In Memory Martin Friedman passed away on October 26, 2008
Major Martin M. friedman US Army 31st infantry (Dixie)
division, rifle company commander company of the 155th Infantry Regiment.
New Guinea
At
the time of these photos he held the rank of Captain. landed Oro
Bay,
New Guinea April 1944, moved to Aitape July
1944. He was not at Drinumor River, that was the 124th infantry regiment
of the 31st division, but he well knows the engagement.
Sawar Drome
Then, he fought at the Sarmi-Wakde island area, beginning
in July 1944. He got the bronze star. The area surrounding Sawar
Drome was enemy held at the time, he doesn't
remember if it was captured by Allied Forces in the long run.
His was a patrol that turned into an ambush. His outfit protected
the outer perimeter of the drome from the Japanese for a number of
weeks.
Morotai
He then moved to Morotai in September 1945 for
initial invasion, supported and protected the USAAF base. He
was recommended for the silver star after the battle of Sawar Drome.
Philippines
Moved
to Mindanao in mid April 1945 landing at Cotobato,
fighting up through the interior of the island along the sayre highway, & pushing
up the kibawi-taloma trail. his company liberated the town of Malaybalay.
He then proceeded up the interior of Mindanao fighting to Butuan. During this period, his rifle company was re-supplied by air drop for 30 days due to no places to land the cargo aircraft.!!! ammo, rations, medicine etc
For the rest of the war he commanded a forward supply base with over ten thousand
soldiers, including an air wing, hospital unit. This base supported
US troops in the upper Agusan Valley their up to the surrender. He has a lot of pictures of the Japanese surrender on Mindanao. This was quite a feather
in his cap to be in command of a base that size, as an operation such
as that was usually
given to a Colonel or General. It was a forward supply base
Post War
He came home in 1946, stayed in reserves
prior to korea, retiring just before that war. dad is currently 88
years old, very active, still golfing, playing tennis, fishing,
working in his yard, & is still quite active in the family business giving
his children hell in the running of it. he started the family
business 44 years ago.
