897th and 3562nd Ordnance HAM Companies, 1941-1945

897th Ordnance Heavy Automotive Maintenance Company
3562nd Ordnance Heavy Automotive Maintenance Company
1st Army, V Corps, European Theater of Operations

Belgium, 1944: the war rages on, the weather is lousy, and your truck's frame is bent. Who ya gonna call? The 897th, that's who! They performed difficult repairs under adverse conditions.

Welcome to this WWII history site commemorating the 897th and 3562nd Ordnance HAM Companies, maintained by the son of 897th veteran Julian Gocek. I love to hear from veterans and their families, current service people, and history buffs. With the passing of my father at age 97 in 2015, I doubt any 897th vets are still with us. Best wishes to all the families.

The site is laid out to be mobile-friendly, but with over 250 original wartime photos from the Gocek, Hammond, and Chenevey families, and others, watch your data usage. Just keep scrolling! Contact info at the bottom.

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This day in history: Friday, January 26, 1945: Herstal (near Liege), Belgium.The new year finds the 897th still busily at work in Herstal, and sweating out buzz bombs and an occasional hostile dive bomber. Clothing and personal equipment to replace that lost in Stavelot are issued early in the month as well as new sleeping bags. To those who desire, a nightly movie in Liege is available to help nullify the mental anguish created by the continued buzz bombing. [Editor’s note: my father denies even seeing a sleeping bag during this Battle of the Bulge period.]

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