E-Mails I received from Marlene after she wrote on the 643rd Guestbook

Hello Ben,

Thanks so much for your emails. My computer gave out and therefore I couldn't get back to you. I just bought a new computer and hope it will last. To answer some of your questions: I married a Belgian and I have been living in Belgium since 1972 and many years lived near Liège, not too far from the American Cemetery Neuville-en-Condroz. Several years ago, after my husband passed away, I moved to Brussels.  My uncle was Edward Guss and his daughter lives in England. I'm sure that I sent her the info on your website and will ask her next time I speak with her to perhaps contact you.  My mother was Rose and she died many years ago. She and my dad lived in Valley Stream, Long Island, not far from Beth David Cemetery in Elmont where Uncle Ted is buried with my grandparents Ida and Morris Guss. When my parents died, I retained many of the photo albums and there are pictures of my uncle Ted. Some show him with other soldiers. Some have descriptions of where the picture was taken, but no names of the other soldiers are mentioned. As soon as I have some free time, i will try to scan these pictures and send them to you. Perhaps you will have some luck finding out who the other soldiers are. By the way, my brother is named after my uncle and was born shortly after Uncle Ted was killed and he lives in Westfield, NJ with his wife. I also have another uncle who was stationed in or near Germany  during the war. His name is Jack Agress.He died a few years ago. I do not know what unit he was assigned to. I will mail my cousin to see if she has any information. I don't think it was the same unit as Teddy.

I promise to get back to you. 

Kind regards,

Marlene Cloës 

Hi Ben,

I did learn that my cousin Elisabeth contacted you. I am glad she did because she remembers Uncle Ted, even if she was not very old at the time. She mentioned that my uncle used to send record recordings home and that she listened to his voice over and over, until she was told not to play the records anymore because it would sadden her mom and dad. I do not know what happened to these recordings and unlike Arnie, I haven't found any letters written home by my uncle.  I have an old scanner and was able to scan the pictures. Some of the pictures are small, but my program allows me to enlarge them on the screen of my computer. I hope that you, too, will be able to do this.I will be sending some pictures to Arnie very shortly and maybe he will be able to identify some of the other solders with my uncle.

To answer some of your questions... My late husband(Belgian citizen) and  I moved from NY to Liège in 1972. We then spent 1 year in Antwerp after which we returned to Liège and bought a home in Esneux. I often went to Masstricht with friends and some family members to spend the day. Several years later my husband was transferred to Brussels for his work and we decided it would easier for us to move to Brussels. We would return to our home in Esneux on weekends or holidays, until my husband retired and we returned to our house in the country. The next time I go visit friends and family, I will look at the monument that was erected for the American soldiers who died when the bridge crossing the Meuse River gave way. Every year there is a ceremony in memory of these soldiers, however I do not remember what company they were.

As to my knowledge of Dutch... I don't really speak Dutch, maybe a word or two here and there and am not at all capable of writing the language. My volunteer work brings me in contact with people who speak flemish and at times I have to read an article or a letter in flemish. I depend alot on google translation to help me get the sense of what is written. When possible, I try to communicate with some of these people in English.

I do hope that you are able to enlarge the attached pictures. Not many have any notations unfortunately.

Best regards,

Marlene