Question/ discussion about 03's in combat.....

[ABPOS]

Sorry if this has been done to death, but I figured what the hay anyways.

I've been back into researching my Grandpa's service and found out some more things from some different sources. And of course one thing I would love to know is what he might have carried. In which I have no clue as I don't have any pics of him in combat or even with a rifle in his hand. My Grandma has a few pictures of him up at Camp McCoy during training, but he didn't have a rifle in his hands.

Anyways......

On the company report I saw the list of when he was KIA and it had his MOS next to him. It was (745). Which is "Squad Leader". And some others that might know suggested that a Sgt that was a 745 was typically an assistant Squad leader to a staff sergeant Squad leader. And then one re enacting website said an assistant squad leader typically carried an 03 with a grenade launcher attachment. So if a squad ran up against a heavy weapon it needed to defeat, they would have means. This was obviously one interpretation but it seems it might have some merit. I many times see 03's in pictures, even with a bunch of guys having Garands in the same pic. There are two pics in the Garand forum right now that show this.

And the pictures are many times pics of the guys in Combat. Not just training pics.

So, do you think there is some merit to this? I'm assuming my Grandpa probably handled most of the small arms at one time another, but I don't know really what. I do know that he had Ranger training in Ireland and the other members of that division said if he had Ranger training in Ireland, it most likely was a continuation from the states. So... He was ranger trained, and he was a 745 at the time of his death. July 26th 1944. In France near St. George D'Elle at the onset of Operation Cobra. From what I can tell he was probably killed on the 25th but not official until the 26th.

Sgt James Lafate Rea 2ID, 23rd IR, E Company. I know some of you have seen me post this before, but of course I'm proud to do it again.

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