| A Slight Change of Plans |
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| We were in support of the 30th Infantry Division having smashed the Siegfried Line where we spent 75 straight days and also the capture of Aachen. We were preparing to cross the Roer in support of the 30th Infantry Division when the German counter division in the Ardennes forced a postponement and withdrawal from the front and hurry to Malmedy to hold off the German threat there with the 30th Division we met and smashed the 1st SS Panzer Division. |
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Charley couldn’t remember all the names but here are the one he recognizes:
Left standing—Sgt Thomas; fourth from left is Charley; squatting second from left Sgt Joekeys; fourth from left was Blackie
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| It was very cold and snowing and in going there I was driving the jeep with a trailer with our mortar and ammunition and going down a hill and making a U-turn I got into the tracks of a tank ahead of us and they were so deep in the snow and ice I couldn’t get out of them and the German’s starting shelling us, we left everything in the middle of the road and took cover. After the shelling we loaded up and went up front to our position. |
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| In going to our position we crossed a small bridge and set up on a small hill. The ground was frozen and covered with snow and using a pick we managed to dig a shallow fox hole. |
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| Visibility was so bad the airplanes couldn’t fix and we got caught in a pocket like a horseshoe and our supplies were cut off for three days. We had chocolate “D” bars to eat and melted snow. Our beards were getting long and when our eyes and noses ran it would freeze on our faces. We wore every piece of clothing we had to keep warm—luckily the gun didn’t freeze. |
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| After a few days the weather cleared the sky was blue and it sure was good to see the airplanes back doing their strafing and bombing and opening our lines up so we could get supplies. |
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| On Christmas we had cold “K” ration’s to eat, we were hungry and they were good. |
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| At one time there was a German airplane flying over our position, I shot him with our 50 caliber machine gun mounted on the jeep but I missed he was so close you could see the white of his eyes. |
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| The first week of February 1945 we went back to prepare to cross the Roer. |
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| Source:Bulge Bugle, February 2005 |
