tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86001142023586468572011-08-01T19:35:23.692-07:00Documenting the 65-year history through personal stories, photographs, and other recordsJames L Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15781405174514541785noreply@blogger.comBlogger101100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600114202358646857.post-3376816783336919492010-06-20T12:10:00.000-07:002010-06-20T12:10:03.686-07:00

This Tuesday, June 22 at 6:30 p.m I have an opportunity to talk about my book to the Military Family Support Group of El Dorado County--a wonderful group of people that provide emotional and other support for families who have (or recently had) loved ones in the Armed Forces overseas.  My plan is to read some excerpts from the book and recount some of my own experiences of being in the Army

James L Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15781405174514541785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600114202358646857.post-73068718950597683912009-10-17T07:48:00.000-07:002009-10-17T07:51:32.722-07:00

My book, The 440th Signal Battalion: An Oral History, has been published and is now available.  Well over one hundred former 440th members sent many wonderful stories, memories, photographs and other information and documentation to aid me in this project. From nearly one thousand stories and memories received, the book contains more than 460 submissions which bring to life the total 440th

James L Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15781405174514541785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600114202358646857.post-14468299230685831782008-03-15T21:50:00.000-07:002009-10-16T11:14:07.254-07:00

While the first platoon of A Company was arriving at Port Moresby and getting settled in, the remainder of the battalion was speeding up construction work in Australia. Temporary camps were placed at various locations for B Company to begin work on the line from Charters Towers to Hillgrove. Long segments of the line were being completed every day as advanced camps were set up at Clarke River

James L Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15781405174514541785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600114202358646857.post-88940113755530410382008-03-11T20:42:00.001-07:002009-10-16T11:15:06.922-07:00

The Torrens and the 440th Signal Battalion arrived in Brisbane on a clear, warm winter day. The bulk of the officers and men were taken by truck to a holding area within the city limits of Brisbane while a detachment remained at the dock to supervise the unloading of their equipment. The unloading process required several days and this gave HQ Company an opportunity to catch up on records and

James L Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15781405174514541785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600114202358646857.post-72784811228695096352008-03-10T19:44:00.000-07:002009-10-16T11:16:29.645-07:00

As the Golden Gate Bridge and the California coast were swallowed by fog, the men of the 440th went below decks and began a journey of unknown length to an unknown destination. Long before the ship had left the dock, crew and passengers alike had speculated their next port of arrival would be Alaska. After all, it was only a hop, skip and a jump to the Japanese mainland. In fact, a small

James L Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15781405174514541785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600114202358646857.post-83313707500162596792008-02-15T20:58:00.000-08:002008-03-11T19:58:38.407-07:00

After departing Spokane on 15 June, the long troop train - loaded with men and equipment - made its way down the scenic coasts of Washington, Oregon and California. After two days of travel, they finally arrived in San Francisco and went directly to the 'Cow Palace'.The huge building was part of the San Francisco County Fair facilities and had been used for years for the showing and judging of

James L Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15781405174514541785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600114202358646857.post-92045537473470488912008-01-27T19:22:00.000-08:002008-02-06T14:11:04.826-08:00

After a slow road trip of more than 2,000 miles, men and equipment of the future 440th Signal Battalion reached Geiger Field, near Spokane, Washington. It was late January and the country had been at war less than two months.Young men were joining the services at such rates that the lines formed at recruiting stations would sometimes stretch around the block!. Draftees, young recruits and men

James L Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15781405174514541785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600114202358646857.post-66901104000878120042007-12-25T08:08:00.000-08:002008-01-24T11:12:58.688-08:00

Months before the actual formation of the 440th Signal Battalion, a small number of men, who were already serving in the US Army, were to become the first members of the yet-to-be battalion. Many of these men became the cadre, who's job it would be to train the new incoming men of the young unit. They were stationed throughout the lower forty-eight States: New Jersey, Georgia and Texas as well

James L Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15781405174514541785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600114202358646857.post-57784511577700359592007-11-12T10:48:00.000-08:002007-12-25T08:06:26.703-08:00

Dark clouds were on the horizons in many parts of the world in the late 1930's and into 1940 and 1941. Japan had marched into China and Korea and had become the dominant military power in Asia. Germany had built a huge military capability in Europe, annexed Austria, rolled over Poland and declared war on Great Britain by the beginning of the 1940's. Much of the world was at war. The war came

James L Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15781405174514541785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8600114202358646857.post-74096386165217657992007-07-10T20:19:00.000-07:002008-05-28T15:44:53.432-07:00

Hello Reader. This blog has been created for the reader to learn more about the history of the 440th Signal Battalion. It is my hope that the curious and the interested will read a while and perhaps make comments. If the reader was in the 440th, please make contact and tell me a little about yourself: when and where you served, what company you were with, what your duties were, etc. If you are

James L Hendrickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15781405174514541785noreply@blogger.com0