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The
website is undergoing an update. Some sections
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Forum is disabled while we deal with a hacker
problem. |
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Use the navigation links on the left if the scroll
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PFC.
Felix Belois Mestas,
Jr.
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Aug
23, 1921 - Sept
29, 1944
La Veta, Colorado
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Died in Battle - Monte Battaglia
Italy
350th Infantry Regiment
- 88th Infantry
Division
Blue Devils |
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Pfc. Felix B. Mestas, Jr. died
a hero's death, on an Italian battle front,
in one of the bloodiest battles of the
World War II on September 29, 1944, just
a month after his 23rd birthday.
His bravery that day was reported. For
awhile his identity remained a mystery,
lending him the title of "The Unknown
Hero of Battle Mountain". Soon after,
the complete story came out. |
Pfc. Felix B. Mestas, Jr., was postumously
awarded the Silver Star
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"September, 1944. The
Appenine mountains in Italy
were misted with the first
of winter's chill as members
of Company G of the 350th
Infantry struggled up the
muddy slopes of Mount Battaglia.
Company G was about to face
its bloodiest confrontation
of World War II. There would
be only three survivors and
they would live because of
one soldier's sacrafice."
Source:Mt.Mestas - The Hero Behind
The Mountain.
Click Here. |
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Mt.Mestas
Mt.Mestas Memorial Monument
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A
nearby mountain that had been Junior's
backyard for all his life was renamed
Mt.Mestas in his honor. The Mt.Mestas
Memorial Monument was erected of Colorado
rose granite from the mountain and engraved
with 63 names of Huerfano County's World
War II war dead. Every Memorial Day
and Veterans Day since, people have
gathered at the mountain monument to
pay tribute to all of La Veta and Walsenburg's
fallen war heros.
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This website is for the
little town of La Veta, Colorado and the
63 names engraved on the Mt.Mestas Memorial
Monument of people from Huerfano County
who died during the war. Our goal is to
have each one of them represented here
on this website so that we all can know
who they were. |
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Many heros died during the war
- whether at Battle Mountain or Iwo
Jima. Our 'Decorated Heros' section
is dedicated to the 88th Infantry Division
and has all the Citations of soldiers
who were awarded the Medal Of Honor
in World War II. The accounts of their
bravery are overwhelming. |
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The Invasion of Italy is one of the least documented
areas of the war. We're looking for
any stories or photos of the 350th Infantry
Regiment and 88th Infantry Division
or any photos taken in Italy during
World War II. |
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Numerous
emails and Forum postings made to
this website are reproduced here and
may be found elsewhere also.
If
you are a Mt.Mestas Memorial or Blue
Devils friend or family member and
would like to contribute a GI photo
and short bio for this website please
include as much information as you
have including full name, rank, unit,
awards, date and location if killed
in action, and burial location if
in Europe.
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Section Dedication
MtMestas.com
88th Infantry Division
Blue Devils Research Library
MtMestas.com
is dedicated to establishing
an extensive research library
of 88th Infantry Division
documents and photographs
and providing the best links
and resources for continuing
your research of the Invasion
of Italy phase of World
War 2.
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The
MtMestas.com
Blue Devils Research Library
is Dedicated to the Memory
of Todd Wheatley.
Col. Edwin Todd Wheatley,
Jr., was a bunkmate of Pvt.Mestas
and spent his later years advocating
for a Medal of Honor upgrade for his
friend. Mr. Wheatley authored a lenghty
article about his work which was published
in a national magazine in June 2003.
To read "Silver Star or Medal of Honor?"
- Click
Here.
During endless hours of searching
the internet for "Blue Devils" information
I upon came this January 2003 FORUM
message that Mr.Wheatley had posted
elsewhere during his own search, shortly
before his death in May 2004.
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In
the spirit of Mr.Wheatley's
earlier research work, MtMestas.com
would like to pay it's respects
and dedicate the MtMestas.com
Blue Devils Research Library
in his memory.
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88th
Infantry Division
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History of
the 88th Infantry Division
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349th Infantry
Regiment
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History of
the 349th Infantry Regiment
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350th Infantry
Regiment
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History of
the 350th Infantry Regiment
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351st Infantry
Regiment
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History of
the 351st Infantry Regiment
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European
- African
Campaigns of WW2 |
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Study of German
operations against the Allied beachhead
at Anzio, 22 Jan to 31 May, 1944 reflect
the German point of view based on
the available journals and records
of the German 10th and 14th Armies. |
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The most formidable
defensive positions in Italy. After
the fall of Rome on June 4, 1944,
the Germans retreated to this new
defensive line, a heavily fortified
belt. |
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Laiatico
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July
9 - 13, 1944
During
the attack on strongly fortified
German positions in the vicinity
of Laiatico, the 3rd Battalion occupied
an advanced position devoid of cover
and with both flanks exposed, and
for three days withstood heavy enemy
artillery and mortar bombardments
as well as three vicious enemy counterattacks
supported by tanks. On the fourth
day, the battalion launched a night
attack and penetrated the German
stronghold from the flanks and rear.
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Monte
Battaglia |
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September
26 - 30. 1944
Perhaps the
most spectacular fighting of took
place on three craggy mountain peaks
in late September and early October.
