Combat Chronicle
The 87th Infantry Division fought in General George S. Patton's Third U.S. Army during World War II. After months of training, first at Camp McCain, Mississippi, then at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the division shipped overseas on the Queen Elizabeth. They first entered combat in France's Alsace-Lorraine, and after extremely bloody fighting, crossed the German border in the Saar, capturing the towns of Walsheim and Medelsheim.
Caught up in the Third Army's historic counterattack in the Battle of the Bulge, the 87th Division raced off into Belgium - attacking the German Panzer Lehr Division near Bastogne at the towns of Pironpre, Moircy, Bonnerue, and Tillet. At Tillet S/Sgt. Curtis Shoup earned the Medal of Honor, posthumously, and Lt. Glenn Doman the Distinguished Service Cross.
Soon after breaching the Siegfried Line in the Eifel Mountains, the division crossed the Moselle River and captured Koblenz. Then the Rhine River crossing near Boppard and the dash across Germany which took them to Plauen, near the Czech border.
The 87th Division returned to the States in July 1945 expecting to be called upon to play a role in the defeat of the Japanese, but the sudden termination of the war in the Pacific while the division was reassembling at Fort Benning changed the future of the 87th. The division was inactivated 21 September 1945.
Unit soldier's personal notes
| Mitchel Kaidy |
But the shelling on top of the hill was evidently choking off traffic below, and, after an hour, the medic informed us that the Co. C youth's breathing was becoming even more faint. So picking him up again, we resumed trudging still having very little grip left except when we briefly folded our elbows as grips or tried to steady the litter on our shoulders, certain only that we didn't know where we were going.
But in 15 minutes an American jeep, windshield and top down, came ripping through, providentially equipped with a litter mount. Waving the driver down, we found he had been ordered by an officer to head somewhere else. So again, hands virtually useless, we picked up the litter and resumed trudging. Ultimately, with starts and stops every few feet and past dusk, we staggered toward a tent hospital.
Somewhere before this point the medic had exhausted his morphine, and the young soldiers moans had virtually stopped. A Captain, equipped with a stethoscope, was shouted for and walked out of a large pyramidal tent. We exchanged a few words, and he leaned over and examined the young C Company soldier, leaned back, then once more examined the soldier.
”Forget it,” the Captain finally said, putting away his stethoscope. “He's gone”. |
| James Hennessey |
On February 26th 1945, Company E led the way followed by F and G. Their supporting tanks and tank destroyers moved up behind, utilizing an alternate route. An hour and a half later E Company was held up in a draw one kilometer east of the jump off point. Snipers opened fire, and soon mortar shells began dropping all over the area inflicting numerous casualties.
Lt John Ford, Gatonia,North Carolina, Tech Sergeant Vernon E Howe, Muscatine Iowa, and one squad of men pushed across a creek and an open field to the next patch of woods. The Germans let the one squad cross. then opened fire with mortars and machine guns, the opening later proved to be the Germans final protective line with crossfire where E company was attempting to cross.
The creek afforded protection for several of E Company's wonded until they were able to be evacuated.. Lt. Ford and his squad stayed in the booby trapped woods until evening when he could safely infiltrate his men back. An attempt to move to another area was thwarted by a booby -trapped field. Company F moved up to reinforce Company E's lines and protect their flank.
I was part of the squad that crossed the creek. I was wounded here by sniper early afternoon, and didn't get out to late that evening. |
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