“We got as far as Eschwege, Germany, by the end of the war.”  Eschwege was very near the town of Eisenach, birthplace of the musician, Johann Sebastian Bach.  Eisenach was also home to the Wartburg, the fortress where Martin Luther hid out in the early 1500s.  It was here where Luther first translated the New Testament into the German language.

The Wartburg in Eisenach, Germany

Ken is the second GI in the front row.  He labeled this picture, "Luther's Castle."

Ken is in the middle of the first row, wearing the crooked military hat.  His lieutenant would get after him continually for the way he wore his uniform.  He called Ken, "Malted Milk Harry," because he looked like a soda jerk.

The war may have been over in Europe but soldiers of the 357th Antiaircraft Artillery Searchlight Battalion were worried about getting sent to the Pacific.  “I was very happy when the “A bomb” was dropped and VJ Day was declared,” said Ken.  That meant they were heading home to the States rather than to the Pacific theater.

Ken Pugh remarked that in Germany, he did like driving on the autobahns.  At the time the United States did not have a road system like this.  Hitler had designed these highways to easily move troops across the country.  Ken commented that General Eisenhower had been impressed by this road system and several years later after becoming president, he had pushed for the American Interstate system.

Even after the war, Ken would not let on that he could speak German.  He found it quite entertaining to listen to the local German people discuss their American military presence.  Sometimes it was not complimentary.  One old woman wanted to buy something and spoke to him using words that sounded sincere but were a joke to her.  When I answered her back in German, she was very embarrassed, “Der Enkel kann deutsche verstehen!”  (“The grandson can understand German!”)

Ken was not the only one in his unit that could speak German.  There were others in the 357th from Milwaukee.  One of the guys from Sheboygan had actually been born in Germany.

Back row:  Eugene Dorn, Lake Mills, Don Johnson, Fort Atkinson, Ken Kutz, Fort Atkinson, ?, ?, ?. Frank Dondlinger, Manitowoc, ?,  Russel Edwards, Waterloo

Front row:  ?, ?,?,Gordon Hinkey, Milwaukee,?, Sgt. Vergins, Juneau, Jack Brown, Fort Atkinson

“I was proud I was able to serve.  I made so many good friends.”  Members of the 357th Antiaircraft Artillery Searchlight Battalion have gotten together often since the end of World War II.  In fact, since 1965, they have met annually all over the United States.  Some of the gatherings have even been held in the Jefferson county area. 

Ken recalls one reunion when his son was just a young boy, he came running up to him and said, “Dad, I didn’t know you were a hero...that you captured 90 Germans single handedly.”  Ken immediately said, “You’ve been talking to Gordon Hinkey!  Gordon was full of it telling all these stories to these kids about their dads that were totally untrue.”

"The Fartileers 357th Battery B" at a corn roast reunion at the Pugh home in Jefferson, Wisconsin

1998 reunion of Battery B at the Pugh home

On their 50th reunion, they were given a tour of Ft. Stewart in Georgia.  The unit recently had their 60th year reunion.  Sgt. Al Quagliotti, from Pennsylvania, and his family have planned the past five reunions.  These gatherings have resulted in friendships for the soldiers’ entire families.

Mr. and Mrs. Al Quagliotti and children