Put Your Hands Up!

Put Your Hands Up
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This is the small newspaper clipping found in my father's Army folder. It tells how he and his men captured Nazi soldiers.

Notice the reference to his siblings, the names of his parents and his year of graduation from high school.

Notice that his wound was shrapnel and it happened on July 4th. Also not that it is listed he had been overseas since 1938 and we know this is not true since his enlistment date was 1940.

Capt. Thomas H. Broadfoot

Capt. Thomas H. Broadfoot
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Yesterday, I decided to start recording information about my father's service to our country in my genealogy database. I pulled out the folder where he kept his military papers and went through them one page at a time. It didn't seem like I was going to gain information, but I did.

With the help of my husband, I began to decipher the military lingo. My father enlisted on 19 Nov 1940 as a Warrant Officer after graduating from Westerly [RI] High in 1935 and working as a textile worker in the Bradford Dye Works. [Bradford Dyeing Association] At enlistment he was 23 years and 3 months old. He was blonde, blue-eyed, of fair complexion and was 5' 9" tall and weighed 129 lbs.

He went to OCS [Officers Candidate School] in Fort Benning, GA and received a certificate (Form 55) from Major John G. Hardy after serving as a Corporal, Second Company and accepted an appointment as a 2nd Lieut. His ASN [Army Serial Number] is listed on this and later documents.

In Germany, he was awarded the Oak Leaf Cluster-Purple Heart on 22 Sept 1945 for wounds received in action on 21 Dec 1944. I think this is when he became part of Co. G, 32nd Airborne Division and was promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

Tom, wrote a letter to the editor of his hometown newspaper, The Westerly Sun, thanking them for sending him the paper In this he indicates that he is now a member of Co. F. one of his dogtags is in the envelope along with a charming photo of his local baseball team. They all look so young.

[To be continued]

Captain Thomas H. Broadfoot

Captain Thomas H. Broadfoot
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

It is hard to believe that my Dad, who everybody called Tom, has been gone for ten years. He was born 21 July 1917 in Westerly, Rhode Island and died, after suffering with lung cancer, peacefully at home, on 12 September, 1998. My mother bravely lived without him for about four years. Both of my parents, born in Westerly, now are resting at River Bend Cemetery in Westerly.

This week, due to the genealogical kindness of a friend, I have photos of the gravestone of my Dad's youngest sibling, his brother. My father's sisters and their husbands are buried with my parents and my father's parents. I never knew those grandparents and only recently have learned more about them from meeting other family members through my tree at Ancestry.com. He would be thrilled to see that I have more information on his Scottish family!

Tom was always smiling, as in this photo here. He loved sports, especially golf. A decorated World War II Vet, his medals live here with me now in my home office.

Miss you, daddy.