God what a night. Every thing was quiet until about 9:30 pm and then all hell broke loose. It has been going on all day. I haven’t heard artillery fire like this since I have been over sea’s. Even in all the time at Anzio there was nothing like it. The planes were over for a while, while it was still clear out and bombed and strafed. It soon clouded up and started to snow. I had to go to the battalion. We have had a couple of men hurt so far and hard telling how many more we will have. They have a lot of bridges to put up.
Your Son, ‘Chick’
Hello,
I am the daughter of Stg. Quentin Swanson who served with “Chick” and the other men mentioned. Dad died in 1968 at the age of 49 of a heart attack. We still miss him, his humor, his faith, his ability to fix anything mechanical, his love of people and his stories. I was 14 when he died, but I remember stories he used to tell about serving in the Army. I came across “Dog face soldiers” several years ago and poured through the pictures looking for Dad. I found one I believed to be Quentin, next to a sign about a swimming hole. My Aunt Martha had given me an article from the Stars and Stripes with a quote from Quentin Swanson, Roscoe, Ill. about the “humdinger” swimming hole. Tonight I read more about that swimming hole near Anzio and happened to click on “Christmas 1944” and there was a picture of Dad and the men he so often mentioned! He loved you all and spoke of the friendships made in fox holes.
Chick, I would love to talk to you, write to you, and share photos we have from Dad’s photo albums. Your Diary is a gift to me and my sister. We will be going through each entry, thinking of you, Dad and the men who served together.
Quentin married his sweetheart, Deloris Barker, who lived in Enumclaw, WA. Delmar Ross introduced them to each other at a dance at Fort Lewis a month before Del and Quentin left for Europe. Quentin and Deloris married on Aug 18, 1945. They had two lovely daughters, Cindy Swanson Faber, and me, Trudy Swanson Hoy. Mom died in 1996, on dad’s birthday. They were always sweethearts and lived in Puyallup, WA.
Delmar (we knew him as Delmas) Ross married Hazel Barker, my mom’s sister. Uncle Del and Aunt Hazel lived in Enumclaw, WA and had two children, Dean Ross and Linda Ross Leonard.
I’ll wait for a return reply from you or your family.
Blessings to you!
Trudy Swanson Hoy
PS. Dad would be 96 on January 29th, 2015. I see you were born in 1919, also. I’m thankful for your long life!