io | Onyy yp _susi eee INFANTRYTHE REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM 38th Infantry Regiment 38th Field Artillery Battalion Co. C, 2nd Engineer Battalion Co, C, 2nd Medical Battalion Co. C, 612th Tank Destroyer Battalion Co. C, 741st Tank Battalion’ Btry. C, 462nd Anti-Aircraft, Battalion From Supe 7, 1944, D-Day-plus-One . 0 May 8, 1945, D-Day-plus-336, 5,020 Officers and Enkited Men of the Thirty-Eighth United Stater Infantry were Iilled, eounded, or missing in action, This story, which they so largely shaped, fr dedicated to there soldiers, their courage, ‘and their devotion t0 duty.THE INSIGNIA ‘The clear field of blué stands for loyalty, stead- fastness and devotion to the principles of right and justice, The three clear-cut white stripes are for the three major operations of World War I in which the entire 3rd Division participated. The broken chevron symbolizes the German attack broken at ‘the Mame by the »Rocke which surmounts the regimental crest. THE STORY Re Displaying” the same gallantry, courage and leadership which gave birth to its name and rich legerid-in six major World War I engagements, the Rock of the Marnes Regiment added new prestige ” {its fighting fame by leading the way in nearly ‘every World War IT action of the 2nd Infantry Division in Europe. ‘The 28th United States Infantry won its name as »The Rock of the Marnec, — and the personal com~ mendation of General John J. Pershing — in 1918 when It blocked the Kaiser's last lunge. In 1944, at Rocherath on the Belgium-German border, the 38th of a new generation stopped and held the northern’ arm of Von Runstedt’s December drive in a com~ parable battle ‘This new 38th broke the first German resistance finland from Omaha beach; led the way through the savage hedgerow battles of Normandy; wiped out 3resistance on Plougastel Peninsula and punched into Brest; cut a hole through the second belt of the Siegfried Line, and paced the chase of the beaten Wehrmacht from the Rhine across Germany. Activated on June 1, 1917, at Syracuse, N. ¥., the ‘8th entered the 6th Infantry Brigade with the 4th, ‘th and 30th Regiments. These four units of the 3rd Division trained at the Syracuse Fair Grounds and Camp Green, Charlotte, N. C. On March 21, 1918, cone battalion of the Regiment debarked at Glasgow, Scotland, while the other two battalions debarked at Brest, France, which was to become a step toward home two years later, and the scene of a bitter battle 28 years later. ‘As in the second World’ War, the 38th fought doggedly to victory in the campaigns of the Aisne, ‘Champagne, Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mibiel and Meuse-Argonne, after entering combat ‘May 30, 1918, But, it was in the precdavn darkness of July 15th near Chateau-Thierfy, on the banks of the Marne and Surmelin Rivers, that it joined the ranks of military Immortals There the 38th met hheadon the final desperate thrust by the Huns. ‘There the fighting “spirit of its courageous men ‘ Ls, rolled back the concentrated dttacks of two German Divisions, the Kaiser's best, filled with battle- blooded Prussians. Thete the Regiment, its ranks thinned but unyielding, earned the name of »The Rocke and madé a standing joke of the Kaiser's boast he would be in Paris one day after crossing the Mame: GensJohn J. Pershing, in his report to the Secretary of War nine days after the Armistice, in hhis only reference to a regiment, said of the 38th: 2A single Regiment of the 3rd Division wrote one of the most brilliant pages in our tuilitary annals on this occasion. Tt prevented the crossing at certain points on its wide front while on either flank the Germans who had gained a footing, pressed forward. »The men of this one regiment, firing in three directions, met German attacks with ‘counterattacks at critical points and succeeded {n throwing two German elite divisions into complete confusion, capturing more than 600.