Grouping, Medical Detachment, 787th AAA AW Bn

Identified to Harry J. Cvar #35063246

Nice group of original photos and personal possessions of Harry J. Cvar who served with Medical Detachment of the 787th AAA Gun Battalion. This unit was set up during Operation Antwerp X, among other places, in Herenthout, Oelegem and Loenhout. Included are 58 photos of the 787th AAA during their time in Europe with some beautiful shots of their time as part of Operation Antwerp X. This group includes his Purple Heart Medal in his original box, two Language Guides, a small Addresses booklet with notes on his journey, a lot of original papers, a few souvenirs of Harry such as a German Newspaper from 1943, the souvenir pictures of Paris and a collection of Post Cards from Antwerp, Namen, the Nederlands, Paris, Reims, Nürenberg, Bad Kissingen and Le Havre.

click on the images to enlarge

T/4 Harry J. Cvar

Harry Joseph Cvar was born on March 20, 1920, in Millston, Wisconsin, to Mary (1891–1979) and Frank Cvar (1883–1946). His father was born in Yugoslavia and his mother in Slovenia. Harry had one month of Combat Medical Training in 1936. He complited 4 years of High School in 1938. He was active in the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939.

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families as part of the New Deal. The CCC was designed to provide jobs for young men, and to relieve families who had difficulty finding jobs during the Great Depression in the United States.

3 million young men participated in the CCC, which provided them with shelter, clothing, and food, together with a small wage of $30 a month ($25 of which had to be sent home to their families). We are "better together" preserving the heritage of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Harry Cvar worked as an Assistant Foreman, from November 1940 to May 1943, he was employed by the Johnson and Jennings Company, where he supervised twenty-five men and women who operated various machines and performed assembly work in the production of metal parts and accessories for oil tankers. During 4 months in 1941 he took vocational education at East Technical High School, Cleveland Ohio.

Harry J. Cvar joined the US Army on May 19, 1943 at Camp Perry, Ohio. He completed basic training at Camp Hullen, Texas, and was assigned to Medical Detachment, 787th AAA AW Battalion, continuing his medical training at Medical School, Fitzsimmons General Hospital in Denver, Colorado. He departed for Scotland in August 1944. A trainride later they set up for two weeks in Keele Hall. On September 13 the unit travelled further South and occupied positions in Dorset & Weymouth. On September 22, 1944 they boarded the LST for France.

They left Cherbourg, France by truck for Herenthout, Belgium where they stayed from November 21 until November 25, 1944. After that, they moved to a position at Oelegem until December 17, 1944, and at Bethaniënhuis, Zoersel, Belgium until December 22, 1944. With the outbreak of the Battle of the Bulge, the Medical Detachment moved to Namur from December 22, 1944 until January 11, 1945. They left their Ardennes position to return to the defense of Antwerp. The Medical Detachment set up in Loenhout from January 11 until January 31, 1945, and then in Stabroek were they remained in this position until February 16, 1945. It then moved to Steenbergen, the Netherlands, until March 22, 1945, and the end of Operation Antwerp X

The Medical Detachment was in Reims, France, when the war ended on May 8, 1945. For his service he was awarded, among other decorations, the Good Conduct Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the American Campaign Medal, European African Middle-Eastern Campaign Medal with 2 campaign stars, and the Belgian Croix de Guerre.

Harry Joseph Cvar died on August 16, 2010, in Waupun, Wisconsin, when he was 90 years old.