I Company

December 19, 1944 its cold and we were hungry, the sun had come up and reminded us that we weren’t home and somewhere near Bastogne. I remember smoking a cigarette in the cold winds as the fog was coming in. You only saw white from the snow covering the ground and it just meant today was going to be colder.

I blew out the warm gray smoke and felt my lungs shudder as I inhaled cold air. I looked around and saw the long hills of the country side and for that moment I remembered being back home. People hurrying to get to work and many more people just enjoying a cold day in December. The smells of a rich city like new york compared to the small little town of Wardin is two completely different worlds. No massively crammed buildings and no people, just empty space between you and a neighbor.

There were engagements here and there and from what I recall from the meetings and from whispers. Germans were coming to take back this whole area, so we had to be extra sure about what we were doing.

“Saved you a piece of this bread we got from the house down the way.” Simpson said as he ran over to me with a grin from ear to ear. I didn’t say anything but greedily bit into the cold hard bread and chewed as best I could. “No coffee or nothing, but this French bread will last us.”

I tried to correct him but crumbs came out instead, I gulped what I could in the cold morning and finally was able to tell him we weren’t in France. We were in Belgium and it was coming to the time when we had to get back out on patrols.

German forces were coming in but at this time, there were small engagements from tank to tank and we were there as support. Once we were all gathered together, we started out patrol in the cold morning.

In the distance we knew that German forces were hunkered down and were being engaged by the tank division. Later that day we were ordered to do patrols in the forests.

“Ever get the feeling like we are being watched?” I heard someone ask aloud to no one in particular. Responses were half hearted and some were funny as others reprimanded them. I thought about it and then brushed it away as I walked.

It was cold like it is now and a hot black cup full of the best sounded like a perfect winter. She would be cooking something in the oven as I read my newspaper and another engagement and we were prone on the ground firing back in controlled shots.

By the time we had finished up with checking all the small forests, it was 13:30 and we were then dispatched into the town of Wardin.

We were entering the city from the tree line where an armored group were shooting at a displaced German group. They turned to us with the business ends of their weapons and it wasn’t until Simpson yelled that we were part point for I company. They didn’t recognize us because of our green clothing and after the guns were lowered, we hunkered into the town.

I sat inside a small shed by a barn and Simpson smoked next to me. Together we sat in silence as we continued to hurry up and wait. I double checked my reserves of ammunition and had given Simpson two clips for his M1.

“How many does that leave you with?” Simpson asked as he Pocketed the two.

“5 clips” I responded, finally looking at him as he was holding one of the clips I had given him. Setting it in my hand he began to go over his rifle to make sure he cleaned it well enough.

It wasn’t long before we heard the rumbling of engines coming from the forest. We engaged as the first tank broke from the forest line. I peeked out from the slits between the wood of the shed and started counting quickly. Seven targets about five men coming in as well as heavy armor. The buildings burst around us and the shelling began just as quickly. Simpson and I ran to a fall back position as we responded and were able to knock out two of the crawling death machines. Troop movement increased as the tanks leading into the town were now breaching through and taking over more of our positions.

When someone would run from cover to another fall back position. They were gunned down or a tank shell exploded the building next to them. I remember Simpson in front of me as we made our first fall back position and began to hold as best we could. We fired and tried to suppress the infantry units as best we could.

Simpson took most of the explosive energy wave of a grenade and I found myself dazed and covered in debris and drying chunks of frozen blood. I struggled to get up and was pulled away and up by another officer. His muffled words I could barely make out from the hollow sounds. When I finally was shoved and pushed to a different cover. I had just realized that my rifle was no longer with me. When another one was shoved into my chest and I instinctively wrapped my arms around this one.

Another fall back position, Wardin was a living nightmare as the pressure from the German push was shoving us back.

Another wall exploding and I saw Hosk cartwheel in the air from an explosion at his left side. Another soldier had turned and began firing back at the attackers. Allowing us to push back further and I saw a radio operator screaming into the receiver.

“We hold here and push them the fuck back!” I heard an officer yell.

We did hold them back but the onslaught was too much and we were picked off and forced out of Wardin. 45 men and 4 officers lay dead and many more were wounded. We managed to make it to Head quarters but the rest we were scattered to the winds.

The sergeant who was with me spoke to Colonel Ewell.

“Have you heard about Company I? We’ve been wiped out.”