« For outstanding performance of duty against the enemy in France, and its »umshakable tenacitys, the 38th was cited as xan elite regiments by General ‘Marshal Petain, commander-in-chief of the French, 5‘Armies in the North and Northeast, and awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm, After the Armistice, the Regiment moved into Germany as Rhineland occupational troops, bileting in Niedermendig, Obermendig, Ettringer’ and St. Johann, Eight months Iater the 38th embarked at Brest for the States, going to Camp Merritt, N. J. During the post-war reorganization it was stationed at Camp Pike, Ark, In 1922, the 2nd and ard Bi talions began training at Fort Douglas, Utah, while the Ist Battalion went initially to Fort Logan Colo.; then to Fort Sill, Okla,, as demonstration troops with the 20th Infantry, Early in 1940 the entire 38th Infantry moved to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and joined the 9th and’ 25rd Infantry Regiments in the 2nd Division With the war in Europe casting a long shadow ‘across America the Regiment began intensive training. It participated in the gigantic Louisiana maneuvers of 1940 and 1941 and had airborne ‘training in Texas. In November, 1942, the 38th moved to Camp McCay, ‘Wise, for experimental training of an entire Division in winter warfare. The troops learned to live in the field in most bitter weather and to use snowshoes 6 $ and skis on long marches, The program was con- cluded with winter maneuvers near Watersmeet, Mich., In temperatures that ranged to 40 degrees below zero, Alerted for overseas duty, the 8th began move- ment Sept. 29, 1943, from Camp McCoy to Camp Shanks, New York, where final preparations were made for embarkation. ‘The Regiment sailed out of New York harbor Oct. 6th. It debarked Oct. 19th at Belfast, Northern Ireland, moving to billets in the vicinity of Newry, near the Free State Border. Here, over the rugged terrain around Camlough Mountain, the Regiment put in six months of arduous training. On April 15, 1944, the $8th left Ireland for South rWales, arriving April 18th. In the vicinity of Car- marthen, the Regiment, trained to a fine point, tapered off training like any champion in the final phase of preparation to crack Adolf Hitler's »im- regnablec Festung Europa. Stripped to barest essentials, the 38th spent the marshalling period at Camp Mellons and Kenfig Burrows, It embarked on the last lap of its journey at Cardiff and Swansea, Wales, and was riding the choppy waters of the English Channel when the in- vasion of France was announced. The following afternoon, June 7, 1944 — D-Day-plus-one—, leading. elements of the 88th Infantry Regiment rode landing barges to Omaha Beach, near St. Laurent-sur-Mer and Viervilles-sur-Mer. Some barges hung up on, reefs and obstacles and men from 3rd Battalion, 2nd» Battalion, and the regimental command group wided and swam ashore to the debris-rtrewn beath still ‘under enemy fire. The first commend post of »Im- pressiver — tactical code name of the’ Regiment — ‘was in & sunken road, For two days the retiment probed forward between the Ist and 20th Divisions. On June 6th, with all heavy weapons, transpor- tation and communication still aboard ships, the Rock was given the mission of selzing strategic 8 ‘Trevieres, which commanded’ the road nets running. parallel to, und leadingSrom, the beach to the interior. The enemy rushed a mobile battalion to the aid of six other veteran infantry companies dug in along the hedgefdws around the town, To reach them, the 38th fad to go down a long open slope, cross the LAure River and climb another slope. ‘The (2h Battalion, on the left, with the mission of seizing Treviores, and the $rd Battalion, on the right, with the task of outflanking the town, attacked ‘at 1100 hours, quickly driving in the enemy outposts. Crossing the open slopes and the river, however, proved to be a slow, tortuous Job. Tt was here the first officer of the regiment was killed in action. He was Capt. Omery C. Weathers, commanding Company K, hit by a mortar shell leading the a- sault, Tt was mid-afternoon when E Company, headed by Lt, Bill B. Everett's platoon, gained a tochold in the edge of Trevieres, where a bitter, house-to-house battle followed into darkness. 1H Company mortar and maciiine gun erews fought as rifle squads with their pistols and carbines. Their heavy weapons began to arrive from the beach only after the battle had reached the square in the center of the town, by that time battered and burning from. 9the thousands of shells poured into it by 38th Field Artillery Battalion, ‘Transportation was needed so urgently for sup- plies that French two-wheel carts were comman- Acered. Ammunition they brought from the beach ‘was carried across the river by hand. As it became ight June loth, the resupplied 2nd Battalion moved ‘on through the town, mopping up remaining resis- tance with rifles, bayonets and grenades. “The capture of Trevieres, frst town of any size to fall to the Americans, broke the backbone of fenemy resistance, allowing V Corps to forge ahead fon a three-divison front with only scattered resis- fance, For the operation the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were aurarded Certificates of Commendation. Cot.) ‘Walter