sickness

This is a place to put the names of those 90th members who are hospitalized or otherwise incapacitated and are in need of a little cheering up from their friends. Please let them know that you are thinking of them with a card, letter, phone call (if number is given) or prayers. Unless otherwise informed, postings here will remain for one month and then will be removed.

I am writing you on behalf of my step-father, Alfred Gaus, who served with the 90^th Infantry Division that landed on Utah Beach on D-Day Plus. His mailing address was 104 La Paloma, Northport Fla 34287 (La Casa Mobile Park). He is now residing at the Quality Care Nursing Home, 6940 Pan American Dr., Northport Fla. 34287, Room 152. I believe he was on your mailing list and I am sure he’d greatly appreciate continuing to receive any mailings at this new address. If you have a classified section also maybe you could list this info as he has no visitors and although he is now physically incapacitated, he is mentally alert. Thanking you in advance.

Anne Rogers, email srogers@digisys.net. Please do not respond to the work email address. Thank you.

Good news concerning Eli !!!!

Thanks to everyone that sent emails and posted messages on our sons Website. We truly appreciate all the words of encouragement and the prayers. The Website has had over 500 hits and that makes us realize just how lucky we are to have so many friends and family members that care about us.

Eli is home with us now for a couple of weeks then he heads back to Germany where he is stationed at Stuttgart. Next stop, Iraq! It will be hard to let him go but he needs to get back to his team, all of you WWII Veteran's know what I mean. For now we breathe easy and enjoy having Eli with us, as the outcome could have been very different. Most of the information we found on Bacterial Meningitis says that over half of those that contract it don't make it and those that do often have mild to severe side affects. For now Eli has a few very mild side affects, which should go away over time.

His biggest problem right now is regaining the weight and muscle he lost while he was in the hospital, but all in all that's not bad.

We were able to do a little bit of sight seeing, just enough to make us want to go back to Europe to see more. We've been saving for a trip to Germany since Eli found out he would be stationed there. We learned a lot about the Military while we were there and a little bit about Germany, it will give us a head start on planning the next trip. We learned that you're nobody when you're trying to get on a base without proper I.D., unless the person driving the car tells the Guard you're Diplomats from the U.S. The most important thing we learned is that if you have a close family member in the Military you should obtain a Passport now. Luckily we both had one so it saved us from having to fly to D.C. to get one as that would have delayed us another day.

Norm, thanks for sharing the information about Eli and Dennis, thanks for posting it on the Website.

Jill

Received this email via Norm Richards concerning one of our members. I'm sure Jill would appreciate your prayers.

To all of my 90th Division Friends -

Some of you may know Jill Peak, from the state of Washington and her father Clifford Culver, who served with the 358th/Co. E...They've attended several recent 90th Reunions Jill sent me the e-mail below regarding her son, Eli, who was serving in Iraq and had to be evacuated to Germany due to contracting meningitis...it was clearly a life/death situation. Jill and her husband, Steve, are with Eli in Germany. Her e-mail is peak@aimcomm.net

Please take a moment to send Jill and Steve a message of support. They have had one hell of a week.

Best Regards,

Norm

--------- Forwarded message ----------

From: "Steven Peak" <peak@aimcomm.net>

To: "Norm C Richards" <nrichards2@juno.com>

Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 00:55:06 -0800

Hi Norm,

I'm emailing you from Germany. My husband Steve and I are over here with our son Eli. He's doing a lot better now. He contracted Bacterial Meningitis a week ago while stationed in Iraq. They found him unresponsive in bed and were quick to get him shipped to a medical facility where they immediately diagnosed the problem and put him on 2 really strong antibiotics. They evaced him to Germany on Tuesday. The Army kept us in close contact with the doctors etc. so we knew what was going on. We didn't sleep or eat for days, then the Army flew us (all expenses paid) to Frankfurt, we got here Friday afternoon. When Eli got here he was listed at the highest critical category and he is now in a room with 2 other guys. He's walking and talking but doesn't like to do either. The Bacteria didn't spread to his spinal cord or any other part of his body so the main concern is the pressure to his brain. He has severe headaches and they think they finally found something last night that will make it so he can sleep. I'm in the hospital computer room now as where waiting tell he wakes up to visit. We have set up a web page for him so we can keep everyone updated. We will send you the link in the next email. We should be home around the 10th of February.

Jill

The web site Jill has is as follows:

http://www3.careingbridge.org/wa/eli

Hi, Dennis,

I hope you and your family are well. My mother and I sat with you and your family at the breakfast. When we returned home from Washington, Ii knew something wasn't right with my mother and she was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. she has now gone on to start her third round of chemotherapy and with a lot of prayers, she might just beat this. She has been responding well to the treatment and is not bedridden, though she has her times.

Any letters of support would certainly help lift her spirits during these times. My mother is my best friend and it saddens me so to see her like this. she is a proud woman and not one to complain or ask for anything. Please ask the members, such as Warren, Brewster, Wally Ansardi , and any of the other who are from the 357 to say a prayer and to send a little card. I will make sure she gets any emails if they prefer to write one.

This is my first time using the site and if you remember my back is not so well. Sso if you could find the time to send a brief message to all who might like to send a card or email at this address i would certainly appreciate it. Ii keep telling her we have a reunion to go to this year and that helps.

Her address is 744 Mayfair Street Phila, Pa. 19124,

She is staying with my sister in Buckingham Pa. but Ii will be sure she gets her mail, .