. If you are interested in attending we would love to meet you and share memories of our dads with you. Let me know and I will have our planner contact you with information. Let's stay in touch! Regards, Tina Conte Issette

My dad was Antonio (Tony) Cortese , he was a carpenter, tech Sargent. I have some snapshots that he took of his buddies, they built a church and he was a finish carpenter cabinet maker and built the alter for the church. I'm out of town right now but when I get back I'll send some photos. In the mean time if you have any details on his service I would love it. I found a PDF book on google books called bulldozing the way to Japan, great memoir,. If you haven't read it you should check it out.
Regards Rosa

Hi Tina! You have no idea how happy I am to hear from you!
Is it possible get a copy of the field report that has my Dad's name in it? Where did you get these reports from? The following is the information I have on my dad:
Charles Albert Doran
Army Serial No. 39408412
Rank: Corporal

I am trying to find where he was in Japan after the bombs were dropped. During the last 30+ years he suffered from what appears to be radiation burns.

Let me know where I can send pictures to.
Susan Doran

I am respond into to your request for information on the 1874th Aviation Engineer BN. My father was with that unit from 1943 until 1946. I have pictures from New Guinea and Hiroshima. I have very few details as he did not speak much of his experiences like so many others. He was older than most. Entered at age 33. T Sargent with H&S Companies. We are working on family geneology and would like to know more. His name was Frederik I. Lauritsen. He passed away in 2000. I am a History Professor at a local Community College, and would love to communicate more with you as you are the first person I have found that had any information on the unit. Feel free to respond at clauritsen@gmail.com

My father was with the H/S Co 1871st Engineers Avn Battalion ,he was a tech Sgt ..he too was a older solider enter the service at 38yrs old...i quess that was the cut old age in that time ...the theater was the Luzon Island's New Guinea..which i believe is now Clark Airforce Base, please contact me at jacks7@optonline.net..i have a copy of his discharge papers ..date of separation 10 oct 1945

Ms Tina Conte Issette,
Greetings, My father was in the H/S Co 1871st Engr Avn BN, Luzon New Guinea, Jan 1943-Oct 1945...i would like info on the next Reunion and any picture's that you would have of the Battalion, I am a Vietnam Vet and would like to wear my father's Battalion insignia on my jacket, keeping his memory alive and his great service to the country .
Any info you might have ,please contact me or email me at jacks7@optonline.net
or my phone 732-764-9395...Middlesex NJ,..thanks you again for any information you might have on this unit


Leonard Jackson

I am looking for information on the 1874th Aviation Engineers Battalion. My father was Fred Lauritsen and was part of H & S Company of that battalion. I have several photos of members of the unit as well as scenes from their service areas. I am a retired college history professor and would like to pursue the background of the people in his unit. I will share. Please contact me at clauritsen@gmail.com

Hi clauritsen!

I am so thrilled to hear from you. I am the historian for the 1874th and 1871st Battalions and have managed to gather a lot of material on both. In fact, I just completed putting together the first history of the 1874th which also includes biographies of some of the men. I located an archive rich in photos of the 1874th as well. I will contact you at your email address to chat longer. You might be interested to know that the 1874th has been having reunions for over 20 years now and I will provide more information about that too. you can contact me directly at tmci2656@yahoo.com

chat with you very soon!

I have a cousin who was in the 1874th in WW II His name is Morris Woolstenhulme and he was in A Co 1874th Engr Bn. I'm also looking for a source of photos of the 1874th which I can use in a family history. Can you help me.

Phil

Hi Phil

So glad you contacted me. I have your uncle listed on the roster I put together from scouring over all the battalion field reports I have collected. I will look through my battalion photos, but I think I may have one from company A. Please write me at my direct email tmci2656@yahoo.com. I will provide you with more information.

Tina

Phil,
I located a treasure trove of battalion photos at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. Please email me at tmci2656@yahoo.com and I will send you the complete listing that is available. I have photocopies of most of them (could not afford to get real photo-photo copies) and most are excellent. I also have some real photos on hand, of the battalion companies, A, B, C, and H&S. Write me at the email address I provided.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Tmci

Hope you are still available. I am helping a friend prepare a shadow box for his father, TSGT John F. Shoemaker, Cook, B Co, 1874th Avn Perhaps we can exchange some information. I am interested in any unit awards thst may have been authorized after the Unit Citation GO#79, HQ 8th Army 1945.

Respectfully

Mike
stearleymk@att.net

Mike,

Yes, I am still very much available regarding the 1874th and 1871st battalions and I will look over my collective history for further information. I am assuming from your note that you already have a copy of GO79 itself? I will correspond via your personal email account. Thanks so much for contacting me!

And Major Stearley, thank you for your service.

Sincerely,

Tina

Phil,

How is your family history coming? Please contact me at tmci2656@yahoo.com. Did you obtain the battalion photos you wanted from the Eisenhower Library?

