Diane Henrikson Russell
During WWII, Uncle Dan served with the 439th Troop Carrier Group. This group was activated in June 1943 to haul rations, clothing, medicine, blood plasma, gasoline, ammunition, and other supplies to the front lines. They evacuated patients to rear-zone hospitals when not engaged in airborne operations. The group was located 5-10 miles behind the lines.
The group served in England in early 1944 for duty with the Ninth Air Force to prepare for D-Day. The group then moved to France to support advancing allies and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. As the Germans retreated, the group crossed the Rhine River to Darmstadt and traveled to Gottingen and Nuremberg.