A. Elliot, commanding the 38th Infantry, won the first battlefield decoration received by. thé 2nd Division in World War Ik when he wae-¢warded the Silver Star for heroically leading. the fight against the key position of this first major German defense inland trom the Normandy beach Fighting an enemy who utilized to the fullest the natural defenses of jungle-like thickets and bushy, ‘man-high hedgerows, the sith moved fo and through 10 Corisy Forest. As Ist Battalion neared the far edge, {t encountered the first elements of the German 3rd Parachute Division with which the Regiment was to become well-acquainted during the next two months. Headon, the Battalion met the parachute anti-tank. attalion, first combat group of that division to arrive on the invasion scene to carry out the enemy's ‘new mission of throwing the Americans back in the sea, For 24 hours the men of the Rock fought bitterly for the contested crossroad, suffering their first heavy casualties from intense mortar, flat trajectory. ‘and automatic fire. ‘On June 13th, the German line again broken, the 38th moved on with the ultimate mission of cutting uthe enemy's lateral supply route —the St. Lo-Berlany’ highway. The advance continued until the 16th, when Company L. reached the erest of Hill 192, overlooking the vital supply route, The unit pulled back, with 1st Battalion which had reached St, George &Blle and and Battalion, overextended with an open right flank, to straighten and consolidate lines in the face of an enemy counterattack which was smashed. Riflemen dug in behind and beneath the edge- rows which laced the apple orchards on the North- western slopes of the hill, near Le Pare. They were faced by elements of the Sr Parachute Division, against whom they pushed forward, one field at a time for several days, until the lines were straight, > and, in most cases, separated from the enemy by theo width of only a single field. Here the Regiment held” through July 10th, — constantly patrolling for almost non-existent weak spots; mapping, Blan ning and practicing for the day when i vould crack the new German defense line bagedon Hill 192 After rehearsing three days, one B\Gompany combat patrol went forward under protecting machine gun and mortar fire to wipe out& Nedgerow stronspoint dubbed Kraut Corer Rath man in the patrol was decorated with either'the Bronze or Silver Star. a ‘The Battalions rotate off postion, wtitsing their time out of the line torrptsrse rifle aquads with tanks and engineers ia teamplay that in the days head was to carry tie th through and beyond the German belt, Plifihing for the big push on the Hill ‘vas carried.to'the finest detail, Each squad leader of the asgaiit battalions — ist on the teft and 2nd on ight — was furnished a map or sketch Sheéwini cach hedgerow and tracing the route his {hve and tank: was to follow. Major Vivian G. Paul, _xCresimental supply officer, counted accurately the number of hedgerows ahead of each team, and issued ‘ammonition accordingly. Prior to dawn July 11th, the forward elements pulled back a few fields from the Sth, German Para~ chute Regiment. Then seven battalions of field artil- Tery opened fire— covering all known and suspected ‘enemy positions with one of the heaviest prepara~ tions used in France. Infantry and engineer demo- lition squads blasted huge gaps in the heavy hedge rows through which the tanks and infantry passed, ‘Tanks equipped with dozers tore down and ran ‘@through positions held by suicidal enemy behind the Thuge earthen rows. At 1600 the 2nd Battalion finally feut the St. Lo-Berigny road and began taking up 13defensive positions on its objective exactly as planned. The Ist Battalion secured the crest of Hill 4102, and from here could look back the 15 bloody miles to the English Channel. In 35 days of combat, the Rock had lost 1,052 casualties, the equivalent of six rifle companies. Next day Ist Battalion moved across the St. Lo road, abreast of 2nd Battalion. From July 18th to 25th, the Regiment held its defensive sector here near Le Soulaire, awaiting the grouping of men, armor and supplies for the First Army breakthrough. ‘The big offensive began and, on July 28, the sath went slugging ahead again. Tt was slow, costly fighting against the reformed Parachutists and the _ German 363rd Infantry Regiment. First day the ‘Regiment, at the cost of 210 men, butted ahead 2 few feds, Then, in four day of continuous asst ‘the 38th went over the high ground at St-Jean des Baisants to objectives southeast of Torigni Sur Vire ‘and 2,000 meters South of the Soulaire River. on Aug. 