140By coincidence, Rufus Woody had just returned from a reunion of his World War II fighter group the week before and his memories had been refreshed during the visits with his old friends. The above information was obtained during a telephone conversation with Woody on the evening of September 28, 1992. It was also learned that the plane losses on the 26th were due to friendly fire. The ground troops had not been alerted to the flight path and at that time, enemy fighter planes were making sneak sweeps of the Bastogne area. The anti-aircraft gunners took no chances.
CHAPTER 11
141Griffith, op. cit.
142Goldmann, op. cit.
143The above item was taken from G-2 Periodic Report #8, dated December 26, 1944 from the office of assistant chief of staff, provided by Captain Joseph Pangerl, prisoner interrogator of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment.
144Mrazek, James E. The Glider War, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1975, pp. 224–228.
145Fourth Armored Division Association Newsletter, Rolling Along. “A Special Christmas Issue,” 1985. pp. 51–53.
146From a copy of a letter written by Charleton W. Corwin, Jr. to W. H. Horn, editor and publisher of Silent Wings the official publication of the Pilots Association, July 15, 1977.
147Mrazek, op. cit.
148DZ EUROPE. The Story of the 440th Troop Carrier Group, pp. 80–82.
149From a copy of a letter Lt. Charles Boggess wrote of his experiences in 1974 of the final rush to get into Bastogne. He had written the letter on the urging of his friend William Dwight. A copy of the letter was sent by Peter Hendrikx of Eindhoven, Holland, whose historical interest is General George Patton and the 101st Airborne Division.
150Moore, op. cit.
151At a Talon Chapter (101st Association) meeting in Fort Worth, Texas 40 years later, Bill Gammon learned “the rest of the story”. He wrote: “I was relating the above story at the bar. Colonel Weldon M. Dowis, who had been with G-2, Special Troops HQ, listened intently, then said, ‘We often wondered what happened to the corps liquor.’”
CHAPTER 12
152Statement made by 2Lt. John D. Hill, from 93rd Troop Carrier Squadron. Received from Colonel Charles H. Young, 439th TCG commander.
153Dank, Milton. The Glider Gang, Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott, 1977. Copy of material sent by Colonel Charles H. Young.
154The Interrogation sheet was dated 30 December 1994 and the copy was provided by Colonel Charles H. Young, wartime commander of the 439th Troop Carrier Group.
155From a copy of a letter Colonel Charles H. Young received from Ernie Turner dated 11 March 1981. Copy supplied by Colonel Young.
156ibid.
15793rd Troop Carrier Squadron History sent to Colonel Charles H. Young by Colonel Robert A. Barrere on 30 October 1987. Copy sent by Col. Young.
158Mrazek, op. cit. p. 226
159Summary of Interrogation Check List by F/O Harold K. Russell, 93rd TCS glider pilot. Retyped by Col. Charles H. Young H. Young from a barely legible copy from National Archives provided by Col. Robert Barrere.
160440th TCG History.
161Goldmann, op. cit.
CHAPTER 13
162Greindl, Countess Rene, Christmas 1944 at Ile-le-Hesse, Bastogne, Belgium, 1965. p. 32.
163Pangerl, op. cit.
164The above material was excerpted from a long letter Donald N. Martin wrote to the daughter of Joseph Lyons (executive officer for “B” Battery of the 463rd). Sarah Lyons was preparing a paper for her prep school class.
CHAPTER 14
165Goldmann, op. cit.
CHAPTER 15
166The chicken coop is the same one referred to earlier by Duane Harvey and Donald Woodland, who had been fighting at Senonchamps earlier as part of 1st Battalion of the 327th.
167Greindl, pp. 49–50.
CHAPTER 16
168Rapport & Northwood, 622–624.
