How did the war effect your family

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Chuck B.
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#121

Post by Chuck B. » 24 Aug 2015, 15:35

I had two uncles that fought in the Pacific, and one fought in the ETO.
I don't know any details of the two that fought in the Pacific. The uncle that fought in the ETO was a Rifleman in the 35th Inf. Div. which entered into Patton's Third in July 11, 1944 Normandy. He was wounded on Aug 12, but returned to his Division and wounded again on March 3, 1945.
He was awarded the Silver Star with 3 bronze, Purple Heart, Combat Inf. Badge, Sharpshooter. I've read most of the After Action Reports from both the 35th Inf. Div. and his 320th Inf Battalion. Very interesting stuff. I created a Google Earth timeline map of the 35th Inf. Division and chronicled their AAR along with it.
He died in 1996 at 73 years old.

LineDoggie
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#122

Post by LineDoggie » 25 Aug 2015, 07:00

Dad Served North Africa, Sicily, NW Europe in 2AD(Died in 2005). Uncle Jack in 7th ID in the Aleutians and Okinawa, and onto Korea until 1948 then Japan Occupation duty. Uncle Frank (4F, and embarassed to the day he died in 1985 of that) worked with grandpa in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
"There are two kinds of people who are staying on this beach: those who are dead and those who are going to die. Now let’s get the hell out of here".
Col. George Taylor, 16th Infantry Regiment, Omaha Beach


PF
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#123

Post by PF » 18 Dec 2016, 23:59

My maternal grandfather was listed as a A1 possible draftee--however he didn't go into service.[ just as well ..he had a bad back problem yeaars
later} he was not young { young service personel was preferred since they handled stress and strain of war better than older persons}.... he was 32 when the war broke out in 1941; married with 2 children...by occupation he was a dairy farmer
Still he did his bit..as a Civil defense air raid warden in the "wilds" of Ohio :thumbsup:

On the other side of the famly my paternal grandparents came from the old country--my paternal grandfather was too old for service {44 when war broke out} however two of his children did their bit.. his son {My uncle} served in the U. S. Navy and another child {My aunt} worked in defense plant. The other sons/daugthers were too young to serve--although another aunt married a U.S. Navy veteran. {WW. II} I think about three other cousins served In the U.S. Army World War II {One was in Battle of the buldge I think}

Delwin
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#124

Post by Delwin » 14 Jan 2017, 23:27

Maternal grandfather fought all 1939 campaign in Polish 25th ID - from 1st to 28th September. He fought in the Battle of Bzura and in defence of Warsaw as LMG operator. Rest of the war he spent as compulsory worker for German farmers. He met my grandma there so it was not that bad :-).

My paternal grandfather was a signalist (radio and phones) but he did not see any combat in 1939 - he was mobilised too late and never reached intended unit. Rest of the war he spent near Warsaw (after being expulsed from the home farm - similar fate as to other grandpa) as member of Home Army in radio unit. His unit was called to support the Warsaw Uprising but they were scattered when trying to reach Warsaw.

ROLAND1369
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#125

Post by ROLAND1369 » 15 Jan 2017, 18:13

My father became an Aircraft Commander at 21 flying 28 missions over germany in B 24s. Finished the war as the AC of a "lead Crew''. Retired as LT Col after flying in Korea and Viet Nam. My Uncle was a T-5 in the 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific. After the stories I joined up and fought in Viet Nam and Afghanistan. My family has had a member in all wars from the Civil War to Afghanistan, with the exception of the Spanish American War.

Neilhead70
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#126

Post by Neilhead70 » 19 Mar 2017, 00:51

My maternal grandmothers​ first husband was killed on Leros in 1943 & it wasn't mentioned. Her second husband transported​ tanks in North Africa. My paternal grandfather was in one of the Highland regiments & survived the war although I've never met him or had chance to ask him about his service.

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genstab
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#127

Post by genstab » 04 Jun 2017, 16:37

My father was lucky because he happened to have the right college education for which the US Navy was looking. He had a business degree and the Navy needed supply officers. So after officer candidate school in 1943 he was sent to Recife, Brazil where he worked at a seaplane base. The planes were PBY Catalinas and searched for U-boats. He went out in one once to see what it was like. He had taken Spanish in high school and was able to understand the Portugese of the Brazilians. After two years he finished up at a seaplane base at Tongue Point near Astoria, Oregon. My mother, who had worked in Florida to be nearer him during the war (home was suburban Cleveland) was able to join him in Oregon. He was discharged in December 1945. He said several times that he wished he'd stayed in but I was on the way. He did try to get back in a few years later but had no luck. My whole life would have been different if he'd stayed in the Navy- I'd have seen a lot of the world when he was transferred. Maybe I would have joined and made a career out of it too. As it was, I picked the Coast Guard because I didn't think I'd have much fun floating around on an aircraft carrier off Japan with 2000 other men.

