Hi !

I've read the small bio from Michel De Trez on Mark Bando's Trigger Time website, but it's quite short. Has anyone more precise info on his military carreer ? Thanks.

François

Francois, Hugh Mozley was a highly regarded commander of the 326th
Airborne Engineer Battalion. He took over after the death of Colonel Pappas
on June 13, 1944 near Caranten. Pappas was not liked by the Combat
Engineers because he was very GI. Mozely was loved and respected by the
men of the 326th and attended many reunions. I was recently at a glider
conference in Minneapolis and met Ralph Nagell, a gliderman with the
321st Glider Field Artillery Battalion and he told me that his commanding
officer was so hated by the men of the 321st that after the war the
commanding officer was refused entry at a reunion. Mozely lived into his
90s and died the same year as my Dad, 2000. As far as I know Mrs. Mozley
is still living today. As one vet put it about Col. Mozley, "when he got out
of a bath tub his balls would scape the tub."

I may be able to fill in some of the blanks...I'm his son and am still laughing about the "tub" mentioned below. I'm not afflicted with
that physical attribute but will confirm that he was a tough bird, to the very end.

First of all the Colonel never made small talk about WWII.  Unless you were a vet he had no patience for idle War chatter.  During my
parent’s many cocktail/dinner parties a female guest might ask, "Hugh, what was the war like?"  He would spit back with a 30 second
burst of blood and guts stories to the absolute horror of everyone.

Three stories that I have enjoyed:

A 5' GI from Puerto Rico informed dad (Major/adjutant) during d-day not to go beyond a certain point (hedge row) because of a German machine gun nest.  Dad wanted a closer look.  As he neared the spot the GI grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back just as a
burst of bullets ripped where he was standing.  The GI very proudly said to me during a reunion, "if it wasn't for me YOU wouldn’t be here!"  Dad confirmed the story with a red face…having heard the story many times.

I asked him if he was afraid during the Battle of the Bulge when the 101 was surrounded by the Germans at a ratio between 8 to 1 or up
to 10 to 1.  His answer was NO.  He reminded be that paratroopers are generally dropped behind enemy lines and therefore are usually
surrounded.

Where he was “concerned” was in Holland.  He claimed that 88’s were capable of picking off a GI from a few miles away due to the raised roadways and flat trajectory of that weapon.

If you have any questions, will do my best to respond.  

Moz, Thanks for your reply about your famous and very beloved officer of the men of
the 326th AEB. Being at just two reunions, the Engineers spoke very highly about your Dad, I think
there is no greater tribute one could have. Thank you for visiting my site and thanks for the
stories that you told. I remember very fondly the war stories my Dad told me and they will
remain with me until the end. They really were the greatest generation.

After sending the last message thought I would confirm that Fran Mozley is 93 and in a nursing home where my sister visits with her
each day.

Moz, You were saying that our Dad's life was saved on D-Day
when a short Mexican trooper pulled away from harm's way in a hedgeroe.
Did your Dad land by glider that day or did he jump in? Also while
attending a couple of the 326th's reunions in 2006 & 2007, two of
the officers there, Lt. Ray "Ike" Eisenhauer and Captain Joe Crilley told
of the night when your Dad along with these two officers and a fourth man,
Lt. George "Birdlegs" Dickson hung onto a bridge on the Rhine River after                                  their boat overturned. I talked a bit with Ike and Captain Joe and later spoke
by phone to Birdlegs. Did you Dad ever talk about this event?