HOME OF THE BRAVE

"Battles are sometimes won by generals; wars are nearly always won by sergeants and privates." - F.E. Adcock, British Scholar

Pfc. Michael S. Zbylot, Co. D, 324th Inf. Regiment

Michael lived in Three Rivers, Massachusetts, and was drafted into the army on December 21, 1943 at the age of 36, and was honorably discharged on November 22, 1945. He was a replacement for D Company, 324th Infantry Regiment, and was shipped overseas on September 7, 1944. He was in the 81mm Mortar Platoon, and then later in the .30 cal. MG Platoon. Michael was captured during the night of 31 DEC 1944 - 01 Jan 1945 when the Germans launched their massive counter-attack called Operation Nordwind. He, along with others of his unit, were captured after being over-run by Germans who had snuck up on their positions camouflaged in white snowsuits. In the ensuing fighting that night, incoming fire knocked out Michael's gun, as well as killing the soldier next to him. Grabbing his comrades gun, he continued the fight before finally being forced to withdraw. While running, he heard a voice say "Halt!" Thinking it was only a buddy of his trying to play a joke on him , he continued to run. The voice came again, only with more force, "Halt!" He turned around and saw that it was a German, clad in a white snowsuit, one of many Germans that had snuck up behind their unit. With his capture came over four months of captivity as a Prisoner of war in Stalag Luft 5A. During this bleak time Michael endured malnutrition and near starvation, having lost nearly 60-70 pounds by the time he was liberated, as well as losing most of his teeth. Prisoners were fed such things as potato skin soup and grass soup. Prisoners were shot on sight for attempting to steal turnips in the field. After liberation by Moraccon troops flying the French colors near the end of the war, Michael recuperated in Paris and then returned to his home in Three Rivers where he passed away on October 22, 1992 at the age of 84. His awards include the Combat Infantry Badge, 2nd Class Gunner Shooting Badge, Bronze Star, POW Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Ribbon, ETO Ribbon w/ two battle stars, and the WW2 Victory Medal.

(Contributed by Victor D. Costello, Great-Nephew of Pfc. Michael Zbylot)

Tech/5 Lloyd E. Berry, Medic -71st Inf. Reg.

Lloyd entered the US Army on February 5, 1943 and was assigned to the 44th Infantry Divison during their Louisiana maneuvers in the spring of 1944 from the Army Specialized Training Program in the Missouri School of Mines, Rolla, Missouri. Lloyd went overseas with the division and into the front lines in October. He was initially assigned to the battalion aid station outside Embermenil, but eventually was assigned as an aid man to Company F, 71st Infantry Regiment, to take the place of another aid man who had been wounded in action. Lloyd became involved in the attacks of November 13th, New Years Eve 1944, and February 14th 1945. On one occasion he was informed that there was a wounded soldier on a nearby hillside who was greatly in need of medical attention. Despite darkness and unfamiliar terrain, he went forward to the wounded man. He administered first aid, gave the wounded man morphine to ease the pain, and moved him to the shelter of a nearby foxhole. Because the man was to heavy to move back under fire, Lloyd wrapped him in his blanket and spent the rest of the night by his side, despite continuing German artillery fire. During his time with Co. F he became involved in many limited engagements and as he describes it "I managed to survive all of these without a scratch, escaping fire from every conceivable source. There were many others around me who were not so fortunate."

2nd Lt. Richard Hines, Co. D, 324th Inf. Regiment

Richard was inducted into the Army on February 24, 1943 at Fort Custer Michigan at the age of 20. The day after induction he was on a train bound for Fort Lewis Washington and later went to Camp Phillips Kansas. By the end of training Richard had attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was assigned as a section leader of an 81mm mortar platoon in Company D, 324th Infantry Regiment. He left New York City for Europe on September 5, 1944 and arrived in France on September 15, 1944, 103 days after D-day. His unit went into action north of Luneville, France, relieving the 315th Infantry Regiment of the 79th Infantry Division. His unit moved across France, Germany and into Austria, "walking all the way". While in Ulm, Germany he and his unit were sent to string communication wire between command units. During this mission several men lost their lives. This mission earned him the Bronze Star, one of two that he would earn. On January 13, 1945 S/Sgt. Hines received a battlefield commission to 2nd Lt. and remained with the Company D mortars. Lt. Hines was discharged from the army on January 16, 1946 and returned to his hometown of Wayland Michigan where he and 42 other veterans organized the Wayland VFW in June 1946. Richard served as Post Commander in 1947, 1949, 1959, and 1980. He was honored as Wayland's veteran of the year in 1998. Lt. Hines' awards include the Combat Infantryman's Badge, Bronze Star w/ oak leaf cluster, Good Conduct Medal, Eastern Theater of Operations Ribbon w/ 3 battle stars, American Campaign Ribbon, Army of Occupation Ribbon, and the World War 2 Victory Medal.