Best regards,
Bill in Cleveland

Shane6969
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#128

Post by Shane6969 » 30 Nov 2018, 13:00

My paternal Grandfather was a Panzergrenadier in the German 7th Panzer Division, from early 1941. He was KIA in the Oposchnja, Ukraine on 14th September 1943. My maternal Grandfather was a Sergeant in the Howitzer Battalion of the Dutch East Indies army. He was captured when Java fell and died as a POW of the Japanese in Thailand on the Thai-Burma Railway in March 1943. My mum was a child civilian internee/POW of the Japanese on Java and survived the war, coming to Australia at the age of 12. My dad escaped from East Germany post war and came to Australia in 1955.
Dad had cousins that served on the Monsun U-Boats, the Fallschirmjaeger (KIA post D-Day), Panzerjaeger crew on Eastern Front (POW post war), Panther V tank driver. Mum had an uncle who was a Brewster Buffalo fighter pilot in the ML-KNIL against the Japanese (POW, survived) and also had an uncle who died as a POW when the Tamahoku Maru was torpedoed off Nagasaki.

HenryCox
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How did the war effect your family

#129

Post by HenryCox » 21 Mar 2019, 14:00

Pretty sure you are meant to leave your foot in the stirrup. I would think that if you are comfortable having your foot in the stirrup to get up you should be comfortable having it in there to get down though?

Larry D.
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#130

Post by Larry D. » 21 Mar 2019, 14:23

HenryCox wrote:
21 Mar 2019, 14:00
Pretty sure you are meant to leave your foot in the stirrup. I would think that if you are comfortable having your foot in the stirrup to get up you should be comfortable having it in there to get down though?
Henry -

Delighted you are now getting up to speed after joining last month. Your contribution on Thread:

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=237080

was spectacular and fascinating! We are all on pins and needles waiting for the sequel, "VII 2".

L.

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I have questions
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#131

Post by I have questions » 25 Aug 2019, 04:54

on my mom's side she had 5 uncles who fought in the war (Americans), scattered around ETO and the pacific, not sure how many lived but I think all but one came back. On my dads side his grandfather was in the French resistance and was killed in September 1944 in Alsace. On my dad's side we may have had someone who fought in the Wehrmacht, though it isn't confirmed.

Volyn
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#132

Post by Volyn » 30 Aug 2019, 13:48

I have seven family members who served and fought in both World Wars and my wife's family has at least six. My family's military legacy was a motivating factor for myself (Afghanistan) and my cousin (Iraq and Afghanistan) to join the US Army.

1. Great-Grandfather WW1 - US Army - 108th Infantry Regiment - 27th Infantry Division, served as an infantryman from 20 APR 1915 - 24 DEC 1918, he originally enlisted with the New York National Guard. He fought in the Ypres-Lys Campaign, the 1918 Somme Offensive in the Battle of St. Quentin Canal, and he was wounded at the Battle of Jonc de Mer Ridge by artillery shrapnel on 18 OCT 1918 near L’Arbre de Guise, France.

2. Great-Grandfather WW1 - US Army Coast Artillery Corps - served from 16 APR 1917 - 20 DEC 1918 and was based in Portsmouth, NH until 8 AUG 1918 and Camp Eustis, VA until he was discharged; the war ended before his unit was sent overseas.

3. Great-Grandfather WW1 - Imperial Russian Army - 166th "Rivne" Infantry Regiment - 42nd Infantry Division, served as an infantryman and fought in several major campaigns and battles from AUG 1914 until JUL 1916 when the regiment was destroyed during the Battle of Kovel, part of the Brusilov Offensive. He was wounded in that battle and held as a POW, possibly in Mauthausen, Austria for 2.5 years until his release in JAN 1919. Somehow he was not involved in the Soviet Civil War or the Polish-Soviet War.

4. Great-Uncle WW2 - US Army Air Forces - served as an aircraft ordnance loader from MAR 1944 - APR 1946, he was briefly sent to Europe after the war ended to serve as a replacement for other soldiers that were headed back to the US from OCT 1945 - JAN 1946.

