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Forrest Leroy Guth
Forrest-Guth
Forrest 'Goody' Guth in his class 'A' uniform
Nickname -"Goody"
-"Chow Hound"
Born (1921-02-06)February 6, 1921
Died August 9, 2009(2009-08-09) (aged 88)
Place of birth Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Place of death Hockessin, Delaware
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army seal United States Army
Years of service 1942–1945
Rank Army-USA-OR-05 Sergeant
Unit 506 patch Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment,
US 101st Airborne Division patch101st Airborne Division
Battles/wars

World War II

Awards Purple Heart BAR Purple Heart
Presidential Unit Citation ribbon Presidential Unit Citation 1 OLC
Army Good Conduct ribbon Good Conduct Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal ribbon World War II Victory Medal
Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with palm Croix de guerre
French Liberation Medal ribbon French Liberation Medal
Combat Infantry BadgeCombat Infantryman Badge
US Army Airborne basic parachutist badgeParachutist Badge
Relations -John (son)
-Nancy (daughter)
-Harriet (wife)
Other work

-Steel worker
-Teacher
-Woodworker

Forrest Guth
Personal details
Signature Signiture copy

Sergeant Forrest L Guth (6 February 1921 – 9 August 2009)[1] was one of the 140 original members of the Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in the 101st Airborne Division, United States Army during the Second World War.

Youth[]

Forrest Guth (pronounced "Gooth")[2] was born to John H. R. and Mayme L. Guth in the small district of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. He is a direct descendant of the original German settler who established themselves in the inland counties of eastern Pennsylvania in the 1700s. These early colonizers were known as the Pennsylvania Dutch, although they were not Dutch, but rather of German-speaking heritage ("Dutch" being the original word for all continental speakers of West Germanic, chiefly Dutch and German).[3][3] Forrest was brought up in Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Allentown, in Upper Macungie Township.

Guth was fluent in the Pennsylvania Dutch language and would speak it with his best friends; Carl Fenstermaker and Roderick Strohl who also became one of the 140 Easy company originals, although later C. Fenstermaker volunteered for the Pathfinders and was transferred from 'Easy'.[4]

Paratrooper Training[]

In 1941, Guth was working for Bethlehem Steel making armor plates for the Navy[3] when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. At that time, working for the defense industry meant that he was advised not to join as he was needed back at home producing steel plates, but he enlisted in the Army and volunteered for the paratroopers. He and two friends joined in 1942, and became part of the original Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.[3]

Forrest Guth-Camp Mackall

Forrest Guth during his time at 'Camp Mackall'.

Easy Company consisted of 132 enlisted men and 8 officers. Forrest went to basic training at Camp Toccoa,[5] Georgia where the Regiment's motto was born: "Currahee," named after the mountain where the regiment were forced to run the 6-mile round trip up and down daily.[5] After parachute training at Fort Benning, Guth made his qualifying jumps and received his Jump Wings.[6]

Easy Co. embarked on September 5, 1943, and arrived at Liverpool, England. Guth was stationed in Aldbourne, Wiltshire.[7] Training was carried out according to the later Invasion of France, and numerous full equipment nights jumps were made. He and his unit were also involved in the pre D-Day Exercise Tiger at Slapton Sands, Devon.

Military Service[]

Guth had the ability to repair and modify weapons. For instance, he could make an M-1 rifle fully automatic.[8] He became the armorer for his comrades.[9] Guth's uniform was unique, as Guth sew on it many extra pockets to carry extra equipment.[10]

Guth made his first combat jump into Normandy in June 6, 1944.[11] He met Walter Gordon (veteran), John Eubanks and Floyd Talbert after landing in a meadow.[12] The group found the remains of the crashed plane which contained Easy Company members including Lieutenant Thomas Meehan.[13] The group fought alongside with a group of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne division before joining their own unit.[14]

In September 17, 1944, he jumped into the occupied Netherlands as part of Operation Market Garden. Guth was injured while landing because of parachute malfunction. He was taken to an army hospital in England. He rejoined Easy Company in Mourmelon, France, before the 101st Airborne Division were transported to Bastogne to fight in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944.[15]

In January 1945, Easy Company moved to Haguenau. Guth was selected for a patrol mission across the Moder River led by Sergeant Ken Mercier because of his German speaking ability.[16] In March 1945, Guth won a thirty-day furlough to return to the States in Mourmelon, France. The war ended before Guth could rejoin his unit.[17] Guth was discharged in mid-October 1945.[18]

Later life[]

Guth enrolled at Millersville State Teacher's College (now Millersville University) in Millersville, Pennsylvania.[19] He then went to New York University to obtain his master's degree.[18]

He became a teacher in Norfolk, Virginia. He met his wife Harriet there and they married in 1949.[20] The couple moved to Delaware to work. He took a job as the electronics teacher and stage crew advisor at Brandywine High School in Wilmington and continued to live in Delaware after their retirement.[21] Guth died in August 9, 2009 in Hockessin, Delaware.[22]

Band of Brothers[]

Although Guth was one of the original 140 Toccoa men of Easy Company, he was not included in the Band of Brothers TV miniseries. His character was actually planned and his unique uniform had been re-created .[23]

His role in the patrol as the interpreter in Haguenau was replaced by David Kenyon Webster in the episode of the Last Patrol.[24]

Forrest Guth in Museums[]

Original WWII uniforms and memorabilia of Forrest Guth are on display at these museums :

D-DAY PARATROOPERS HISTORICAL CENTER - Battle of NORMANDY - Saint-Côme-du-Mont, France

DECEMBER 44 MUSEUM - Battle of the BULGE - La Gleize, Belgium

Bibliography[]

  • Michel De Trez (2004). Cpl. Forrest Guth: 'E' Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division (WWII American Paratroopers Portrait Series, No. 1). D-Day Publishing. ISBN 978-2-9600176-5-6. 
  • Larry Alexander (2011). In the Footsteps of the Band of Brothers: A Return to Easy Company's Battefields with Sgt. Forrest Guth). NAL Trade]. ISBN 0451233158. 
  • Marcus Brotherton (2009). We Who Are Alive and Remain: Untold Stories from Band of Brothers). Berkley Trade]. ISBN 0425234193. 

References[]

  1. Sgt. Forrest Guth, p. 5.
  2. Cpl. Forrest Guth, p.27.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Cpl. Forrest Guth, p.5.
  4. Cpl. Forrest Guth, p.7.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Cpl. Forrest Guth, p.6.
  6. Cpl. Forrest Guth, p.10.
  7. Cpl. Forrest Guth, p.24.
  8. Stephen E. Ambrose
  9. p.19, Brotherton
  10. p.97, IBid
  11. p.75, Alexander
  12. p.108, Brotherton
  13. Ibid
  14. p.109, Ibid
  15. p.132, Ibid
  16. p.286, Ibid
  17. p.292, Ibid
  18. 18.0 18.1 p.199, Brotherton
  19. p.298, Alexander
  20. p.200, Ibid
  21. p.298-299, Alexander
  22. p.305, Ibid
  23. p.298, Ibid
  24. p.286, Ibid

External links[]

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Forrest Guth and the edit history here.
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