World War Two Individual Project

By: Jake Luckette

Veteran: Corporal

Neal Gummoe

Background Information

• Mr. Gummoe was born January 7,1926 in Honesdale, PA

• Mr. Gummoe lived with his family on a dairy farm near Honesdale

• He and his family had 30 cows, 300 chickens, 2 horses and a Sheppard cow dog named Rover

Early school life

• Mr. Gummoe went to a one room school about a half mile from his farm; he had to walk to school every day

• Mr. Gummoe went to school with 25 other students in all 8 grades

• After completing 8th grade, Mr. Gummoe went to a high school in Honesdale

Entering the war

• When Mr. Gummoe was a senior in 1943, he and three of his friends took a test to get into the military

• When he passed the test, the military would send him to collage to become an agricultural engineer

• During his time in collage, D-day had occurred and the allies had decided that their were enough engineers and sent Mr. Gummoe to Europe

During the War

• Mr. Gummoe was sent to Europe with the 89th infantry division

• As soon as his division had arrived he was attached to the 4th armored; the 4th armored was a part of general Patton's 3rd army

During the War

• Mr. Gummoe was a jeep driver of a heavy MG squad during WWII

• He provided Heavy MG support through out Europe

• Mr. Gummoe had to cross the Rhine river and find a German city that was said to contain ammo for the Russian Front; instead he found a concentration camp filled with 5-6 thousand people, one of the biggest in Germany

Weather During the War

• The winters were harsh, had to fight in freezing temperatures and snow, ice

• They had to dig foxholes in the frozen ground, used TNT and hand grenades to help

After the war

• After the war ended, Mr. Gummoe and the 89th infantry division were assigned to defend a monastery in Austria from un-captured German soldiers

• Mr. Gummoe and the 89th were stationed in the monastery until May, 1946

Life today

• Mr. Gummoe likes to travel

• Mr. Gummoe has 4 children and 8 Grandchildren that have all graduated from Horseheads high school

• Mr. Gummoe likes to bowl

• 10 years ago he tried to ski but hurt his knee ending his ability to bowl

Pictures

Corporal Gummoe during the war

A group photo; from left to right: Sonia, Austin, Mr. Gummoe, Brooke, Julia, and Jake

ASTP patch that Mr. Gummoe earned for joining the army when he was 17

Mr. Gummoe’s Various awards, patches, medals, and pins

89th division patch

Patch showing that Mr. Gummoe was a corporal

Sharp shooter pin showing Mr. Gummoe was Proficient at shooting a rifle

Pin that showed what weapons Mr. Gummoe was certified to shoot

Mr. Gummoe’s

Dog Tags

Mr. Gummoe’s

can opener