World War II Photos

from the collection of

John K. Ruppert

John K. Ruppert was born in Baltimore in 1914, graduated from Baltimore City College in 1932 and married in 1939. His marriage took place on the same day that Britain declared war on Hitler.

Four years later, he was inducted into the U S Army. He was sent to Fort McClellan in Alabama for basic training. On 21 February 1944, he left for Europe, arriving in North Africa on 3 March of the same year. Read the account of another infantryman, Fred Lineberry.

He participated in the Anzio beachhead and served in the Rome-Arno Campaign in Italy as a combat infantryman in Company C, 168th Infantry Regiment. 
In August 1944 he was assigned to the Seventh Redeployment  Depot under Lt. Cleary in Naples. One year later, he was assigned to Allied Forces Headquarters at the Royal Palace in Caserta.

On 1 February 1946, John K. Ruppert arrived back home. Five days later he was honorably discharged at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland.