"Trying to locate uncle's military friends"

Unfortunately, He died in May 2005 at the home of a daughter, Maggie Wickwire. He was 94. But one of his surviving children might remember something or have some of his letters.

Wickwire, Guy E & Maggie M
Ages:60-64, 60-64
1347 Lockhill Selma Rd
San Antonio, TX 78213-1915
(210) 375-7323
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Jose M. Lopez, one of the 12 Hispanic WWII veterans to have received the Congressional Medal of Honor, was in Company K at that time.

"Sgt. Lopez was then sent to Northern Ireland to receive military training for a top-secret mission that would pave the way for the Allied Force’s invasion of Nazi-controlled Europe, the June 6, 1944, assault on Omaha Beach.

Mr. Lopez’s regiment landed at Normandy on June 7, D-plus-1.

“We fought very hard against the enemy,” (Peliamos muy fuerte con los enemigos.) Mr. Lopez said. “We lost many of my friends.” (Perdimos muchos amigos mios.)

Sgt. Lopez’s ultimate test of valor, however, came on Dec. 17, 1944, near Krinkelt, Belgium, when he took it upon himself to carry his machine gun from Company K’s right flank to its left to protect it from the advancing German infantry. “Germans started to arrive and attacked an American tank,” Mr. Lopez recalled. (Alemanes comensaron a llegar y atacaron a un tanque americano) “I climbed up and asked if anyone was alive…” (Me trepe y pregunte si alguien estaba vivo)

There was no answer.

Sgt. Lopez then occupied a waist-deep fox hole and shot 10 Germans. He stayed there, despite heavy enemy fire, and he shot 25 more Germans, according to an account from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, which maintains a Web site.

“Everyone was afraid of where I put them to fight the Germans,” Mr. Lopez said, recalling that one solider even wanted to surrender. “I told them that they had to stop and fight back.”

Sgt. Lopez realized his position would be outflanked so he carried his machine gun to a new position, reset the weapon and continued to fire. He single-handedly held off the Germans until he was satisfied that his company had completely gotten away and was no longer compromised.

Sgt. Lopez’s efforts ultimately allowed the Americans to create a line of defense to fight back enemy fire.

Sgt. Lopez’s bravery — in which he killed at least 100 Germans and secured the position of Company K — merited him the United States’ highest award for military valor, the Congressional Medal of Honor...Mr. Lopez currently lives in San Antonio with his wife Emilia, at his daughter, Maggie Wickwire’s home."

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There doesn't appear to be a reunion group for the 23rd from World War II, but http://www.koreanwar.org/html/units/23ir.htm is for Korea. Some of the folks stayed in the unit so you might consider posting an inquiry there.

http://ww2.vet.org/
a website for WWII veterans with forums to contact other with info on various regiments. LAlso has reunion information


Also rthese webpages have the hiustory of the 23rd Infantry.
http://www.lonesentry.com/unithistory/23rd-infantry/index.html

I am so sorry for your father's loss of a brother, your grandmother's loss of a son, and your loss of an uncle.
I found these links that might get you more information.
http://www.secondinfantry.com/
http://www.2ndinfdiv.com/
http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/2ndinfantry/
http://www.lewis.army.mil/3bde/
Good Luck
Let Amazon know if this is a great or lame answer and vote.