5. Grandfather WW2 - US Army - 335th Infantry Regiment - 84th Infantry Division, served as an infantryman from 15 MAY 1943 - 3 MAR 1946. He successfully captured a German bunker by killing the MG-42 machine gunner and took 9 prisoners on 29 NOV 1944 during the Battle of Lindern, part of Operation Clipper near Beeck, Germany. He was wounded by grenade shrapnel later that same night during a German counterattack. He also fought in the Battle of the Bulge as part of a mortar team and he helped to liberate Hannover-Ahlem on 10 APR 1945 and Salzwedel on 14 APR 1945, both were satellite camps from the Neuengamme concentration camp. He was transferred to the 78th Infantry Division on 15 OCT 1945 and served in Berlin as part of his occupation duty until FEB 1946, he arrived back in the US on 1 MAR 1946 and was discharged two days later.

6. Grandfather WW2 - Polish Army and Soviet Army - served as a Polish infantryman from 16 MAR 1936 - 18 SEP 1937 with the 75. Infantry Regiment - 23. Infantry Division (75 pp - 23 DP) and was recalled to service again with the KOP "Sarny" Regiment when Germany attacked 1 SEP 1939. He fought against the Soviet invasion of Poland from 17 SEP until his company disbanded in the field. He was later conscripted into the Soviet Army on 5 MAY 1941 while living in Occupied Poland and fought in Operation Barbarossa as part of the 52 Sapper Battalion - 45 Rifle Division. He was wounded near Sarny, Ukraine on 7 JUL 1941 fighting against lead elements from the German 56. Infanterie-Division. He fought in the Defense of Kiev until 14 AUG 1941 when the conscripts from the newly occupied territories were ordered away from the front and sent East. He ended up in Chelyabinsk in NOV 1941 building T-34 tanks at Tankograd until JUL 1943. In DEC 1944 he joined the 231 Guards Rifle Regiment - 75 Guards Rifle Division as a DP-28 machine gunner, and fought in the Liberation of Warsaw and the Vistula–Oder Offensive. On 15 JAN 1945 at Piaseczno near the Warka Bridgehead he was officially credited with killing more than 10 "Hitlerites" in battle, and he was wounded for the second time. A few days later he captured two German officers single-handed. On 25 FEB 1945 he was wounded again for the third time by mortar shrapnel somewhere South of Stargard, Germany while on a reconnaissance mission. His recon partner was killed, and he had to carry another more severely wounded comrade almost 3 km to the nearest field hospital. He spent the remainder of the war in a hospital in Poland, and after six months he was sent to Berlin in SEP 1945 to perform occupation duty with an unknown artillery unit assigned to the 2nd Belorussian Front. He received the Medal for Valour on 2 NOV 1945 for his actions at Piaseczno. He was discharged from the military by DEC 1945 and emigrated away from the USSR. Interesting to note that both of my Grandfathers were in Berlin at the same time.

7. Great-Uncle WW2 - Soviet Army - conscripted at the same time his older brother was, he somehow survived the war but I do not know what he did.

Veterans from my wife's family:

1. Great-Grand Uncle WW1 - US Army - served as an infantryman with the 156th Infantry Regiment - 39th Infantry Division from 27 MAY 1918 - 18 OCT 1918 when he was sent as a replacement to the 125th Infantry Regiment - 32nd Infantry Division from 19 OCT 1918 - 26 MAY 1919. He fought in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and took part in the Occupation of the Rhineland. He was overseas from 22 AUG 1918 - 9 MAY 1919.

2. Great-Grand Uncle WW1 - US Army - commissioned as a 2nd Lt. on 15 AUG 1917 with the 90th Infantry Division as a quartermaster and promoted to 1st Lt. on 23 FEB 1918. He participated in the Battle of St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, after the war he caught a pneumonia and died in Paris on 16 MAR 1919 in Red Cross Hospital #3. He was interned in the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial in France.

3. Grandfather WW2 - US Navy and US Army - lied about his age and joined the Navy in MAR 1944 after he turned 16. He spent 9 months in the Pacific until they discovered that he was too young, so he was sent back to the US and separated from the Navy. He reenlisted in the US Army and served as a carpenter, rifleman and chaplain's clerk with the 583rd Engineer Construction Group - IX Corps from 27 MAY 1946 - 24 MAR 1950. He spent 3.5 years as part of the Occupation of Japan, and he earned both his Parachutist and Glider badges from the school operated by the 11th Airborne Division at Camp Schimmelpfennig in Sendai, Japan in 1947.

4. Great-Uncle WW2 - US Army - enlisted 7 MAR 1941 as an infantryman, he was already stationed in the Panama Canal Zone when Pearl Harbor was attacked, he is believed to have fought at Okinawa but do not know the unit he was with.

5. Great-Uncle WW2 - US Navy - served as a Carpenter's Mate 1st Class from 1943-1945 aboard the USS De Grasse (AK-223) a Crater-class ship during three campaigns in the Pacific, including Okinawa where they were subjected to Kamikaze attacks.

6. Great-Uncle WW2 - US Navy - served as a Gunner's Mate 3rd Class aboard the USS Barataria (AVP-33) in the Pacific and saw action in the Philippines, the crew was awarded a "sure assist" for shooting down one Kamikaze.

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I have questions
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#133

Post by I have questions » 02 Sep 2019, 19:47

Volyn wrote:
30 Aug 2019, 13:48
I have seven family members who served and fought in both World Wars and my wife's family has at least six. My family's military legacy was a motivating factor for myself (Afghanistan) and my cousin (Iraq and Afghanistan) to join the US Army.

1. Great-Grandfather WW1 - US Army - 108th Infantry Regiment - 27th Infantry Division, served as an infantryman from 20 APR 1915 - 24 DEC 1918, he originally enlisted with the New York National Guard. He fought in the Ypres-Lys Campaign, the 1918 Somme Offensive in the Battle of St. Quentin Canal, and he was wounded at the Battle of Jonc de Mer Ridge by artillery shrapnel on 18 OCT 1918 near L’Arbre de Guise, France.

2. Great-Grandfather WW1 - US Army Coast Artillery Corps - served from 16 APR 1917 - 20 DEC 1918 and was based in Portsmouth, NH until 8 AUG 1918 and Camp Eustis, VA until he was discharged; the war ended before his unit was sent overseas.

3. Great-Grandfather WW1 - Imperial Russian Army - 166th "Rivne" Infantry Regiment - 42nd Infantry Division, served as an infantryman and fought in several major campaigns and battles from AUG 1914 until JUL 1916 when the regiment was destroyed during the Battle of Kovel, part of the Brusilov Offensive. He was wounded in that battle and held as a POW, possibly in Mauthausen, Austria for 2.5 years until his release in JAN 1919. Somehow he was not involved in the Soviet Civil War or the Polish-Soviet War.

4. Great-Uncle WW2 - US Army Air Forces - served as an aircraft ordnance loader from MAR 1944 - APR 1946, he was briefly sent to Europe after the war ended to serve as a replacement for other soldiers that were headed back to the US from OCT 1945 - JAN 1946.

5. Grandfather WW2 - US Army - 335th Infantry Regiment - 84th Infantry Division, served as an infantryman from 15 MAY 1943 - 3 MAR 1946. He successfully captured a German bunker by killing the MG-42 machine gunner and took 9 prisoners on 29 NOV 1944 during the Battle of Lindern, part of Operation Clipper near Beeck, Germany. He was wounded by grenade shrapnel later that same night during a German counterattack. He also fought in the Battle of the Bulge as part of a mortar team and he helped to liberate Hannover-Ahlem on 10 APR 1945 and Salzwedel on 14 APR 1945, both were satellite camps from the Neuengamme concentration camp. He was transferred to the 78th Infantry Division on 15 OCT 1945 and served in Berlin as part of his occupation duty until FEB 1946, he arrived back in the US on 1 MAR 1946 and was discharged two days later.

6. Grandfather WW2 - Polish Army and Soviet Army - served as a Polish infantryman from 16 MAR 1936 - 18 SEP 1937 with the 75. Infantry Regiment - 23. Infantry Division (75 pp - 23 DP) and was recalled to service again with the KOP "Sarny" Regiment when Germany attacked 1 SEP 1939. He fought against the Soviet invasion of Poland from 17 SEP until his company disbanded in the field. He was later conscripted into the Soviet Army on 5 MAY 1941 while living in Occupied Poland and fought in Operation Barbarossa as part of the 52 Sapper Battalion - 45 Rifle Division. He was wounded near Sarny, Ukraine on 7 JUL 1941 fighting against lead elements from the German 56. Infanterie-Division. He fought in the Defense of Kiev until 14 AUG 1941 when the conscripts from the newly occupied territories were ordered away from the front and sent East. He ended up in Chelyabinsk in NOV 1941 building T-34 tanks at Tankograd until JUL 1943. In DEC 1944 he joined the 231 Guards Rifle Regiment - 75 Guards Rifle Division as a DP-28 machine gunner, and fought in the Liberation of Warsaw and the Vistula–Oder Offensive. On 15 JAN 1945 at Piaseczno near the Warka Bridgehead he was officially credited with killing more than 10 "Hitlerites" in battle, and he was wounded for the second time. A few days later he captured two German officers single-handed. On 25 FEB 1945 he was wounded again for the third time by mortar shrapnel somewhere South of Stargard, Germany while on a reconnaissance mission. His recon partner was killed, and he had to carry another more severely wounded comrade almost 3 km to the nearest field hospital. He spent the remainder of the war in a hospital in Poland, and after six months he was sent to Berlin in SEP 1945 to perform occupation duty with an unknown artillery unit assigned to the 2nd Belorussian Front. He received the Medal for Valour on 2 NOV 1945 for his actions at Piaseczno. He was discharged from the military by DEC 1945 and emigrated away from the USSR. Interesting to note that both of my Grandfathers were in Berlin at the same time.

