104th Infantry Division - Diego Urena Page/title>

TIMBERWOLF ARTIFACTS
W.W.II 104th Infantry Division
(Diego Urena Page)

This page pays tribute to the W.W.II 104th Army Infantry Division, better known as the "Timberwolves", under the command of Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen. This is a non official web site, not affiliated with the U.S. Army or any other government agency. Information in this web site is designed to augment the official 104th Infantry Division Home Page web site: http://www.104infdiv.org/
Please refer to the official home page for complete information about the Timberwolf Division. Timberwolves or Timberwolf "Pups" are invited and encouraged to use this site to gather additional information about former buddies. Anyone having additional information on the 104th, photos or other memorabilia are requested to contact the webmaster of this site.

*****************************************************************************************

The following information is from Rev. Phillip M. Urena, son of Timberwolf veteran Diego Urena, from the 104th Division, 413th Regiment, 3rd Battalian, Company "I". -Thank you for sharing your father's stories Rev. Phil.

(click on an image to enlarge, back to return)

Diego Urena
1

2
3
4

5
6
7

1 = Sergeant Diego Urena

2 = Four Sergeants (Joe Grosso, ?, Diego Urnea, ?)

3 = Earned Awards, Lieutenant Bar and other items of Sgt. Urena

4 = Diego Urena in Oregon

5 = Diego Urena

6 = Diego Urena and ?

7 = Sgt. and Mrs. Urena

*11/26/06 - "My father, Diego Urena, was in the 413th, 3rd Battalion, "I" Company. In your list you have him as a Pfc. He was a Sergeant that recieved a battlefield commision to leutenant. He was awarded the Bronze Star. I have photos of him with his stripes and I have his bronze star, Lieutenant Bar and Purple Heart, which I would be happy to show as proof. He passed away in 1974. In his honor I would like to request that he be moved from Pfc. to 1st Sergeant. He served from Colorado to Germany as a Sergeant, if you blow up the company "I" photo you can see his stripes. He was busted after Germany for hitting a Captain, a 90 day wonder as he put it, that said something derogatory about his fallen C.O.(Commanding Officer). He never complained about or regretted it, but it would mean a lot to his family if someone would remember him and honor him with his stripes; recognition of the rank he served his nation as for his time in battle. He would never ask for this but I know he always regretted that he didn't control himself that day.
<>
*03/06/07 - "I apologize that this took so long to get to you, I have been very busy and this was the first chance I had. I appreciate you getting back to me and hope that you will find some photos useful. There is a photo of my dad and 3 friends included. I only know who one is. The one to the far left is Joe Grasso, he was my dad’s best friend. My dad is the second one from the right. I also included a photo of him with my mom while he was training in Oregon and one of him alone also in Oregon and some additional ones by himself and another with a friend. Additionally, I sent a photo of a mount of his medals my mom has. The medals on the bottom left I am not sure of as my brother wrote to Washington for any medals he should have from his unit and they sent them. The bronze star and Purple Heart were his. Also the lieutenant bars were sent with the medals on the bottom left, they were not his during his tour of duty. As you can see from the photos he was indeed a Sergeant throughout most of the war until has battlefield commission to Lieutenant and was busted before coming home for disciplinary reasons. I might have told you this before but he punched a Captain after the V.E. day that made a comment about his Captain that died in a battle by a river.

The only 3 stories he shared with us was one, about a young guy that he had taken under his wing form the Mid West, I want to say Minnesota but it may have been Wisconsin or somewhere else that way. It seems that they were exhausted and caught a ride on some tanks and were sleeping with the young man’s head on my dad’s shoulder, or perhaps near it, when a sniper shot the young guy in the head. My dad was pretty shaken by the thought that the bullet was so close to him and this young kid was killed, I remember just before I graduated in 1972 him telling me with tears in his eyes. I don’t think I ever saw him cry before that day. My dad was called Pops because he was one of the old guys; 25 years old in July of 1943.

The other story was when he said his Capt. was killed I believe crossing a river. He really seemed to have loved this officer which is why he ended up being busted after the war. He said the Capt. that took his place was a 90 day wonder and the men didn’t care for him as he was arrogant. He said he followed him obediently but when it was over he said something about his old C.O. and that was it; he lost it. I guess my mom lost out a little afterwards because there may have been more money for her had his field commission stuck. I don’t know if that is true though. We are all disappointed that he is buried as a Private in Pinelawn National Cemetery here on Long Island; but my Dad said he never had any regrets.

The third was waking up at night in the winter and finding that the Germans’ had moved forward and he was a few hundred yards behind his unit. If I remember correctly, he said there was an African American soldier that spoke German and talked them out the jam with a German doctor who stumbled on them and let them go. He always said God was on his side that night. I completely believe him as he was never one that spoke about the war, He was proud about his service, but he wasn’t proud in a braggadocio way. He revered the men he served with and lost. It was obvious some 30 years later when he passed away that it still pained him. He was a good man. He taught us to live with honor, that the integrity of our words must be upheld (if you say you are going to do something you better do it. In the end they won’t remember what you said unless your word was true), don’t judge others because you don’t know what they went through to make them that way (don’t judge a man unless you have walked in his shoes; that is what he’d say). These stories I remember sharing just once each and that was some forty years ago so the details may not be exactly correct, but they are what I remember.

Sorry to be so long winded. We all still miss him and what you are doing is much appreciated. My mom is so excited. I think she feels like someone will finally remember what he did and what he was. Below are the photos, as well as attached above.

Sincerely,

Rev. Phillip M. Urena"

Back 1 Page Forward 1 Page

HOME PAGE