HAM what?Belgium, 1944: the war rages on, the weather is lousy, and your truck's frame is bent. Who you gonna call?
The 897th, that's who! They performed difficult repairs under adverse conditions. Read on!
This site updated 2013-01-17.
Welcome!This WWII history site commemorates the 897th and 3562nd Ordnance HAM Companies and is maintained by
Gary Gocek,
son of 897th veteran Julian Gocek. I love to hear from veterans and their
families, current service people, and history buffs.
Click the
photo for a roster & enlargement.
Read the history of the 897th and 3562nd by
William E. Lake.
Friday, May 25, 1945: Pilsen, Czechoslovakia.
S/Sgt. Fleming and T/3 Cameron are given a hearty farewell. Wartime activities are winding down and they are the first men of the unit to depart the European theater for discharge under the point system. Pilsen and the surrounding area offer increased social activity since the non-fraternization policy is not in effect in this part of Czechoslovakia. The 897th Bar and Day Room are the best in the company history, with plenty of local Pilsen beer being available. Swimming in the local river is also available. After a tour of inspection through the area and shops, Maj. Gen. Heubner, V Corps CO expresses himself as very pleased with the unit’s activity. The 897th closes its last month of combat in the European Theater of Operations performing maintenance for the same corps units that it had supported through five campaigns since landing on Omaha Beach eleven months before.
Over 100 photos from veterans' private collections. Browse around!
WWII Memorial DedicationThe old man and I and other family members attended the dedication of the WWII Memorial in Washington in May, 2004.
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The companies trained for several months in the United States.
Camp Lee, VA, 1941
Camp Shelby, MS, 1941
Lake Charles, LA, 1941
Camp Murray, WA, 1942
Train Trip, 1942
Camp Young, CA, 1942
Palm Village, CA, 1943
Camp Haan, CA, 1943
The Battle of StavelotOur boys found themselves in the thick of it, in 1944.
More Stavelot and
more Europe.
The Way it WasAnecdotes from the war years.
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More...Photos from the Hammond family uploaded November, 2010!
Bocage, fromage, it's Greek to me...Even tanks had trouble with Normandy hedgerows, but a "scrappy" ordnance soldier found a solution.
More...Other WWII stories on the web.
More...Notes and contact info for this site.
More...The Reader's Digest wrote this sweet piece about the interactions between American GIs and British citizens during the war.
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