On 27 September, elements of the
350th Infantry Regiment linked up
with Italian partisans and occupied
Mt. Battaglia without opposition.
However, over the next six days,
the “Green Devils” of the German
1st Parachute Division attacked
fiercely and without surcease in
an effort to seize this key terrain. |
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27
September to 1 October 1944
The
battalion was assigned the mission
of wresting the strategically
important Mt. Capello from a determined
and numerically superior German
force. In the face of a withering
hail of fire from all types of
weapons, the 2nd Battalion launched
its attack eliminating a strong
reverse slope German position
in four violent assaults characterized
by bitter fire fights and vicious
hand-to-hand grenade duels. Although
outnumbered, the soldiers of this
organization maintained their
captured position, despite ruthless
enemy counterattacks preceded
by intense artillery and mortar
barrages. Although suffering from
severe losses and confronted by
fanatical enemy resistance, the
courageous officers and men of
the 2nd Battalion again resumed
a full scale offensive and, advancing
by infiltration, neutralizing
resistance by furious hand-to-hand
fighting within the German positions.
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January - May, 1944
The
four battles for Monte Cassino in
Italy took place between January
and May 1944. They saw the Allied
Forces involved in some of the most
bitter fighting of the Second World
War,
where steep mountain slopes and
winter weather were combined with
the German defenders’ determination
and skill. The battles involved
troops from America, Britain, Canada,
France, India, New Zealand and Poland
in fighting that compared in its
intensity and horror with the battles
of the Western Front in the First
World War. |
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June
11, 1942
Island outposts
strategically located in the narrows
between North Africa and Sicily,
virtually commanded the passage
between the eastern and western
basins of the Mediterranean and
served as stepping stones to the
Italian mainland. |
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Santa
Maria Infante |
351st
IR
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11-14
May 1944
To
reach its objective, Santa Maria,
near the north tip of the Bracchi
triangle, the 351st Infantry had
to attack over difficult terrain.
The battle for Santa Maria Infante
was important in the opening of
the Allied offensive toward Rome
on 11 May 1944. Strong Allied forces
were concentrated on the west side
of the Italian peninsula to renew
an effort stopped by the winter
and heavy German resistance. Eighth
Army was poised for attack through
the Liri Valley along the axis of
Highway No. 6; main Fifth Army faced
a chain of mountains, in a 13-mile
zone from the Liri River to the
sea. The forces in the Anzio Beachhead
were ready to strike when their
opportunity came as a result of
progress on the other fronts. |
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Participation
of the 9th and 12th Air Forces
in the Sicilian Campaign. |
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29
July 1944 - 28 January 1945
Task Force
45 was a polyglot task force of
American and British anti-aircraft
gunners acting as infantry with
Italian Partisians, Brazilians and
Colored American troops fighting
by their side. |
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Blue
Devils
Invasion of Italy
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From Gruber
to the Brenner Pass with the 88th
Division in Italy. This short pocket
history was compiled by Headquarters,
88th Infantry Division and covers
the 88th Infantry Division in WWI
and WWII from training through the
fighting in Italy to final German
surrender. |
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War Against Germany and Italy |
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In late 1942
began a ground offensive against the
European Axis that was to be sustained
almost without pause until Italy collapsed
and Germany was finally defeated.
From the American Military History
Army Historical Series. |
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The Invasion of Italy |
CLICK
HERE |
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September
9, 1943 - May 8, 1945 |
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The Italian Campaign |
CLICK
HERE |
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From Gruber
to the Brenner Pass with the 88th
Division in Italy. This short pocket
history was compiled by Headquarters,
88th Infantry Division and covers
the 88th Infantry Division in WWI
and WWII from training through the
fighting in Italy to final German
surrender. |
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The German
Conduct of Operations in the Italian
Theatre 1943-1945. |
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| Hitler's
Defense of Italy |
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He overruled
his military advisers; in his decisions
on the defense of Italy, he chose
between the conflicting recommendations
of the two commanders best qualified
to advise him. |
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The
arrival of the 88th was a much-needed
respite for the Fifth Army. Tired
and battle worn, many in the Fifth
Army had been fighting since Salerno,
Sicily, or even as far back as North
Africa. The 88th was the first fresh
division to arrive in the Mediterranean
since Salerno. It was cold and wet
in Naples, weather many of the men
were not expecting. They were also
exposed for the first time to the
sights and sounds of war: the gunfire,
rubble, and the physical destruction
of the Italian countryside. |
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With
its POW mission in Italy all but
completed and units preparing to
move to a redeployment training
area for shipment to the United
States, the 88th Division was assigned
a new important mission, relief
of the 34th Division in the occupation
of the troubled Trieste area.
The
material for this section has been
developed from the family archives
of Col. James G. Holland, Jr. Holland
served with the 88th Division, first
with the 350th and then as G-2 during
the occupation, served on the Regimental
Staff and commanded the 1st Bn,
350th Infantry. |
|
Blue
Devils Timelines |
CLICK
HERE |
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The First
US Army Division comprised primarily
of draftees would be tested in the
crucible of a major operation. |
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Over 300 Maps Relating to
World War II
Stategic
Bivouc
Positions
Battles
Topographic |
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