Hey Doug! Yes, I actually already had a copy of the manifest that Thijs had mailed to me. However, it was a bit blurry. I saw the *clearer* image on the TT Forum last night, so was glad to get it. I actually looked at the site Thijs gave in the forum post, went through 8600 records last night and didn't find it; I'm sure I overlooked it!
And I saw Dave's post today~~a picture of the Coleman HS Basketball Squad from 1934-35, on which Garland played. I have requested school records from three different school districts, and was also just thinking last night about asking for copies of Coleman HS yearbooks. I have second cousins (Garland's nieces/nephews) who still live in Coleman.
I heard back from Ian Gardner this morning. This excerpt from his email is the only additional insight he can provide:
"I'm afraid I cannot tell you any more than I already know about Tex ..... But what I can say is that the rear guard action on the 5th took place 5 or 600 yards west of the station (see photo - taken facing west). The following 24 hours were chaotic and at one point a British tank arrived and took up a fire support position roughly where I took the photo. This helped to stop the German assault and gave the 506th time to regroup."
I'll attach photo he sent of station, current time. He says he was facing west...He had stated before that he feels Garland was killed in the "rear guard" action, so if that's the case~~in an area possibly 500-600 yards beyond the station in this photograph? This could be either south or north of the tracks? He labeled his original photograph 'Opheusden Stn 1.' I've had to resize it a bit to make it fit here.
The mystery continues, but this may be as close as I'll get to an answer. By the way. I sent him a link to your map of the area...he was very complimentary..."What a great map Doug has drawn~~bang on the money!"
See point 10 is the bridge going over the railroad tracks. This is where the railroad station was. Now see point 6 house where the road starts going north and west. Now Garland's position would be about halfway between these two points-right around where the p of H comp is. Now if we now what side of the tracks he is on.
Hi Doug~~I've had an email exchange with one, Tom Bucher, also a member of Garland's LMG Platoon. I need to touch base with him again. Said he remembered that Tex had a great sense of humor and was always *in control* in every situation in which they found themselves. Tom did not make the jump into Holland, so can only give me information related to his training for two years with Garland & his other buddies. However, his best buddy, Andrew Bryan, was with Garland on the day he died. So I am hoping to learn more perhaps. I've written another letter to Bobbie Rommel, also a member of Garland's LMG Platoon; however, I've not had a response.
Am working on getting military records, school records, and going through old family photographs and documents to try to find out more.
Judy, Today on the Trigger Time Forum there was a piece about the Bentstar Project which is a group looking for missing Americans in the Pacific from World War II. I just e mailed the contact to see if there is any orgainization in Europe that can help find Garland's remains. We can any only hope.
Thanks for the headsup, Doug, and for the followup. I hadn't checked the TT Forum in detail in a couple of days. Will look at that entry tomorrow. Have been busy going through old family photographs this evening...found only one of Garland taken with my grandmother (his sister) probably in 1943, when he was home visiting his siblings in Texas while on furlough. But I think there may be more! Our guess is that this was before the 101st was ordered to Camp Shanks in NY. Shortly after that, in Sept. 1943, he was shipped out to Liverpool, never to return to the States.
Have run into a snag requesting his military records. They may have been among the millions of records that were destroyed in a 1973 fire. So am having to submit another questionnaire so that the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis might be able to replicate them through a variety of other sources. Oh, joy!
Hello Doug, thank you for sharing your story and congratulations on the information you have pulled together on your web site! The research and search team that we did the film on, http://www.bentprop.org/ , may have one or two contacts in Europe, we will contact them and see if they know of anyone to help in this region. All of our work and focus has been in the Pacific theater and mainly Palau, just not enough time and resources to do it all.
JPAC, http://www.jpac.pacom.mil/ has done a few recovery missions in Europe over the past 2 years, so a query to them on contacts in Europe or additional research info would be appropriate.
I will get back to you in about 10 days, if I do not hear from any of our contacts before then.
Blue Skies, dan
Doug Wilber wrote: > I was wondering if you could put me in the right direction. My name is > Doug Wilber and I saw a thread about your wonderful organization that > seeks Americans missing in the Pacific during WWII. I have a website > about my Dad and his unit at http://www.thewoundingofcharliewilber.com > <http://www.thewoundingofcharliewilber.com> and on my site I have a > forum in which a member has a relative missing in Europe. On October > 5, 1944 my Dad was wounded in the small village of Opheusden, > Netherlands. A grand niece of Sgt. Garland "Tex" Collier said he was > killed by mortar fire manning a .50 caliber MG that same day.Since the > Germans overwhelmed the Allies, they were forced to withdraw leaving > Garland in a foxhole about 500-600 west of the railroad station. The > area became a no-man's land and was later flooded by the Germans. When > the civilians returned, Garland's body was not found. Is there any > group in Europe that does what your group is doing? Any help would be > appreciated. > > Doug Wilber -- dob@BentStarProject.org 1-530-666-2148 work
Thanks again for the heads up, Doug. Have read the wonderful article from the BBC News...fascinating...who knows...there could still be some hope. I'll also check out the links associated with the BentStar Project. I've been doing paperwork on Garland for the past few days...rec'd some more school records today from Coleman County Courthouse, which also included records from the War Department and the Veterans' Administration. Have also been researching other Coleman County records on communities, cemeteries, schools, and other family history, trying to link some things together. Communicating also with family members and trying to find out more. I was just reminded by my sister that I have two huge tubs of records and ssrapbooks that I kept from my Mother's estate. Am hoping to find some additional photographs or records.
I did just check the All POW-MIA site and his name is listed there among "Service Personnel Not Recovered After World War II" Will give both of the sites a good look shortly. Thanks again.
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