Pablo Gonzales FRANCO

Source : Leopoldville Historian

Source : F Lavernhe

NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY from Colleville

Map Normandy American Cemetery

His sister Elisa MARTINEZ received a letter from pablo posted on January 3, 1945. This date caused trouble in the family.

Shortly before they had received a telegram announcing his death. In this telegram, it was declared Missing in Action, it was not when 1998 following a letter from Allan ANDRADE (historian of Leopoldville) that the family knew and understood what had happened to Pablo.

Pablo was transferred to ALASKA then to WASHINGTON and finally Mineral wells texas. Pablo spent two weeks vacation at Loving before setting off for England.

Frances MARTINEZ (niece) remembers accompanying her uncle to the bus in Carlsbad. She remembers he was in uniform, Frances was five at the time, her last words for her uncle were: "Bye to i love you"

Source : Leopoldville Historian

Frances MARTINEZ with a photo of her uncle

Source : Leopoldville Historian

the last time she saw him, her family had gone to see a psychic to find out if Pablo would come back for Christmas. The clairvoyant told them that she saw a lot of water around Pablo

Pablo and two of his brothers wanted to enlist alone Pablo passed the army's physical tests. He worked in an oil refinery. he was a devoted and loving father

Excerpt from pablo's letter

“I received a letter from Fela and one from Juan and five from Rosa, which is a comfort ... when too much time goes by without news from all of you,” Franco wrote in Spanish in a letter dated December 22, 1944, and addressed to his sister Eliza in Carlsbad.

In his letter, Franco lamented the delay in delivering the mail, asking for the health of his sister, who had mentioned his wife was feeling ill in a letter a month earlier, and saying that he had not received one. letter from her.

"I wrote you three to four letters a week," wrote Franco. "I know you wrote for me, but it's not your fault the letters don't arrive on time."

"He is still under there. Nothing has been moved, while his body is still there now, in this ship, under the water," said Frances Martinez, who regrets that there has never been a burial place for his uncle.

Source : Leopoldville Historian

66^th  INFANTRY DIVISION - BLACK PANTHER  

Activated/Activé	Normandy/Normandie
15 Apr 1943	Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  91
	Casualties/Victimes 1 452
Entered Combat/Entré au combat
1 Jan 1945
Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux Maj. Gen. Herman F. Kramer (Apr 43 - Aug 45) Maj. Gen. Walter F. Lauer (Aug 45 - inactivation) 5)	Campaigns/Campagnes Northern France (25 Jul 44 - 14 Sep 44)
PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP
DIVISION CHRONICLE The three regiments of the 66th Infantry Division arrived in England, 26 November 1944, and the remainder of the Division, 12 December 1944, training until 24 December 1944 when the Division crossed the English Channel to Cherbourg. A German torpedo ripped into the transport as it was crossing the Channel, and 14 officers and 748 enlisted men were lost. Attached to the 12th Army Group and designated the 12th Army Group Coastal Sector, with operational control of all French forces in the area, the 66th relieved the 94th Division in the BrittanyLoire area, 29 December 1944. Its mission of containing the enemy in the St. Nazaire and Lorient pockets was carried out by daily reconnaissance patrols, limited objective attacks, and the maintenance of harassing and interdictory fires on enemy installations. A heavy German attack near La Croix was repulsed, 16 April 1945, and several strongly emplaced enemy positions were taken, 19-29 April 1945. Enemy troops in the Lorient and St. Nazaire pockets surrendered to the Division upon the end of hostilities in Europe, 8 May 1945. The 66th moved to Germany on occupation duty, in the Koblenz subarea, 20 May 1945, and left for Marseille, 26 May 1945. It sailed for home 27 October 1945.	CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION Les trois régiments de la 66e division d'infanterie arrivent en Angleterre, le 26 novembre 1944, et le reste de la division, le 12 décembre 1944, s'entraînant jusqu'au 24 décembre 1944 lorsque la division traverse la Manche jusqu'à Cherbourg. Une torpille allemande s'est faufilée dans le convoi alors qu'elle traversait la Manche, et 14 officiers et 748 soldats ont été perdus. Attaché au 12ème Groupe d'Armée et désigné Secteur de la 12ème division du Groupe d'Armées, avec le contrôle opérationnel de toutes les forces françaises dans la région, le 66th a relevé la 94ème Division dans la région BrittanyLoire, le 29 décembre 1944. Sa mission Les poches de Nazaire et de Lorient ont été réalisées par des patrouilles de reconnaissance quotidiennes, des attaques objectives limitées et le maintien de feux de harcèlement et d'interception sur les installations ennemies. Une forte attaque allemande près de La Croix fut repoussée le 16 avril 1945 et plusieurs positions ennemies fortement implantées furent prises, du 19 au 29 avril 1945. Des troupes ennemies dans les poches de Lorient et de Saint-Nazaire se rendirent à la Division à la fin des hostilités en Europe , Le 8 mai 1945. Le 66ème émigra en Allemagne en service d'occupation, dans la sous-zone de Coblence, le 20 mai 1945, et partit pour Marseille, le 26 mai 1945. Il partit pour la maison le 27 octobre 1945.