HQ/2 STICK MEMORIAL, RAVENOVILLE
Nancy Gooding wrote: "Memorial in Ravenoville honoring 10 of the HQ2 that were in the area of Saint Marcouf and Ravenoville on D and D+1. The person in charge of the memorial thought there were more than 10, and Joel Lander has confirmed this fact to be true."
She has been actively working with Joel Lander to see whether he can supply the missing names.
Joel believes that the following names should be added:
Pfc Mayo Heath
Cpl Robert Ellis
Cpl Fred Robbins
Pfc Robert? Peterson
Pfc James Rankin
T4 Clifford Campbell
Pfc Larry Grieshammer
CERTIFICATE OF MERIT
Sgt. Roger L. Kitchen received this citation for "... conspicuously meritorious and outstanding performance of military duty".
His heroic conduct on the 1st and 2nd of October 1944 as a Squad leader in Company D during an attempt by German forces to outflank his position earned him this award. He continuously exposed himself to enemy fire and yet managed to inspire his squad to repel the assault
The citation was signed personally by Major General James M. Gavin. It is not known whose handprint has been impressed on the upper left-hand corner of the document
JUMP GRADUATION CERTIFICATES
As each man completed his five qualifying jumps "from an aircraft in flight" during parachute training at Fort Benning he received a signed certificate attesting that he was now a qualified parachutist.
Fort Benning was not the only jump school that men of the 508th attended however and during 1943 when they joined the regiment at Camp Mackall, similar certificates were issued. Following deployment to the ETO, the 82d set up another jump school at Cottesmore, England as well.
Harry Gerheim seems to have been an honest man. Where his certificate reads "... made the required number of jumps from an aircraft in flight", he crossed out the word "FLIGHT" and wrote instead "FRIGHT".
