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Marcus Dillard
Rank: Private First Class
Name
Marcus Dillard

Nationality
American

Unit

M Co. 3rd Btn 12th Infantry Regiment


Location
Somewhere in Belgium

Date
1944

Survived the war?
Yes
4th Infantry Division

4th Infantry Division

Belgian Waffles

If you take a look at my picture, let me tell you do not put the chin strap on your jaw like that in combat. That was just for the picture. Two reasons you would not wear it like this is, one if a shell hits close to you the concussion could blow the helmet upwards and break your neck. The second is, an enemy could come up from behind pull the helmet backwards and choke you to death.

As you ask in your letter some of my memories from the war, I thought about it for a little while. One I have always remembered is when we were chasing Germans across Belgium, we were marching on the main road through this village, and we were halted and told to take a rest. We were by this small house, and a Belgian lady came to the window of a house opened it and brought a big waffle from the window and started making these big waffles for the G.I.’s. She did that as long as we stayed there. Maybe 15 or 20 minutes. The Dutch, Belgians, The Luxemburgers always treated us so nice! Sometimes I watch a war movie on TV and I see soldiers soaking wet, in the cold, icy snow weather, and I wonder how we did that. I do remember though that is was miserable.

Pfc. Marcus, a mortar gunner with the 12th Infantry Regiment’s Company M, recalls: “As we started through a firebreak there was a minefield and barbed wire. The company commander stepped on a mine. We had never encountered terrain like this to fight in. We had done no prior recon of the Huertgen”. Bradbeer argues that General Cota made three decisions “that would have far-reaching effects on his division’s assault into the Hürtgen,” in particular the decision that “neither he nor his staff would direct the division’s units to patrol into the forest.” As the 2nd Battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Franklin Sibert, later wrote: “God, it was cold. We were hungry and thirsty. The supply line was littered with dead. The men that came out with me were so damned tired that they stepped on the bodies they were too tired to step over them” . It was on this day, November 12th, 1944, in the process of withdrawing to a new line west of Germeter, that Lieutenant. Irvine died. A week later, the Company H commander, Captain Earl W. Enroughty was killed. The weakened 12th Infantry Regiment had been reverted to the 4th Infantry Division on November 11th at 7:00PM.

Only God brought us through.

12th Infantry Regiment

The 12th Infantry Regiment was reorganized as a motorized infantry regiment on 29 September 1942. Less than a year later, on 1 August 1943, the 12th was reorganized as a standard infantry regiment when the 4th Division was converted from motorized to dismounted infantry. The regiment along with the rest of the 4th Infantry Division arrived in England on 29 January 1944. On D-Day, 6 June 1944, the 12th Infantry saw its first action of the war when, as part of the 4th Infantry Division, it spearheaded the assault landing on Utah Beach under the command of Colonel Russell "Red" Reeder. Between 9 and 12 August 1944, the regiment helped defeat the Germans in Operation Lüttich.

The regiment fought in five European campaigns through France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. The 12th Infantry was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for valor in action at Luxembourg during the Battle of the Bulge. The regiment was also awarded the Belgian Fourragere. After Germany's surrender, the 12th Infantry, along with the 4th Infantry Division, returned to the United States on 12 July 1945 and was inactivated 27 February 1946 at Camp Butner, North Carolina. During this time famed author J. D. Salinger served with the unit.

Veteran's personal medals
Victory medal
Victory medal
European campaign
European campaign
Veteran's personal file
12th Infantry Regiment
12th Infantry Regiment

Ducti Amore Patriae

  • Presidential Unit Citation
    Presidential citation for Luxemburg

    Personal photographs

    Click on a picture for enlargement


    Remember each and every sacrifice, made for your freedom!

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