Hi Tina.

It is really exciting for me to fine this site. My Dad, Elwood D. Gill was assigned to the 1874th EAB. I don't know when he was assigned, but I know he was discharged from that unit on 12 Jan 1946 as a Sergeant, SN 33 570 119. Dad passed away in 2001 and Mom just gave me his discharge paper and wants me to find out what I can of his service and his unit.

I would LOVE to get any info you might be willing to share regarding the unit history, photos, anything. Dad didn't talk a lot about his service and we would really like to document anything we could.

I saw in one post that the Eisenhower museum might have some photos. We are traveling east from Ca this summer, and if I can find any info, I could stop by. I would really like to hear from you and will share any info we have, (Sadly, not much!)

Thanks!!!
Dave

Hey Dave - thanks for getting in touch! I have put together a history of the battalion - it is quite lengthy -contains personal stories and bios; timeline and activities performed by the battalion which are covered in the field reports; and hundreds of photos. Would love to provide any information I can for you and your family. Would appreciate a copy of your dad's discharge for his page in the book. You can email me at my personal address at tmci2656@yahoo.com and I will provide a phone number so we can chat if you would like. It has been and continues to be a labor of love for me to research this battalion and my own Dad's the 1871st.

hit me back at the yahoo address to chat further! I have already set up a folder for your Dad in my files so that any information on him will end up on a page in the book. Please send a picture from that time period and a more recent one if you do not mind. Thanks and please let's keep in touch!

best regards - ti

My Dad was Tech Sgt James E. Hale and he was in the 1847 also. I used to have pictures he took in New Guinea and Japan. I had coin money that he brought back. He would never talk about being in the War. He died of cancer in 1966.

Hi,

I have your Dad on my roster - he and several other men received personal Commendations in July 1945. Here is the information from the field report:

7/11/1945 Commendation (3 June 1945 to 4 July 1945); recovered equipment temporarily abandoned between KM 104 and KM 79.5, Mindanao, P.I. despite heavy rain, bottomless mud and exposure to enemy sniper fire; evacuated all units of other arms and services that would otherwise have been stranded; and assisted two companies of another Engineer organization to free themselves from the same locality.

Can send you a copy of the official report if you like.

Would love to have a picture of your Dad - both in uniform and a more recent one. So sorry to know that you lost him.

We are having next year's reunion in Indianapolis and would love to send you more info on that as well as on the battalion itself. Please email my personal account at tmci2656@yahoo.com. Let's stay in touch!

Do you know where they attended basic training before being shipped to the Pacific?

Rosa

Hi Rosa,
My dad was in the 1874th and I remember him saying something about taking basic in Miami, Fl. I took my father to some of the reunions of the 1874th after I found them on line. Its an event that he looked forward to every year until he passed away. The wife and I still attend the reunions and feel like we are with family when there. Looking forward to the one next year in Indiana.

Rosa,

Where your Dad enlisted has a great deal to do with where he was sent for basic training. As does whether or not he was selected for a speciality field. However, as an engineering battalion, the 1874th trained at McChord Field, Tacoma, WA, then moved to Camp Stoneman, CA. From there they were shipped overseas. The men of the 1874th were from all over the US. After basic training at any number of bases across the US:Fort Bliss, El Paso, TX; March Field at San Bernardino, CA; Fort Devens, Massachusetts; then more specialized training at Army Airbase-Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; Army Air Force Base-Hammer Field in Fresno, California; to name a couple. Each man may have traveled a different path before landing in the 1874th. If I have your father's name and serial number, I will research it for you. His enlistment papers should detail some of that for you, if you have them.

Ti.

Hi,

Well this all started because I have a metal soap holder that belonged to my dad that had sea shells from the south pacific, an Australian penny and a piece of paper with cotton seeds wrapped inside. I got to thinking about why the cotton seeds and wondered if his basic training had been in the south. Sounds like that's a possibility since some trained at Keesler Field in Mississippi. also since posting here I found papers of an exam at McChord Field so that confirms that he was there. Also papers from US Army Base Station in Australia for replacement glasses. This makes sense too because he had a jeep accident and that may be why he was sent to Australia and also had to have new glasses made.

His seriel # is 32-505-036

Rosa

Hi,
I am not sure but I believe my father in law may have been part of the battalion as the mess sergeant. I have 20+ photos but no names attached. Some places. His name was Constantinos N. Diamandis. Some called him Charlie or Costas.
I know he was in the 24 infantry company b.
Thank you
Lisa Diamandis

Hi Mike
My father in law was also a cool. I have done so much reading I may be in the wrong battalion. Was he in 24 Division. My father in law was Constantinos Diamandis. He also went by Charlie or Costas. I have many pictures. It would be nice to connect with someone. He rarely talked about his Army days My husband was born later in his life unfortunately Charlie passed in 1992. We are left to put together the puzzle pieces
Thanks
Lisa Diamandis