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SGT Garland W. "Tex" Collier 3rd/506th HQ CO
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judy52sa
October 21, 2008, 4:45am Report to Moderator
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Doug...I've sent an email inquiry to a contact on the JPAC (Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command) website.  Will see what response I get.        Judy
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glider326
October 23, 2008, 1:03am Report to Moderator
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Judy, Please keep us posted!
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glider326
October 27, 2008, 10:19am Report to Moderator
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Judy, I was looking thru my files and I came up with a more detailed
After Action Report written by Headquarters of the 506th PIR. They have
an entry for October 5, 1944 at 0740 hours that came from Blue (the code
word for the 3rd Battalion) NOTE: The 101st had their battalions 1st, 2nd
and third. They were code named Red, White and Blue. Thus the radio
call signal for the 3rd Battalion of the 506th PIR was Kidnap Blue. The entry
reads "One plat. of 326 Eng. to support "HOW" along RR-How Co reported
reenforce Co. with MG & Mrtr (Item Co No contact exegerated)."

Doug
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judy52sa
October 27, 2008, 2:45pm Report to Moderator
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Thanks for that info, Doug.  I'd have to go back and review my copies to be sure, but I don't recognize that information.  Do you have an actual copy of that page of the AAR that you could send to me? Or could you scan it and post a photograph of it here?
If not, would be happy to send you my mailing address to your private email or  private message through the Message Center?
Would like to have a copy of the 8x11 1/2 page, if that's possible.

I did have a response back from the JPAC recovery team...came from Hawaii, and basically just acknowledged my inquiry and said that they would look into it and get back to me later.  


Judy
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glider326
October 28, 2008, 12:56am Report to Moderator
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Judy, This looks like the raw collections of a clerk on a minute to minute
situation report. There are many errors and XXX outs. I can sent to you
but I also want to put it in here.  One funny thing is at 1320 hours from
Blue with it ending sinking down. "Situation has eased up some under
light small arms and arty fire A lot of Heines have had it."
It also shows that Garland and my Dad started from the same area
and it appears that moved to Opheusden around the same time.

Doug
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judy52sa
November 18, 2008, 8:04pm Report to Moderator
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[b][/b]  Hi Doug:  Just a note to let you know that I heard from the Joint
POW/MIA Accounting Command Team (JPAC) with its final information
on Garland. Text from Rachel Phillips follows~~

Aloha Ms. Gamble!

Thank you again for your patience.  Here is the information regarding your
great-uncle, Sgt Garland W. Collier.

There are 7 men still missing from 5-6 October 1944, who were assigned to
the 101st Airborne Division, 506th Parachute Infantry. Your great-uncle,
Sgt Collier is among them. JPAC currently does not have plans to go in and
around the village of Opheusden, but we will order the Individual Deceased
Personnel File (IDPF) and review it to see if there are any useful leads.
I'll send you a copy of the file, upon our receipt.

We will also ask our local contacts, if they have any information on searches
conducted in that area of the Netherlands. One of our historians is aware of
a recent search conducted for un-explosive ordnance in the area of the
82nd Airborne Division losses during Operation Market Garden. They may
have further information to contribute.

For research purposes, you may want to contact the Royal Dutch Netherland
Army Search and Recovery team for their assistance.  However, they do
not actively search for missing U.S. personnel, they collect and identify
human remains that are recovered during construction and other activities
in the area.

JPAC will add your great-uncle's case to the historian case tracker system.
Any new information received regarding remains or isolated burials in the
Netherlands will be compared against the details of Sgt Collier's loss for
possible correlation.

Good luck on your research.  Again, I'll send you a copy of the IDPF when
it is received.

Regards,

Rachel (Rae) Phillips
FOIA Officer and
Correspondence Analyst
Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command

"Until They Are Home!"
"E Huli Ho'i Lakou Ika Home!"
"Bis Sie Nach Hause Kommen"


I will do follow up with the Royal Dutch Netherland Army Search and Recovery
Team to see what additional information I might can find.   It was interesting
to note that apparently there are still six others still missing from fighting
on Oct 5-6 in and around Opheusden.  That's certainly more information
than I've had before.  And they were willing to register him with their
historian's tracker system.