8rd the Regiment moved by motor to a point elght miles North of Wire. A new attack wa begun and Camponelies. apd Coulances fell to the Bath. The Tinchebray offensive was opened Aug. 8th 7 fand by Aug, 15th the Regiment haf severed the ‘Tinchebray-Sourdeval road» The 3rd Battalion had a violent fight for Hill 366 but was virtually un- pposed as it movédvon to Tiachebray while 2nd Battalion moved to high ground East of the city. ‘The battle of the hedgerows had been won. ‘With tho Allies spreading rapidly across France, the 36 paused for iis first breathing spell after Tr eonvecutive days of fighting, seven days longer then it had fought in World War I. From June 7th to Aug. 15th, the 48th Infantry had lost 2,602 officers ‘and men in casualties, two-thirds of its initial strength, From Tinchebray, the Rock moved 210 miles by truck to an assembly area near Landerneau, France, in Brittany. Operating under VIII Corps control, the 98th was detached from 2nd Division to become the major component of Task Force »B« with the mission of clearing the Daoulas Peninsula, a well-fortified finger of land overlooking Brest from the South. ‘To prevent the main body of the Corps from receiving flank fire from the enemy entrenched on the Peninsula, the 36th moved ahead Aug. 2ist. The 6FRANCE 4d Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col, Olinto Mt Barsanti, won the first Distingulshed Unit Citation in the Regiment for capturing Hill 194, highest hil on the Peninsula and a well-ortifled outpost. In the face of dizect fire from the heavy anti-alrraft< defenses and well-planned minefields and demolition charges, the Int ond and Batalons moved en de~ ferminedly to crack the enemy's main line prepared near Le Fresqu and Lesquivit. Nine days after the ‘operation began, the Peninsula was cleared. Captured ‘vere more Uhan 2700 prisoners from the German 2nd Parachute Division, the ea and 360th Infantry Divisions eo A.commendation ren ‘the’Task Force Commander, 46 Brigadier General James A, Van Fleet, was forwarded by VIII Corps to Regimental Combat Team 38, citing it for @ determined, eolrageous. and skillful ad- vvancee and commenting that »in particular the dra Battalion did a thoroughly professional job on Hill Toke A Certifiéate of Commendation was awarded Ist Batiglion for its role in the action. wens retston of the AA Bae re Téoking the grest port of Brest, the 28th reverted to 2nd Division, and, on Sept, Ist, joined the assault on the fortress. Against resistance from the 2nd Par ‘chutists and other naval and infantry units ordered to fight to the death, the Regiment clawed its way feross open terrain into the built-up area, Then, fighting from house-to-house and room-to-room, the dith reached the great walled city of inner Brest on Sept. 16th, and a combat patrol from Company B. soar the first American unt to ross the wall. Mop~ ping-up operations began as resistance finally rumpled in the ruins of the once-prosperous port Following a seven-day rest period near St. Divy, France, the Rock began another long trek, this time across the breadth of France and Belajum by motor and *boxcar pullmans, famed 40 and 8 cars. a‘On Oct. 4th, the’ 38th moved into positions in the Siegfried Line, relieving 4th Infantry .Division elements near Bleialf, Germany. Improving positions oon the seven-mile sector, men constructed log cabins, dugouts, a chapel, and a movie house and laid pro- tective wire and mines. Combat patrols made {frequent raids into German positions. The regimental Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon carried out fa series of forays into enemy outposts to destroy buildings used as observation points. ‘The Regiment, with the CP among the farms of Buchet, Germany; spent Thanksgiving of 1944 in the heavily wooded, showcovered hills of the Schnee Eifel. It was during this period that Col. Ralph W. Zwicker moved to Division Headquarters as Chiet’ of Staff and Lt. Col. Francis H. Boos assumed com- ‘mand of the Rock and was promoted to Colonél> ‘The 2nd Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col: Jack K. Norris, had been the envy of the Regitnent upon departure from St, Divy when it went directly to Paris, France, from where it dispatched its hardened ‘troops as train guards. In a letigt forwarded through Seine Base Section Heada the Battalion was commended for a job Superbly done in efficiently 18 s & organizing and accomplishing’the duties of guarding the thousands of tons of suppliese transferred from ‘truck convoys to freight trains. After this six-week. tour of duty policing Supply lines and