Cpl John Peter Hazenberg Letters Home to Grand Rapids, Michigan World War II
Cpl John Peter Hazenberg Letters Home to Grand Rapids, Michigan World War II 7th Armored Division 40th Tank Battalion Company B 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword……………………………………………………………………………...3 John’s Ribbons and Awards…………………………………………………..5 Brief Biography of John Hazenberg……………………………………….6 Camp Beale, CA Letters………………………………………………………...8 Camp Bowie, TX Letters……………………………………………………….37 Ft. Meade, MD Letters…………………………………………………………45 Europe 1944 Letters…………………………………………………………….50 Europe 1945 Letters…………………………………………………………....71 1946-1947 Dutch Letters……………………………………………………114 7th ArmdDiv War Statistics…………………………………………136-140 Morning Reports…………………………………………………………141-142 Promotion to Corporal……….……………………………………….143-144 Discharge Papers………………………………………………….……………145 Foreign awards…………………………………………………..………151-152 Photo of John’s Uniform and Tank………………………………………153 Camp Beale, CA Photos………………………………………………………154 Camp Bowie, TX Photos.………………………………………..……155-156 Schweinberg, Germany Photos…………………………..………157-158 40th Amphibian Tractor BN, Holland Photos………………..159-161 Autographs……………………………………………………………………..….162 Who’s Who, Relatives & Friends………………………………………….163 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………….……164 Index……………………………………………………………………………165-166 Various Articles and Clippings…..…………………………………167-177 2 FOREWORD This book contains letters John Peter Hazenberg, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, sent home during WWII. John’s mother saved everything, from his first draft notice in 1942 to his discharge papers in 1945. The letters were compiled into this book by John’s niece, Gertrude (Trudy) Boerema Fetters in 2012. John took his Army training with the 13th Armored Division at Camp Beale, CA and Camp Bowie, TX from 1942-June 1944. He earned the following Qualifying Medals: Expert: Thompson Machine Gun; Sharpshooter: Machine Gun; and Marksman: Carbine. In Europe John was assigned to the 7th Armored Division, known by the nickname the “Lucky 7th”. He was a gun loader/radio operator on an M4A3 Sherman Tank, Medium, but could also drive the tank, and perform all the duties to keep the tank functioning.
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