169Peniche, Edward. Military, “Mad Minute at Longchamps”. April 1985, pp. 15+
170In a telephone conversation with former sergeant Edward Ford on September 13, 1990, the author learned Ford had never received the medal. He may have missed out on the award ceremony as he was sent stateside on a 30-day furlough to promote the sale of War Bonds. I wrote to his local congressman asking that the oversight be corrected. Nothing came of it.
171Small Unit History of the 81st Airborne Anti-Tank Battalion which was compiled by Captain George W. McCormack. Copy was obtained from the Fort Campbell museum courtesy of Paul Lawson.
172After a period of 47 years, Robert L. MacNaughton was surprised to hear from former Sgt. Carl Robare of his unit. MacNaughton could have sworn he helped stuff the remains of Robare into a mattress cover on the day of the heavy shelling at Longchamps.
173On page 627 of Rendezvous with Destiny, appears this item: “Shortly after dark that evening—January 3—occurred one of the incidents which change the course of battles. A German soldier came up to the machine gun nest of Corporal Davies of Headquarters Company, 2nd, tapped the corporal on the shoulder (mistaking him for a fellow German) and asked directions. The lost German was personally escorted to the 101st interrogators and turned out to be as valuable a captive as the Division ever took. He was a runner from the 19th SS Grenadier Regiment of the 9th SS Panzer Grenadier Division; he was delivering messages to company CO’s and he had detailed knowledge of another concentrated attack scheduled for early that evening.”
174From a letter to Lincoln Bethel written by Rene A. Schmidt October 19, 1980. Schmidt was the 2nd Battalion interrogator.
175From S-2 Periodic Report 15 for Headquarters, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment dated 3 January 1945.
176Cleto Leone added to his story: “Three days later, we were ordered to retake the woods. As we were going across the field, Cpl. Johnny Altick exclaimed, ‘Hey, look what I found!’ It was a muddied luger. I said, ‘If it has a serial number of 3689—that is the one I gave McClure the other day!’ Believe it or not—I still have the luger!”
177S-2 Periodic Report. op. cit.
CHAPTER 17
178The above is part of a narrative in which Lincoln Bethel related his Army experiences. He was cited for a Silver Star medal but at the time he wrote to retired Division commander, General Maxwell D. Taylor in 1980, he had not received it and the General felt the authorities turned down the request because too much time had elapsed.
179Goldmann, op. cit.
180When Asay regained consciousness, he was shocked. He wrote: “In and out of consciousness till Paris—when I came to, I was in a room alone and the only voices were German. I thought I was captured. An Army nurse came by some time later and I asked her where I was. She told me I was in a German POW ward. I told her who I was and they had to run a check before they brought a gurney in and took me out. When I was carried off the line, I had been stripped of everything but my dog tags. I was blue-eyed, blonde and had a scar on my cheek—a perfect Aryan. Also, I was unconscious and couldn’t converse.”
181Goldmann, op. cit.
182Later in the campaign, Sgt. Karim happened to pass the medic who had taken the wounded man toward the aid station in the jeep. He was called over and told that he (medic) had a good story for Karim. He said he was driving the jeep back toward the aid station when a half dozen German soldiers with white capes stepped in front of the jeep and captured him. He said they took him to a German field hospital where they put him to work and they had a surgeon who operated and removed the bullet from the trooper’s chest. That saved his life. The medic said that a couple days later the advancing 101st captured the field hospital and he returned to the 501st. He thanked me for not giving up on the wounded trooper. That made me feel good, having something to do with saving the life of one of our brave warriors.
CHAPTER 18
183Goldmann, op. cit.
CHAPTER 19
184The above material is from a letter which Capt. James S. Morton wrote to his friend 1Lt. William E. Reid of the 3rd Battalion Mortar Platoon while recuperating in a states
ide hospital in 1947. Copy sent by Helen Briggs Ramsey, former Red Cross “Doughnut Dolly” for 3rd Battalion.
185Houston, 128–132.