7. Great-Uncle WW2 - Soviet Army - conscripted at the same time his older brother was, he somehow survived the war but I do not know what he did.

Veterans from my wife's family:

1. Great-Grand Uncle WW1 - US Army - served as an infantryman with the 156th Infantry Regiment - 39th Infantry Division from 27 MAY 1918 - 18 OCT 1918 when he was sent as a replacement to the 125th Infantry Regiment - 32nd Infantry Division from 19 OCT 1918 - 26 MAY 1919. He fought in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and took part in the Occupation of the Rhineland. He was overseas from 22 AUG 1918 - 9 MAY 1919.

2. Great-Grand Uncle WW1 - US Army - commissioned as a 2nd Lt. on 15 AUG 1917 with the 90th Infantry Division as a quartermaster and promoted to 1st Lt. on 23 FEB 1918. He participated in the Battle of St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, after the war he caught a pneumonia and died in Paris on 16 MAR 1919 in Red Cross Hospital #3. He was interned in the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial in France.

3. Grandfather WW2 - US Navy and US Army - lied about his age and joined the Navy in MAR 1944 after he turned 16. He spent 9 months in the Pacific until they discovered that he was too young, so he was sent back to the US and separated from the Navy. He reenlisted in the US Army and served as a carpenter, rifleman and chaplain's clerk with the 583rd Engineer Construction Group - IX Corps from 27 MAY 1946 - 24 MAR 1950. He spent 3.5 years as part of the Occupation of Japan, and he earned both his Parachutist and Glider badges from the school operated by the 11th Airborne Division at Camp Schimmelpfennig in Sendai, Japan in 1947.

4. Great-Uncle WW2 - US Army - enlisted 7 MAR 1941 as an infantryman, he was already stationed in the Panama Canal Zone when Pearl Harbor was attacked, he is believed to have fought at Okinawa but do not know the unit he was with.

5. Great-Uncle WW2 - US Navy - served as a Carpenter's Mate 1st Class from 1943-1945 aboard the USS De Grasse (AK-223) a Crater-class ship during three campaigns in the Pacific, including Okinawa where they were subjected to Kamikaze attacks.

6. Great-Uncle WW2 - US Navy - served as a Gunner's Mate 3rd Class aboard the USS Barataria (AVP-33) in the Pacific and saw action in the Philippines, the crew was awarded a "sure assist" for shooting down one Kamikaze.

that is incredible, were you able to meet any of them?

Volyn
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#134

Post by Volyn » 03 Sep 2019, 02:44

I have questions wrote:
02 Sep 2019, 19:47
that is incredible, were you able to meet any of them?
I was fortunate to know both of my Grandfathers and my Great-Uncle #4 very well. It was great listening to their stories first-hand, they could always tell a new story about something related to their military service. Unfortunately everyone else had already passed away long before I was born.

Volyn
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Re: How did the war effect your family

#135

Post by Volyn » 04 Sep 2019, 23:25

Volyn wrote:
30 Aug 2019, 13:48
3. Great-Grandfather WW1 - Imperial Russian Army - 166th "Rivne" Infantry Regiment - 42nd Infantry Division, served as an infantryman and fought in several major campaigns and battles from AUG 1914 until JUL 1916 when the regiment was destroyed during the Battle of Kovel, part of the Brusilov Offensive. He was wounded in that battle and held as a POW, possibly in Mauthausen, Austria for 2.5 years until his release in JAN 1919. Somehow he was not involved in the Soviet Civil War or the Polish-Soviet War.
Correction, the 166th IR was actually destroyed in the Baranovichi Offensive, thanks to teg and Art for confirming it.
Volyn wrote:
30 Aug 2019, 13:48
4. Great-Uncle WW2 - US Army - enlisted 7 MAR 1941 as an infantryman, he was already stationed in the Panama Canal Zone when Pearl Harbor was attacked, he is believed to have fought at Okinawa but do not know the unit he was with.
Correction, he never went to Okinawa, instead he volunteered to become a B-17 pilot in 1943 and transferred to the Air Force. However, he was trained as an avionics specialist instead due to his technical aptitude. He was sent to Great Falls Army Air Base, MT to become an instructor and he remained there until his discharge in 1945.

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