"A brave Captain is as a root, out of which as branches the courage of his soldiers doth spring" -Sir Phillip Sidney

 

S/Sgt. Gerald Julian (pictured above in Steinau, Germany - 1945) was a member of Company I, 114th Infantry Regiment during the Battle for the City of Heidelberg, Germany. This is his account of that action and the brave actions of his Captain.

 

There were several acts of bravery that day. One I can recall, for I was in the middle of it. After all these years I can clearly see the battlefield for the City of Heidelberg. By the way, it was agrand old city back in those days. Here is a brief remembrance of that day and my recall of the heroic action of our Captain. I do not recall anyone mentioning his actions during the heat of battle. I feel I would be remiss if it does not get told. As I recall the events of that day - our unit descended out of the foothills of a swiss mountain and immediately started receiving fire from across and open farm (wheat, corn?) field. We had the unfortunate situation of having a new tank division called on line that had never experienced battle before. A scary situation on it's own. The field before us had been laid barren by farmers, who had stacked the shocks of grain upright in the fields. As this was the only cover for anyone, we all were trying to advance from grain shock stacks to grain shock stacks. The field was being swept by a German anti-aircraft gun dug in at ground level - a very nasty weapon serving this purpose. After our unit had been pinned down for some time, our Captain - Capt. Erwin Roth - asked for and got an uninitiated tank battalion to reinforce our position. I believe it consisted of 3 tanks. This engagement was starting to look as if the 114th Infantry was going down to very few men after this battle! I had ordered my mortar squads in position and the machine gun squads took positions behind the grain shocks. The tanks moved forward and I ran along side to get into position to send signals back to my mortar squads. The Germans, upon seeing the tanks coming, fired everything they had on them and I was receiving all the fire bouncing off the tank!! The tanks began firing at anything that moved, including our own men that had their backs to the tanks. I screamed at the tankers, "My God!! man-stop--stop the firing- stop. You are killing your own men!", but they wouldn't open their hatches to communicate. We had no radio contact with them, and I believe they were scared stiff at being in battle. Captain Erwin Roth of Company 'I' leaped atop the tank nearest to me - the tank in the middle of the line, and screamed at them to open their tank lids. The tankmen would not even open their navigational doors. Captain Roth, with shells flying around him, took off his helmet and began hammering on the hatch door atop the tank. He was screaming with words I will not repeat here. Finally--and this is one finality I shall always remember with tears in my eyes--the hatch opened and the terrible firing from our own tanks and the killing of our own men stopped. The bravery shown by Captain Roth, I know for a fact, saved many men in Company 'I".

Pvt. Hayes Palmer, Co D. 324th Infantry Regiment in Austria, 1945

New Years Eve, December 31st 1944 Southeast of the Blies River, North of Woelfling, France. We had been moving rather fast and we thought we had the Krauts on the run, when we stopped and withdrew. (of course we enlisted men never knew what was going on) We had heard about the attack north of us and learned later that it was the Bulge. There were four squads of mortars attached to 'M' Company. I was among them. I helped the gun squad set up. We prepared for a long stay, by digging about 2 feet deep and walled it up with cross ties, covered the top with ties and soil, found some grain straw to sleep on. Looked forward to some rest while things up north became stable. To ring in the New Year the Captain had given permission to fire all (10) mortars at the stroke of midnight. But the Jerry's attack changed our calibration plans. We were told that there were 148 mortar rounds in the air at one time. Needless to say I was soon on my way for more ammo. With the windshield on the hood and no lights this was no joy ride. This was a nightly trip until sometime in late January. After the New Year's attack I had to move to the fire control center. It was a concrete building along the railroad. It was cold and always under fire. I do not remember Christmas 1944.