Here's a picture of Garland taken some time between 1938-1942, probably
closer to 1942, prior to his enlisting on Sept 1, 1942, in Phoenix. Shortly after
that, he was at Camp Toccoa training with the 506th and by December
had earned his jump wings.  The additional picture is of Garland when he was
home on furlough from Ft. Bragg, visiting my grandparents and my mother
and uncle in San Antonio....this would have been in either January or June,
1943.    

Best regards,

Judy




Attachment: _collier__bisbee_az_bet_19381942_9786.jpg
Size: 31.62 KB

Attachment: garland_1943_furlough_sa_tx_6447.jpg
Size: 21.40 KB

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glider326
November 19, 2008, 12:41am Report to Moderator
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Judy, Thanks for the update. Maybe things will work out that Garland can finally
return home. Let us hope so. I know he means so much to your family. Did you ever
get any answers from the man that was him when he was killed?

Doug
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judy52sa
November 19, 2008, 3:58am Report to Moderator
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No...I have had no response to the letter I wrote to him...my understanding
is that he is very ill, but I was hoping that perhaps someone in his family
might respond.  The other gentleman who knew him and trained with him
I have had an email exchange with, but I've not heard back from him now
in a few weeks.  The closest I may come is reliance on the conversations that
my cousin has had with a fellow trooper in Garland's platoon who was right
next to him when he died and who did witness his death and helped to prep
his body for graves registration officials.  We *do* have his description of
events, but she also has not heard from him in several months. I hope to
be able to correspond with him myself.

Thanks for all your help, Doug.  I'm beholdin' to 'ya!

Judy
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glider326
November 19, 2008, 5:49pm Report to Moderator
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Judy, When I discovered what really happened to my Dad in Opheusden on October 5,1944,
in meant closure for me. His events that day impacted my life to a great degree, the probelm was
I didn't understand what had happened to me. Finding out all these things, about Wim and Dir
van den Bosch, and how my Dad felt was a sad ending. But at the same time it was an ending and
a huge weight was lifted from me. Now I can live in peace of mind and hopefully my Dad, Wim and
Dir can now rest in peace.

Doug
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peter van der linden
November 20, 2008, 9:28pm Report to Moderator

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Judy and Doug,

Apparently a little private museum is situated in the town called Heteren on ‘the island’.
Its called Betuws War Museum 'The Island' 1944-1945.
The museum "The Island" covers the area of the Betuwe during the years 1944-1945 .
Much of what is shown is from veterans and people from the area.
Many objects in the Museum have a story, bringing the history of the Betuwe, during 1944-1945 to life.
The Museum shows original uniforms of the Allies and the Germans who were in the Betuwe area.
Supported by photo's, weapens, maps and items from the Dutch Resistance and the Dutch Army from may 1940.
The owner can be contacted true his following website, http://www.betuwsoorlogsmuseum.nl/
Maybe he can help you with some information regarding the events that took place around October 5, 1944  in Opheusden.




                               
"Think not only upon there passing...Remember the GLORY of their spirit"
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judy52sa
November 28, 2008, 9:29pm Report to Moderator
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Thank you Peter...I will follow with the museum owner.  I appreciate your interest!

Judy  
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glider326
December 5, 2008, 4:43pm Report to Moderator
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Judy, I e mailed that website that Peter gave us on this thread but have not
heard anything yet. Have you gotten a response?

doug
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judy52sa
December 15, 2008, 3:10am Report to Moderator
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Hi Doug!

Sorry I've been sort of out-of-pocket. Got caught up in Thanksgiving prep
and then Christmas doings.  No, I have not yet sent an email to the owner
of the museum.  I will try to do that this week.  Thanks again for all your help.  I also got a specific address from Officer Rachel Phillips with the
JPAC Command Team with regard to inquiry to the Royal Netherlands
Army, Recovery and Identification Service.  I have yet to write to that
contact, but will also try to accomplish that this week!   Did I tell you
that I finally heard back from The Red Cross in The Netherlands? They
advised me to contact my local Red Cross Chapter in the USA to start
the process, which I did well over a month ago.  Have yet to receive a response or even an acknowledgement!  So must also follow up on that!
  

Thanks again for all your interest...I hope to get back to *the hunt* on a
more full time basis shortly!

Judy
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