I entered the US Army in April 1944 at the age of 18, had basic infantry training at Camp Roberts, California, was then assigned to the ASTP unit at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, and in February 1944 joined Company C of the 101st Infantry Regiment of the 26th "Yankee" Infantry Division. Following additional training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the Division left for overseas and landed in France in early September 1944.

My Regiment first went into combat in early October 944 in an area of Lorraine about 15 miles east of Nancy. We discovered that our main opponents at that time were the 11th Panzer Division and the 361st and 559th Volksgrenadier Divisions. Fighting was bitter and intense and made more difficult by the cold, rain and mud. The German forces contested every meter of ground. Our casualties mounted and in one period between November 8 and 11, 1944, my Regiment suffered nearly 500 losses in killed, wounded, and missing.

I was wounded twice in this first period of combat as we fought our way through Dieuze, Saare-Union, and Sarrguemines to the German border. What was then to have been a time of rest and refitting at Metz was interrupted by the Battle of the Bulge. However, I missed most of that since I did not return to my Company from the hospitall in the UK until late January 1945 in Wiltz, Luxembourg, just in time for the battle at Saarlautern.

My Regiment participated in the clearing of the Saar Basin, crossed the Rhine, and then raced on through Germany to northern Austria and Czechoslovakia. And then the war was over. I went through the rather carefree days opf occupation in Czechoslovakia and later Enns, Austria. We left Austria in late 1945 to return to the US from Marseilles. My ship, the SS CHAPEL HILL VICTORY, arrived at Newport News, Virginia, and I was sent to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin for discharge which occurred on January 10, 1946.

I can say that of my decorations, I am most proud of the Combat Infantry Badge. This story is dedicated to all those battered infantrymen of all divisions without whom the war could not have been won.

James Haahr

James' Book
James has just published a 436-page book titled "The Command is Forward" which is the unofficial motto of my Regiment. It contains in part the complete War Diary of the 101st Infantry Regiment from August 1944 to May 1945 which has never been published up to now.

You can learn more about the book and how to order it by visiting my web site at http://www.jameshaahr.com

Many thanks.