Pfc. John Krotkosky, 2nd Battalion, HQ Co. 71st Infantry Regiment

John Krotkosky was born September 23, 1913 in Hooversville, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, son of Joseph and Theresa (Sabo) Krotkosky. Like most children of his geneeration he quit school at a young age and went to work in the coal mines with his father, brothers, and relatives. The family consisted of his parents, 4 brothers, and 2 sisters. John, nicknamed "Yunko" entered the US Army on February 27, 1943 at New Cumberland, Pennsylvania and was initially sent to Fort Lewis, Washington for training. He was a boxing fan, and often talked about Joe Lewis giving boxing demonstrations to the troops at Fort Lewis. He received training as a Pioneer and Wireman and was assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 71st Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Division. He left the US with his unit for the European Theatre on September 5, 1944 and arrived in France on September 15, 1944. John was wounded by German artillery fire on November 24, 1944 in northern France. He often talked of the winter of 1944-1945 and described it as the coldest, snowiest weather in memory. He placed newspapers under his clothes and in his shoes as added insulation from the cold. During December and January 44-45 the German army launched their last major offensive of the war. US units were moved and relocated in order to stop the advancing Germans. John volunteered to use his skills with explosives, learned in the coal mines and during his training to "shoot holes" into the frozen ground to establish foxholes and gun emplacements. Late one night, he was told that an American unit had just moved into a wooded area and needed help digging in. He was dropped off on a dirt road at night, given a password, and directed up a hill to the American position. He began climbing the hill in the darkness and stopped halfway up to rest, leaning against a large tree. As he was getting up to continue up the hill he noticed several men moving along the hillside in white uniforms. Soon their were more such men who he realized were German troops looking for the American unit on top of the hill. He stayed against the tree not moving a muscle. At one point a young German soldier passed within several yards of him, with the sling of his rifle in his hand and the butt dragging in the snow. The German looked exhausted, almost as if he were sleep walking. John stayed in his position for some time eventually making his way up the hill and into the American position. This incident haunted him for the rest of his life, he could never understand why he wasn't killed that night. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman's Badge, and the Bronze Star which he received for helping clear German mine fields. John passed away on July 28, 1981 and is buried in the Soldier Circle at the Richland Cemetery in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. John's brother William, served with Company C, 182nd Infantry, Americal Division and was killed in action on March 28, 1945 at Cebu in the Phillipine Islands.

(contributed by James Horvath, great-nephew of Pfc. John Krotkosky)

Pfc. Stanley Carl Rightmire, Co. D, 114th Infantry Regiment

Stanley C. Rightmire was born in Proctor, Pennsylvania and entered military service on 10 June 1941 at Fort Meade Maryland. He served in the European Theatre of Operations assigned to Company D, 114th Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Division as a heavy machine gunner. He was wounded in action on 8 December 1944 near Enchenberg, France, receiving shrapnel wounds in his leg and back. He survived the war and was separated from military service on 12 October 1945 at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. For his combat service Pfc. Rightmire received the American Defense Service Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, World War 2 Victory Medal, Combat Infantryman's Badge, European/African/Middle Eastern Theatre Ribbon, Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star Medal w/ 2 Oak Leaf Clusters. He passed away on 10 February 1997.

(Contributed by Dennis Rightmire, son of Pfc. Stanley C. Rightmire)

Pfc. Eugene James Walsh, AT Co., 114th Infantry Regiment

Eugene J. Walsh enlisted in the US Army on June 19, 1942 six months after Pearl Harbor in East Lansing, Michigan, entering active service on April 16, 1943. He took basic training with the 114th Infantry Regiment at Fort Lewis Washington in the spring of 1944. He went on to Camp Phillips, Kansas and eventually Camp Miles Standish, Boston where he boarded the U.S.S. General J.R. Brooke for transport to the ETO. He arraived in Cherbourg, France on September 15, 1944 and after field training was sent to the front lines on October 12, 1944. On October 27, 1944 he was nearly killed by a land mine and was sent to the 51st evacuation hospital in Paris. He recovered from his wounds and was sent back to the front. After the war in Europe ended he trained with a tank outfit for the invasion of Japan. On November 14, 1945 he was honorably discharged from the Army at Camp Chafee Arkansas. His awards include the Purple Heart, Bronze Star w/ two oak leaf clusters, Combat Infantryman's Badge, World War 2 Victory Medal, American Theatre Ribbon, and the Good Conduct Medal.

(contributed by his son, John Walsh)

S/Sgt Henry A. McNemar, Combat Medic, 324th Infantry Regiment - KIA near Embermenil, France 25 OCT 44.

Staff Sergeant Henry McNemar, who hailed from the state of Mississippi, was a Combat Medic assigned to care for the men of the 324th Infantry Regiment in France. On October 25, 1944 his Regimental Commander, Colonel Thacher Nelson and two of his aides inadvertently walked into a minefield and were mortally wounded. S/Sgt. McNemar, without regard to his own personal safety, did his job as a combat medic and went in to the minefield in an attempt to render aid to his fallen commander. S/Sgt. McNemar was killed by a land mine while in the performance of his duty.

(contributed by his daughter Joyce Taylor)

I will be glad to add other accounts of 44th veterans. You can e-mail me from the main page of this site.

 

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Copyright 2002 by Timothy E Blaise