Frank Moscardelli - World War II

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Private Fred Moscardelli, Frank’s father, in his World War I uniform, circa 1918. He is wearing a Third Army patch. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank Moscardelli, age five in 1930, while the family lived in Chicago. The family moved back to Springfield a couple of years later. (Narrator’s photo)

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Rose Moscardelli, Frank’s paternal aunt, on Evergreen Avenue in Chicago with Frank on the left and his younger brother Alfred on the right. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank Moscardelli at seventeen in 1942, while he lived in Springfield, Illinois. He was waiting to be called up at the time. (May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.)

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Private Moscardelli’s basic training platoon. He attended basic at Camp Fannin, Texas. Frank is in the second row, second from the left in the dark shirt. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank’s basic training company proudly marches on parade as part of the recruits’ graduation ceremony at Camp Fannin, Texas in the spring of 1944. Note the arrow pointing out Frank. (This image is considered to be in the public domain.)

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Private Frank Moscardelli proudly wears his uniform for a portrait shortly after completing basic training in early 1944 at Camp Fannin, Texas. (This image is considered to be in the public domain.)

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Frank Moscardelli, following basic training, waits with his bags packed outside his barracks at Camp Fanning, Texas in the spring of 1944. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank Moscardelli relaxes next to a G Company guidon somewhere in Germany at the close of the war in early 1945. He served with the 353rd Infantry Regiment, 89th Infantry Division. Note his well shined boots, his only pair for his entire combat tour. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank’s Uncle Vic and his brother Al met up somewhere in the China theater late in World War II. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank is on the left, and his buddy Roy Ketchum is on the right in this photo, possibly when the Regiment was passing through Eisenach, Germany in early April, 1945. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank Moscardelli relaxes as the war winds down in May, 1945. His unit was in Germany only miles from the border with Czechoslovakia. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank Moscardelli and his squad mates ended the war in May, 1945 only miles from Czechoslovakia. They took a moment to relax in a makeshift mess hall, with Frank third from the left, and Roy Ketchum second from the right. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank Moscardelli and a new friend enjoy their three day pass in Paris in May, 1945, only days after VE Day. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank, on the right, with fellow soldiers while he was stationed in Linz, Austria in the summer of 1945. Note the 42nd Division patch on his left shoulder. He was transferred to the unit shortly after the end of the war in Europe. (Narrator’s photo)

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Private Moscardelli participates in refresher rifle training shortly after the war in Europe. Frank is kneeling, third from the right. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank sights down his M-1 rifle while participating in refresher rifle training after the war in Europe.  (This image is considered to be in the public domain.)

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Frank and his squad mates ham it up for the camera in the summer of 1945 following the 89th Division’s return to Camp Lucky Strike near Le Harve. Staff Sergeant Giambrone is on the left, about to shave, and Frank is in the top row, third from the left. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank, on the right, while he was stationed in Linz, Austria after the war. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank, in the center, during a leave in Lucerne, Switzerland during the summer of 1945. (Narrator’s photo)

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Following the war, Frank was assigned to help guard a prisoner of war camp near Linz, Austria. (Narrator’s photo)

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Looking out toward the village from the PW camp where Frank was assigned. The photo was taken from the guard shack in the winter of 1945-46. (Narrator’s photo)

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This row of barracks was part of the PW camp, possibly near Linz, Austria where Frank was assigned after the war. Note the prisoner huddled next to the wall. (Narrator’s photo)

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Ray Ketchum with two frauleins and a baby he had just met in Germany shortly after the war. The men of the 89th didn’t strictly follow General Eisenhower’s ‘no fraternization’ order. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank holding a German baby shortly after the war. The unit ended their fight across Germany just eight miles from the Czechoslovak border. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank takes a moment to pose with a local fraulein while in the rolling mountains of Austria in the early summer of 1945.  (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank Moscardelli had this formal portrait taken while he was stationed in Linz, Austria in late 1945. Note the Combat Infantryman’s Badge (CIB) and the 42nd Infantry Division patch. (This image is considered to be in the public domain.)

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A crowd of Austrians gather in front of the PW camp hoping to see their friends and loved ones being held there in early 1946. (Narrator’s photo)

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Frank’s sister Betty was a proud member of a drum and bugle corps during World War II.  This photo was taken in Springfield after the war. (Narrator’s photo)

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The men of the 89th Infantry Division published a small pamphlet commemorating the division’s history and its service in Europe shortly after the war. Seventy-five years later Frank still kept the pamphlet as a cherished souvenir.  (This image is considered to be in the public domain.)

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The autograph page from the 89th Division’s commemorative pamphlet issued to unit members at the end of the war. (This image is considered to be in the public domain.)

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“Heading for the east bank of the Rhine, a DUKW carries these men of the 353rd in the crossing at Oberwesel” read the caption for this photo which appeared in the book published by the men of the 89th Division after the war. (This image is considered to be in the public domain.)

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This map from the book “The Eighty-Ninth Division, 1942-1945” shows the Rhine River crossing locations for the 89th Division in March, 1945. The 353rd Regiment’s crossing site at Oberwesel appears on the bottom of the map. (This image is considered to be in the public domain.)

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This map, showing the 89th Infantry Division’s route across Europe, was included in the Division’s commemorative pamphlet published shortly after the war. The unit also published a much more detailed book of their exploits during the war. (This image is considered to be in the public domain.)

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Frank Moscardelli and Agnes Vogt were united in marriage in Petersburg, Illinois on September 1st, 1947. (May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.)

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The Moscardellis gathered for a family portrait at Jay Home Portraits in 1969. In the front are Frank, Agnes, Frank Junior and Mark. In the back are Sharon, Dennis and Denise. (May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.)