The Fighting 69th Infantry Division Association, Inc. Vol. 50 No. 2 ...

News from Ed Lucci
Co. A, 273rd Infantry
Edward L. Lucci
23 Evergreen Avenue
Lynbrook, New York 11563-3219
I received a letter from John B. Dur st. John was
in my platoon in A Company 273rd Regiment. I had
not heard from him since June 1945. Actually, he
found me.
Earlier this year, I received an obituary notice from
the family of Kurt Noelke, telling me of his passing
on March 25, 1996. In 1945 Kurt Noelke was a
twelve year old German boy. At the end of the war,
E Company 272nd was billeted in Bebra-Weiterode.
Kurt N olke had never forgotten the kindness he was
shown then by the GIs, and had been trying to contact
every member of E Company he could, to show his
appreciation. In 1986 he attended our Reunion in
Pittsburgh with two of his sons, at which time he
extended an invitation to me to visit him any time I
happened to be in Germany.
In July of 1988, I visited Germany with my daughter
Diane and my two oldest grandchildren, J eanna
and Stephen. I looked Kurt Noelke up in the phone
book in Weiterode. His third son, Andreas answered,
and told us that his father and mother had left just
that morning to visit friends in Poland, and that his
brothers Stefan and Claudius were also not at home.
Nevertheless he invited us to his house, and after
refreshing ourselves, gave us a guided tour of his
home town and the surrounding area, including a
view of the iron curtain nearby. We spoke with several
people in whose houses the GIs were billeted and they
remembered the time well.
In April 1990, when some 6gers made a tour to
Torgau and Moscow, Kurt Noelke invited us all to stop
over in Weiterrode. We accepted his invitation and he
gave a well planned reception and breakfast for the
entire group of over 100. I'm sure his family would
appreciate a few words in the bulletin.
Best regards to all,
Ed Lucci
Following is the letter of correspondence to Ed Lucci
from John Durst and Ed Lucci's response to him.
Dear Mr. Lucci,
I was a PFC in your platoon in combat in Belgium
and Germany in January to April 1945.
I am gathering all my remembrances, letters sent
home, etc. but I cannot remember and I have no
record anywhere of the name of our Captain of our
Company (A Co.). I believe you would surely remember
his name. Could tell me what it was?
At the top of page 400 of "The Last 100 Days" by
John Toland, it says, "At dawn an Infantry Company
of the 69th Division attempted an assault on the gingerbread
Town Hall, but was quickly pinned down."
Unfortunately it does not give our Captain's name.
-50 -
After being discharged in 1946 I returned to
U.C.L.A. and graduated from U.s.C. in 1951. I worked
for many aircraft and defense plants and in 1962
returned to college and got a Master's Degree as Cal
State University at Los Angeles. I worked as a
Audiologist for the prestigious House Ear Clinic in
L.A., I retired in 1985, and moved here in 1987.
I finally got married at age 58 to an R.N. nurse in
Manila named Narcisa (then age 29). Narcee, as she
is always called, is now an R.N. at the nearby
Veteran's Administration Hospital in Loma Linda
since 1989. We have a 4 bedroom, 3 bath tract house.
What have you been doing?
Sincerely, with best wishes,
John B. Durst
1832 Alta Street
Redlands, California 92374-1718
Dear John,
You can't imagine how pleased I was to hear from
you! You are one of the men I have been looking for,
for over 50 years.
I have been maintaining a roster of the known current
addresses of all the men that were in A Company.
You were on my list of "War Time Addresses"; current
address unknown.
I have been in contact with quite a few of the men.
For a long time, I had been corresponding with some
of them, especially the three Platoon Sergeants that
were wounded. I have also been exchanging Christmas
Cards with a lot of them.
I have submitted your name to the membership
chairman, to be added to the 69th Infantry Division
Association Roster. Enclosed herewith is a copy of the
Bulletin dated August 1996.
Meanwhile, in answer to your question, the
Company Commander was Captain James C.
Notgrass. Also the "Infantry Company" that you read
about, in John Toland's book, "The Last 100 Days,"
was us, the second platoon of A Company, 273rd
Infantry. You were there with me, and the rest of the
platoon. We also did not "attempt an assault on the
gingerbread town hall." We were told that F Company
was in the City Hall Building of Leipzig, under attack
by 200 SS men, from the adjacent building. We were
asked to go the City Hall Building to relieve the pressure
on F Company.
I have enclosed herewith my A Company roster as
of today, after adding your name to it. Also enclosed
are the changing rosters of our platoon, from
February 12th, the day we relieved the 99th Division,
to the middle of June, when most of us were transferred
to the 29th Division. Of the 41 that we started
with, you are one of nine men (including myself) that
made it all the way through without a scratch.
Hoping to see you and your wife Narcisa soon at
one of the Association's annual reunions, I am,
Your buddy,
Ed Lucci