World War II Honoree

Jean Henry Dasburg

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Long Island, New York

Honored By

Jean Dasburg

Relationship

Daughter

Medic, Assigned to the 22nd Regiment of the 4th Division. He was on the Front Lines from D Day, Utah Beach, June 6, 1944, (landed 2nd Wave) until he was captured Oct. 7, 1944. Jean Henry Dasburg, whose nickname was Moose, was 4F because of a large cauliflower type cyst/ growth on his buttocks. Because this growth was not visible no one could understand why this robust, muscular, gymnast and incredibly well fit man was not drafted. People wrote letters questioning the unfairness of their son’s being drafted but not Jean. Eventually, desperate for more men, the 3 regular rejects – one was near blind, one was near deaf, and Jean were all drafted. In Army hospitals Jean then had surgery for the removal of this large cyst/growth. Because of this condition and the fact the incision would periodically open up, he was to be trained to be an Xray technician and he was not to be in the Front Lines. That, however, did not happen. Like with so many others folks, (JD Salinger - part of the 4th Division – included), Jean was improperly assigned. He ended up training as a medic and was in charge of a Litter Haul Team for the 22nd Regiment. Jean went to Europe on the Capetown Castle ship with the other 22nd Regiment folks and continued training and working out while in England. From his arrival in Normandy, June 6th, until his capture, he was wounded several times but he never allowed himself time away from the battles. He received 2 Purple Heart Medals and then quit asking for them as he was treated for more wounds. Like so many others he lived the rest of his life with the shrapnel in his body. Jean’s capture came as a great surprise. We have some beautiful letters written to Jean’s wife, Alice, (who he had married Feb. 1, 1943, while he was still classified as 4F) by a Medic, Mike Miller, who was an Aid Man with 22nd Infantry “F” Company at the time of Jean’s capture. Jean was quite unique and wore his wife’s black negligee until he was captured. At the time of his capture the negligee that he was wearing was grabbed from him. He fought to protect it but lost. Mike Miller refers to it in a letter he wrote to Alice. He says, “ I know for a fact he had a black slip with him. He always wore it around his neck.” Mike Miller concludes in a letter in February after Alice was told of a radio message from Jean that was heard by others, “to tell his wife, Alice, that he was alive and a prisoner.” Mike wrote: “ Well hope still springs eternal. Thank you for letting me know. It was some of the grandest news I have received in a long time. I will tell all his friends in the 22nd as they have kept asking me about him.” We have more stories on Jean’s capture and ultimately he got assigned as a POW to Stalag 6G Lazarett in Siegburg, Germany (run by the Nazii’s). There he was assigned by the Nazii’s as “the Man of Confidence.” In POW Camps, the highest ranking soldier, gets assigned that title. The new person will replace the old if he is of a higher ranking. That was not to be the case here. Jean was told that the person before him had not worked out and was removed and Jean was brought from another hospital to fill the position. He was never replaced as wounded and non wounded men came to and through this POW camp. Jealousy abounded as can be read in a book by Robert Bowen, Fighting with the Screaming Eagles.