186It wasn’t until 1993 that Michael Finn of “T” Company learned that the second man with Crotts in the foxhole was not killed but was seriously wounded. PFC. Charles Galvin’s family was notified he had been lulled in action. It wasn’t until nine months later that he was able to communicate with doctors as to who he was. His family now learned he was indeed alive. Galvin spent two and a half years more in the hospital where a metal plate was inserted in his head. Finn learned from Galvin’s family that he had been awarded a Silver Star for knocking out a tank at Wardin on December 19 during the first hours of combat.
187Wise, op. cit.
188From a letter Elmer Nicks wrote to Lloyd Brazell on January 3, 1984 when Brazell was writing to Congress to encourage them to provide an award of the Congressional Medal of Honor, posthumously, for his buddy, Sgt. Leo Pichler.
189jack Williamson was pleasantly surprised when James Poynter showed up at the annual reunion of the 101st Airborne Division Association in 1991. It was their second meeting since 1945. They met once 30 years ago.
190Material is from a letter written by Captain Bernard J. Ryan to Major Louis Kent, surgeon for the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment while he was recuperating from his wounds after Bastogne.
191Floresio Valenzuela is listed a KIA on January 13, 1945 in Piet Pulles’ book, Honored Dead of WW2 published in Eindhoven, Holland.
192Morton letter to 1Lt. William E. Reid.
193Nicks, op. cit.
194ibid.
CHAPTER 20
195From a paper. Memories of my first visit to Bourcy—January 1945, by Alden Todd, November 1986. Copy provided by Walter F. Zagol.
196ibid.
197Code names were assigned to al regiments. The 502nd was “Kickoff” while the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions were “Red”, “White” and “Blue” respectively. In the above case, “F” Company was “Fox”.
198Todd, op. cit.
199S/Sgt. Jack Williamson of “A” Company, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, received a battlefield commission shortly after the Ardennes campaign was completed.
200Instead of fines being levied against the 1st Battalion officers, the glidermen received a case if Scotch for each battalion which participated in the mission.
201Rapport and Northwood, p. 662.
EPILOGUE
202John. H. Taylor added: “When I went back to Europe in 1969 and 1974, I found the same bam and through an interpreter found the man who lived there. He looked to be 65 to 70 years old. He told me, ‘Yes, this was the home of the woman who had given that bread and hot milk’—that was his mother. He asked, through the interpreter, if I recalled anyone in the village pointing out where there were some Germans in a cellar and I said ‘Yes’. He said, ‘That was me!’ He had been the burgomeister of the village at that time. I thought that was quite a coincidence.”
203Pulles, op. cit.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Astor, Gerald. A Blood-Dimmed Tide. New York: Donald T. Fine, 1992.
Dank, Harlan. The Glider Gang. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1977.
440th Troop Carrier Group. DZ Europe, The Story of the 440th Troop Carrier Group. Extract.
Gilmore, Lawrence J. & Lewis, Howard J. History of the 435th Troop Carrier Group. Greenville, S.C. 1946.
Greindl, Countess Rene. Christmas 1944 at Isle-la-Hesse. Bastogne, 1965.
Hanlon, John. Is That All You Write, One Story a Day?. Providence, R.I.: Providence Journal, 1983.
Houston, Robert J. D-Day to Bastogne. New York: Exposition Press, 1979.
Koskimaki, George E. Hell’s Highway. Sweetwater, TN: 101st Airborne Division Association, 1989.
Marshall, S. L. A. Bastogne, The First Eight Days. Washington, D.C.: Infantry Journal Press, 1946.
McKenzie, Fred. The Men of Bastogne. New York: David McKay Co., Inc., 1968.
Minick, Robert. Kilogram. Hobart, IN: Private Printing. 1979.
Mrazek, James. The Glider War. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Rapport & Northwood. Rendezvous with Destiny. The History of the 101st Airborne Division, Sweetwater, TN: 101st Airborne Division Association, 3rd Printing, 1980.
Sampson, Francis L. Look Out Below! Sweetwater, TN: 101st Airborne Division Association, Reprint, 1989.
