Without the help of Jerry Nauss (The First Signal Company Society 1939-45, and) we could not have accomplished this. We owe Jerry a lot.

Here you can read his story:

Rob, Yes, call me Jerry. The "yellow" star on the picture denotes killed in action. Actually, it is a gold star that appears as a yellow one.

I am happy to have been a help to you in this endeavour. I am the Secretary of our company; The First Signal Company Society 1939-45, and have the picture albums that have been kept over the years by persons in charge of the organization. We are disbanding after last week's annual reunion (Arlington, VA) as there were only 10 veterans in attendance. I resigned my position as of Oct. 15, 2003. That was a sad time for me.

Anyway, I looked over all the albums that had pictures up to and including the invasion at Normandy. Can you imagine my surprise and glee when I saw the picture? The picture was placed there by Chuck Beery who was instrumental in keeping a pictorial record of the company personnel prior to and during war time. He has since deceased but has a daughter that is very interested in keeping our organization going.

These albums are huge and I will place them in the library of the 1st Infantry Division Museum that is located in Wheaton, IL (a suburb of Chicago). It is a remarkable museum. Should you ever come near Chicago, don't miss seeing it. You will, at one point, be "seated in a LCI (Landing Craft Infantry just as Clinton was) and when the gate drops down you will be facing Omaha Beach with the shells dropping in the water and ours exploding on and above the beach.

Now, for some information about you. Clinton came from New York state. How is it that you people are in the Netherlands? Was it Clinton's father that came to the USA? All of you seem well grounded in the English language, was it a 2nd language that you learned in school?

This has been enjoyable for me. I am in contact with a person in Belgium and hope to see him and his wife if I am able to travel to Europe next June for the 60th D-Day reunion with the 1st Infantry Division Society's tour. It would be great to see you people as well. We will be in Mons, Aachen, Hurtgen Forest, and the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge area) as well as Paris.

 Lovern ‘Jerry’ Nauss visiting Holland

I am very excited to come to your country in May, 2006. And I am especially pleased that you will meet us at the Museum Wings of Liberation and that you will join our group for dinner at Nijmegen the same day.

Perhaps some people might be interested to know that just recently my book Troubleshooting all the Way has been published by the 1st Infantry Division Foundation and is one of the few books they list as part of their Cantigny Military History Series.

I was a member of the 1st Signal Company, assigned as a telephone line troubleshooter, and participated in all five campaigns from Normandy, Belgium (Battle of Mons), Germany (Aachen/Huertgen Forest), Battle of the Bulge, Germany (again) closing the Ruhr Pocket/Battle of the Harz Mountains, and finally to Czechoslovakia. After that we went to the Nuremburg area as occupation forces. If anyone is interested, the book may be purchased from me, Lovern "Jerry" Nauss; his new e-mail address is: [email protected] The total cost, book, packaged, and shipped is $30.00 USA.

 Cover of the book Troubleshooting All the way

 Back of the book

Kwaak mentioned in the book

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It may be of interest that I believe my mother was engaged to Klinton Kwaak at the time of his death.

S Halden
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