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| L-R: Kelly, Tomasik, and Katz in Naples, 1944. Soldier on the balcony unknown. Photo courtesy of Mike Reuter. |
One of the great things happening since the release of “The Boldest Plan is the Best” is coming in contact with more veterans and their family members. One example is my correspondence with Mr. Morton Katz over the past couple of months. Katz was a lieutenant in, and the last adjutant of, the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion. It was his sad duty to oversea the turn-in of all of the battalion’s equipment and records after the unit was disbanded in February 1945. Mort is now a retired colonel, and still practicing law in Avon, Connecticut. I did not have the opportunity to interview Mort. After the book came out, he got in contact with me. I do wish I had met him during my research.
The other day I received a letter from Mort Katz with some big news. His letter included a copy of a letter to him from the Army Center for Military History. The letter is informing him that his request, through his congressman, to have the colors of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion donated to the Airborne and Special Forces Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina, has been approved. The colors are currently in storage at the Center’s storage facility in Anniston, Alabama. They are in good condition, but will require some conservation treatment before they can be framed and transferred to the museum. Therefore, an exact date for the transfer or information on any kind of ceremony is not available at this time. So as they say, more to follow.
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