Van Horn, William R. Currahee. Austria: 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1945.
Wolfe, Martin. Green Light. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1989.
PERIODICALS
Agnes, John. “Experiences as Bastogne Pathfinder.” Newsletter of 9th Troop Carrier Command Pathfinder Association: Vol. I, NO. 4.
Ferretti, Fred. Interview of Schuyler Jackson, Stars and Stripes. August 8, 1984.
Fourth Armored Division Association Newsletter. “A Special Christmas Issue.” Rolling Along.1985.
Hanlon, John. “A Bell Rings in Hemroulle.” Readers Digest. Pleasantville, 1962.
Harwick, Robert. “Christmas for Real!” The Magazine of the Gulf Companies: Nov.–Dec. 1945.
Marshall, S. L. A. “Men Against Armor.” Armored Cavalry Journal. May–June, 1950.
Martin, Darryl R. “Unexpected Trap for Panzer.” Military History. December, 1988.
McKenzie, Fred, “Christmas in Bastogne.” The Detroit Free Press. January 18, 1945.
Peniche, Eduoard. “Mad Minute at Longchamps.” Military: April 15, 1985.
Prior, John T. “The Night before Christmas—Bastogne 1944.” Onendago County Medical Society Bulletin: December, 1972.
Small, Collie. “Bastogne: American Epic.” The Saturday Evening Post: February 17, 1945.
Taylor, Maxwell D. “3,000 Miles to Bastogne.” The Washington Post: op. ed. December 18, 1984.
LETTERS
Block, Gordon L. Letter to a magazine editor for renewal, May 19, 1945.
Boggess, Charles. Letter to William Dwight. 1972.
Bostwick, Richard V. Memories of World War II. 1946.
Corwin, Carleton W. Letter to William H. Horn. July 15, 1977.
Davis, Walter E. Letter to author. April 20, 1966.
Dickinson, Carl E. Letter to Peter Hendrikx. July 13, 1985.
Goldmann, Ted. Letters to parents of Johnny Ballard. June 15 and 22, 1945.
Meason, Richard P. Letter to James Morton. 1947.
Morton, James S. Letter to William E. Reid. 1947.
Nicks, Elmer G. Letter to Lloyd Brazell. Jan. 3, 1984.
Pangerl, Joseph. V-Mail letter to parents. Dec. 29, 1944.
Patching, 2Lt. Ted. Letter to Melvin Davis. 1945.
Ryan, Capt. Beranrd J. Letter to Major Louis Kent. 1945.
Schmidt, Rene A. Letter to H. Lincoln Bethel. Oct. 19, 1980.
Sherbume, Thomas L. Letter to LTC. John T. Cooper. Dec. 25, 1944.
Taylor, Gen. Maxwell D. Letter to H. Lincoln Bethel. 1980.
Todd, Alden. Letter to Walter Zagol. “Memories of my first visit to Bourcy—January 1945, November 1986.
Turner, Emest. Letter to Colonel Charles H. Young. March 11, 1981.
Wise, Albert J. Letter to Major Ivan G. Phillips. June 19, 1948.
ORAL TAPES
Alex Andros
Park Appler
Robert Barger
Henry DeSimone
Joseph Dominguez
Best Ellard
Jim D. Ferguson
Willis Fowler
Edward Hallo
Robert J. Hartzell
Charles W. Hogan
Lloyd Jones
Charles Kocourek
Anaclete Leone
Peter Madden
Howard Matthews
Walter L. Miller
George K. Mullins
Floyd F. Phillips
Alfred J. Regenburg
Harry Rosinski
William G. Sefton
James Sherriff
Cecil H. Simmons
Robert Stroud
&
nbsp; John H. Taylor
Rudy Wedra
Jack Williamson
Gordon Yates
Michael Zorich
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Copyright © 1994 by George E. Koskimaki
First Casemate edition, 2003
Previously published by George E. Koskimaki in 1989.
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