A Few Thoughts and Acknowledgements Before Moving On To The Pacific Theater~

As one of the daughters of Ernie Doucette, I have read and re-read over six years of research and have come to the conclusion that even though my dad says he in no way was a 'hero', he certainly was. I started this blog with a quote from "Saving Private Ryan" that being "Earn This"... my dad, my hero .. the gentle soul that raised my sister, my three brothers and myself did indeed 'earn this'... and more. He may not have received his Medal from the French Government the way he and his comrades should have back when they were 19 and 20 year old soldiers, but none the less, he had his before he passed away. My dad was a man of integrity. He was the neighborhood softball pitcher and coach. He built snow forts with us after a hard day's work. He gave us a set of values on which to build our own lives ... God, family and country. He walked my sister and I down the aisle on our wedding day. Never a day went by when he told us to "ask your mother"... he had the answers. And, he always had time for the five of us. He worked hard all of his life just like all those that belong to "The Greatest Generation" and never looked back. But, before his Army days were finished, he did have one more assignment, that being the Pacific Theater. Before I continue there, I would like to thank the other 'gentle souls' that walked with dad on Omaha Beach and then joined him again in the Philippines .. Sam Kornfeld, Fritz Weinshenk, Arnold Epstein and Walter Newman. They too "Earned This" ... the recognition to be called members of "The Greatest Generation".

RESEARCH GATHERED FROM THE FOLLOWING SOURCES:
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~Mr. Tony Chapman, Historian, Archivist from England
~The National Archives in Washington, DC
~Fort Belvoir Army Archives in Maryland
~United States Army Archives in St. Louis, MO
~Office of the Chief of Military History (Army) Washington, DC (Library)
~United States Army War College, Washington, DC (1966)
~United States Army History Institute, Carisle. PA.
~Historical Data: Headquarters of the European Theater of Operations; 6Th Engineer Special
Brigade; APO 230; 293 Joint Assault Signal Company
~The United States Army Campaigns of World War II
~Dwight D. Eisenhower Library and Museum; Abilene, KS.
~"The War Department" original book written by the Department of the Army (09-12-1945)
~LCI 92 information: The United States Coast Guard, LCI Ship's Log, parts: 1, 2 & 3,
Washington, DC

DAD'S MEDALS AND CITATIONS:
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~Army Achievement Medal
~Asiatic Pacific Campaign Ribbon with Bronze service arrowhead
~Distinguished Service Medal, Army
~Europe, Africa, Middle East Campaign Ribbon with Bronze Service Star
~Good Conduct Medal (which dad was most proud of)
~Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 1 Bronze Service Star
~World War II Victory Medal
~Distinguished Unit Badge (125 ETOUSA 14 Dec. 44)
~D-Day Commemorative Medal with Ribbon
~Presidential Unit Citation (War Department, General Order #41, January 12, 1945)
~Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for actions from October 17, 1944 through July 4TH, 1945
(Dept. of the Army, General Order #47 from 1950)
~French Presidential Unit Citation (293 JASCO, included together with the 149TH Engineer
Beach Battalion) Dept. of the Army, General Order #43, 1950
(all Unit Citations came from David A. Giordano, National Archives, Washington, DC)