Private John Freis

[Gatorade]

I think I have told this story before but I will continue to retell it.

My grandfather was in the Army in Germany during WWII, the 104th division also known as the Timberwolves. They had some close calls in Stolberg with Germans walking right avove the basement they were hiding in. Liberated a concentration camp called Doramiddleburg.

I have never served and didn't know anyone killed in battle but my grandfather sure did. I asked him one year if there was anyone in particular he thought about on Memorial Day. Of course he did and proceeded to tell me the story of Private John Freis. My grandfather had been a company runner and an MP for was supposed to work with a machine gun crew but was new and wasn't really familiar enough with the machine gun his crew was supposed to be manning the next day. The CO decided he wanted someone with experience with the crew. So he called for Private John Friese to go with the crew. The next day mortars or artillery killed Private Friese while operating that gun position. My grandfather did go out with the machine gun crew on other days but I would not be here today if he had got me out as originally planned.

Private Freis who left behind a daughter is buried in Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. I have found online that his Purple Heart was sold a few years ago and someone from the Netherlands had adopted his grave. He was trying to track down that Purple Heart but doesn't look like he found it. I am attempting to join that site to give some background info about him.

FREIS, John W.,
Death: 10/26/1944, Zundert, Netherlands
Private First Class,
Service# 36709798,
415th Infantry Regiment,
104th Infantry Division,
M Company
State of Entry: Illinois,
Plot: E, Row: 7, Grave: 73,
Purple Heart,
U.S. Army, World War II
Born 12/16/1920 Chicago, IL
Family: Norma (Whigtsil) wife, Andrea daughter

[DrHenley]

Thanks for relating that Gatorade.

I think you mean "Dora-Mittelbau"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittelbau-Dora

https://www.google.com/maps/place/KZ...2!4d10.7487004