TheTroubleshooters.com Home                   Catalog                   World War 2                   World War 1                  Links

Patton's Troubleshooters Book                        Patton's Troubleshooters DVD

"WOW!! What a wave of emotions the picture collection from Dick Swope brought on.  Strange that I had not seen them before.  Dick and I worked closely together.  Upon arriving in Kempten, Ger. We were at loose ends.  There was a functioning brewery, a cheese plant and an ice house.  Our outdoor mess facility was set up in the parking lot used by all three of these.  It was pretty obvious that the command which assigned us to that billet was rewarding us for something we had done, probably that thing at Bastogne.  Dick Swope was appointed special services officer and I was Spec. Sv. NCO.  At that time Special Services meant entertainment for the troops. Like the balls and bats, the volley ball net, etc.  Later, instead of issuing candy, cigarettes, razor blades, and that sort of thing from the kitchen truck, we set up a small PX and started charging a nominal amount for the stuff.  Since I was the only man left who could type that did not already have a typing job, the PX became my job. Dick Swope was my immediate superior.  What a great guy.  He was really "laid back".  Not your typical up tight OCS graduate.  He left about every thing up to me.  Since we had served as non-coms together there wasn't the usual formality.  Later, when we were in Stribro Czech.  he went to Corp Hq. and practically stole a 16mm projector.  There was no provision in the T/E for us to have one but Dick bulldozed his way through and came home with one. While forming the swing band we were unable to convince the army we should have the instruments, so Swope and I promoted enough sugar and flour  from the kitchen, gasoline from the motor pool, and assorted goodies from my PX, we not only acquired the needed instruments, but got a side of beef, real fresh meat.  As I mentioned in my letter to the Capt. the post war stuff would also fill a book.

Incidentally, the Bn. surgeon whose name didn't appear in the photo was Capt Ciccionni.  Don't know a first name.  Glad I found out about Swope and the pictures.  The picture I sent you of myself was also taken by Helmut Haak in Bad Ischl, Austria. Could even have been the same day Dick's picture was taken.
Ken Aladeen