Herbert Gost

ASN:32100217

Herbert William Gost registered for the draft on October 16, 1940. Born January 13, 1919, he was from Schenectady, New York and was not employed at the time of his registration.

This twenty-one-year-old was 5-11, 145 pounds with a light complexion, brown eyes, brown hair and had no identifying marks listed.

PVT Gost enlisted in the United States Army on August 21, 1941, and received training at the Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, Artillery School. As a non-commissioned officer Tec 5 Gost shipped out to the European Theater of Operations arriving in England, May 21, 1944.

Weeks prior to the Normandy invasion Tec 5 Gost was assigned to the A-Battery, 319th Glider Field Artillery, 82nd Airborne Division, Market Harborough, England.

Company Morning Reports

Company Morning Reports were produced every morning by the individual Army units to record personnel matters. The following events were reported:

• Assigned and joined A-Battery, 319th Glider Field Artillery, at 2100 hours on 2 June 1944 from the 18th replacement depot.

• Appointed to 1st SGT on August 1, 1945.

Tec 5 Gost fought in the following battles and campaigns: Normandy, Holland (see photo below) Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe.

Gost and other A-Battery soldiers combat ready at the Barkston Heath Airdome awaiting their glider mission into Operation Holland. (Sept 3, 1944)

Herb Gost also appeared in the A-Battery group photo taken June 20, 1945 in Epinal, France.

Following the surrender of the German Army, Tec 5 Gost was now stationed at a RAMP Camp, near Epinal, France in June 1945. This camp was a tent city for American troops preparing to embark on their voyage home. Seen below courtesy of Fred Pongracic.

Following occupational duties in Europe Herbert Gost returned to the United States and was discharged from the service on November 18, 1945.

He was awarded 4 Bronze Battle Stars, Bronze Arrowhead, Good Conduct Medal, the Belgian Fourragere, Presidential Unit Citation Badge, Victory Ribbon, 3 Overseas Service Bars and the European-African-Middle Eastern Theatre Ribbon.

In January 1946, Herbert Gost participated in the 82nd Airborne victory parade. Troops from the 82nd Airborne Division assembled in Washington Square Park for a four-and-a-half mile march through New York City, the American flag flying triumphantly overhead.

At the parade he met, by chance, several 319th veterans also in attendance. Seen below courtesy of Joseph Covais.

Returning to civilian life Herbert Gost worked as a professional photographer. He was employed with Ansco, a professional motion picture sales group, and the industrial photo division of the GAF Corporation, Detroit, Michigan.

Herbert W. Gost, 59, died December 12, 1978. God Bless this hero.

STL Archive Records