Rob and Katie: This is the e-mail we received that tells us what happened to Clinton Kwaak on D-Day. You can imagine how proud we were to have this.
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Dear Katie,
I am Lovern "Jerry" Nauss, the Secretary to the First Signal Company Society 1939-45. I am in charge of planning the reunions and keeping the roster current. Our men are rapidly losing contact with me because they are too ill or have died. I, myself, have just resigned from being the Secretary as I cannot keep up with all of the other things I am involved in.
Now as to your questions concerning Clinton Kwaak. I did not know him personally but I do know his Sergeant - Saul Galansky. Saul lives in Colorado.
Saul was a Radio Crew Chief. His crew consisted himself, Corporal (T/5) Alphonse Arsenault, Corporal (T/5) Clinton Kwaak and PFC John LaGrutta. Only Saul Galansky is living today and he has had his left leg amputated recently and is in an assisted living institution. Saul's crew was assigned to the 116th Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division for D-day. They were the liaison with the 1st Infantry Division which was the lead assault division on Omaha Beach for the invasion. That arrangement was for D-day only and the crew came back to the 1st Signal Company of the 1st Infantry Division.
As the crew came off the beach, they began to get up the steep incline, Sgt Galansky in the lead,when Clinton stepped on a mine. His legs were badly hurt, he could not walk. John LaGrutta was in back of Clinton and was also hit by the shrapnel, but not seriously.
When Saul saw that Clinton was hit he went back and told Clinton that he would get the Medics to treat his wounds. Sgt Galansky got some morphine from the Medics and administered it to Clinton. He told Clinton that he would get the Medics and come back to him. He did this and told Clinton that he looked OK and asked if he was in pain. Clinton said that he could tolerate it so far now that he had the morphine. Sgt Galansky then went back up the incline; Clinton died and John LaGrutta went back to the beach and ended up in a hospital.
By the way, T/5 stands for Technician 5th grade, a rank of Corporal. And also, most all military personnel did not favor President Clinton. I hope this will give you a bit more information than that which you have. Could you please e-mail me the address of Clinton's relatives? Thank you.
As an aside, I plan to go to Europe next June for the 60th anniversary of D-day. I went all the way through the war with the 1st Inf. Div.; Normandy, Belgium, Aachen, Hurtgen Forest, Battle of the Bulge, Central Germany, crossed the Rhine, Central Germany and as far as Czechoslovakia. Next year's tour will take us to Herve (the Remember Museum) and Aachen. I hope to see my friend from La Calamine there.
That is all for now.
Jerry
End quote This is another mail we received that tells us what happened to Clinton Kwaak on D-Day.There must have been something special with Clinton Kwaak that made this level of detail possible.
Rob,
Just a few more facts concerning Clinton Kwaak on D-Day:
Crew Chief; Sgt. Saul Galansky came on Omaha Beach with the 6th wave on Dog Green, which was in front of Vierville-sur-Mer. This was the beach sector of the 116th Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division They left the LST approximately 10 A.M. Arsenault drove the radio vehicle. That is about all I have (which is a lot more that I have for most of the other guys.
Good luck,
End quote Update From: ‘Troubleshooting All the Way
On page 70-71 Jerry wrote what happened to Clinton Kwaak:
QuoteAnother member of the Radio Section, crew chief Sergeant Saul Galansky, shared his story of his D-Day assault on Normandy. Saul and his crew of three had been attached to the 116th Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division for the initial landing at Omaha Beach. The members of this crew were Technicians Fifth Class Alphonse Arsenault (read more about him) and Clinton Kwaak, and Private First Class John La Grutta. Kwaak and La Grutta were injured at the beach area. Kwaak’s wounds were severe that he could not continue up the ridge. When Galansky reached the top of the incline, he met a doctor from the Medical Corps and asked him to tend to Kwaak. The doctor asked Galansky several questions concerning Kwaak’s injuries and informed Galansky there was no hope for Kwaak’s recovery. When Saul Galansky heard the physician’s prognosis, he want back down to Kwaak and gave him some morphine to ease the pain. Shortly thereafter, Clinton Kwaak died in Sergeant Galansky’s arms.
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