This is a photo of my dad, Jesse Burgus, who is in Belgium in 1945. He was born in 1917 so he was 28 years old in this photo. He was actually one of the older men in the service as most were drafted at 18 or 19. Some were younger if they could lie about their age. He has just arrived, looking pretty sharp. From other descriptions on photos, I think he is in an apartment complex area that sections were turned into barricks temporarily. He will see actually front line battle in another week or so.
He carried a fifty pound radio, glass tubes inside the radio back then, and that meant he went with the scouts, into enemy territory in front of the main battle lines. I found a book that describes where his unit was on a daily or weekly basis and I wonder where he actually was being in front of the unit. By December they had moved into Germany.
This is one of those photos that you need to click on it to enlarge and see what is in the background.
I have those patches that are on his sleeves.
They printed their own photos over there, even in the field. My dad did not know how to do it but his buddy did. The buddy would wait until dark and do the processing. What a unique and lucky thing to have my dad having a photobug buddy and I now have the pictures.
Others in my group have photos for Sepia Saturday, check them out here. Sepia Saturday
12 comments:
Interesting picture and story behind it. I agree with you he was fortunate to have a buddy to develop his film for him.
Yes, how fortuitous that he had a shutterbug for a friend; you certainly do reap the benefit now.
The book that you found, was it one of your father's or something you just happened upon?
He was a nice looking young man. I wonder what he was thinking as he sat there.
Kat
Oh, I see you got the photo of the cardinal! It is a very nice one too.
LD ~ I always look forward to your wonderful pictures on sepia saturday! This one is no exception! Love the stories, too...wow..those radios were heavy!
Thanks for your kind comments on my blog today...you have a really nice pic of your winter birds feeding, too! :)
Nalley and I both thoroughly enjoyed this photo and the history. What a treasure to have this and your father's patches. It is amazing how much detail can be seen in the photo when enlarged. Thanks for sharing with us.
Great old photo..he was one of the lucky ones to come back. I saw a young lady in the background and some other people off to the right..one in shorts. I am glad that you have the patches that were on the uniform:)
Your dad was a good looking man and I see, when enlarging the photo that his photography session was attracting some female interest.
A great picture and a very interesting post. I can't begin to imagine how men like your dad felt, carrying a 50lb radio into enemy territory, lightly protected in terms of numbers. He and his like were nothing less than heroes.
What a handsome man your father was. I always go weak in the knees for a man in uniform. Love the fact that his buddy used the natural dark room for developing his photos!
Great photo and story. Imagine carrying a heavy radio with glass tubes - and not dropping and breaking everything inside! And developing film at night - what a notion!
It's rather poignant, to say the least, to think that he was in battle not long after this peaceful photo was taken. So cool about the photo developing! I'd never heard of that before.
thats amazing that they carried around the equipment and developed their pictures out in the field, I had no idea.
I love the kids in the background
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