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World War II Honoree

World War II Veteran

Joseph A. Franchina

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Watertown, Massachusetts

Honored By

Joseph A. Franchina

Relationship

Self

Branch Seal
Activity During WWII

European Theater of Operations: France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. Normandy Invasion, Omaha Beach. Part of General Patton's Third Army, a half track mobile unit, the 449th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, Battery C, 5th Infantry Division, who lent support to the 10th and the 11th Regiments. Photo: Two very happy soldiers, taken on May 8, 1945, V-E Day, at the end of the war in Europe. Somewhere in Bavaria, Germany near the Czechoslovakian border. I was holding a bottle of cognac (commandeered months earlier while going through the city of Frankfurt. We hid in our half track just for that Special Day) giving the legs-up 'V' for Victory sign on that momentous occasion. My good old Army buddy, Edgar Kustanbauter of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, was giving the 'thumbs-up' sign.