bases, the 2nd Battalion rejoined the Regiment in the Schnee Fifel East of St\Vith to take its turns in the Sieg- fried Line, <> on 1468 11th the 8th was relieved by elements oth T0sth Division inthe sector where te Germans twete four days Iter to launch the initial blows of _-Nlet winter offensive. The Regiment moved to Camp Bleaborn, Belgium. ‘Plans were, made to. attack through the Siegfried Line in the Monschau: Forest and strike the vital dams on the Roer River. The det moved up to Rocherath, Belgium, On the moming of Dee. 13th, it began passing through the th Infantry at the vheart-break corner of Webler- scheid, Germany, to eary the attack on to Drlborn, Germany. ‘With 3rd Battalion holding the open flank, the 1st and 2nd Battalions made steady progress through the snowy woods on the 16th and morning of the 41th, During that period, enemy artillery fire had greatly increased; the luftwaffe had come out; and 19‘observation planes reported enemy reserves moving ‘up. Divisional unis, including the Division CP, came ‘under enemy attack the morning of the 17th, far in rear of the Regiment, Defensive positions of units on the flanks were overrun. .An immediate disen- ‘gagement and withdrawal was ordered, and the 38th received its first indication that Von Runstedt had sprung his great December drive. 5rd Battalion moved immediately by foot back ‘through Rocherath to the adjoining town of Krinkelt, Here it dug in to protect the main supply route. Service Company and Anti-tank Company, still in Rocherath, organized gunners, drivers, mechanics and KP's into rifle and bazooka teams to repulse enemy armor and infantry already seeping through..<\ other units toward the town, av Digengaging from an actual assault, the Ist\Bat- talion, led by Lt, Col. Frank. Mildren, moved back to take up positions facing East from Rocherath. The route was covered by artillery, nebelwetfer and tank fire by this time but the remnants of the Battalion fought through in time to ward-off enemy thrusts Which began at dark. At the same time the) Regimental CP moved over 20 | scthe shelltorn road, from its advance position in the woods, to its former location in Rocherath. The rd Battalion, 9th Infantry, was attached to the Regiment fand placed on the left of Col. Mildren’s battalion, Finally, Col. Norris's 2nd Battalion, spearheading the Division attack when the enemy storm broke, algo disengaged without the enemy's knowledge. ‘Making its way back to the North end of Rocherath {n the darkness, it immediately engaged 12 infantry- supported tanks attempting to overrun the new positions, ‘The night of Dec. 17th was a nightmare, Enemy. tanks and infantry infiltrated into the heart of Rocherath, to an apparent rendezvous at the church 2= Teés than.200 yards from the CP of either the Regiment or ist Battalion. Infantry and tank clashes cccurred throughout the night. Wire communication ‘was Impossible to maintain, and only a weak radio lnk tfed the Regiment with the Division, It was not until afternoon the 18th that the enemy, following attack with attack on the outer defenses of the town, was cleared from the center of the twin towns. Three Panther tanks lay smoul- ering within 100 yards of the Regimental CP, where ‘MP's, clerks and drivers were firing on accompanying infantry from windows and hedges. Other smashed and burning hulls of enemy armor were scattered through Rocherath. An Antitank Company cook's helper had knocked out two, one beside the other, viith a bazooka to block one main entry. S While attacking toward Drelborm the Regent had been opposed by the 326th Infantry ‘DWision. Documents and prisoners taken in Rocheréth identi- fied the I2ih $8 Giiler Jugend) Pafaer Division, fupported by elements of the 2T¢D Infantry, rd Panzer Grenadier, and it (Adaiph Hitler) 8S Panzer Divisions ow Paes ke Ge the 19th, waged a ee saW battle so intense there ee & ‘was no semblance of a front lin. When an enemy attack came through friendly artillery fre {0 the line around the towns, the infantry let what tanks it could not knock out th bazookas pass through to be nocd out py ter basoas of 7D ete song the Dunes 1 was Inti jbl bate field that /Set. Frank (Hardtack) Kviatek, 47, ace sniper ofthe division and oldest enlisted man in the Regitent, was lost missing In action — when his position was overrun. He had 86 notches on hls rit oS Here, too, 1/3 Clarence L. Hiner, previous reci~ pient of two Silver Stars for aiding wounded com- rads with complote disregard for his personal safety, ‘was lost~missing in action, Typical of the many tumsung deeds of the 3éth’s Medical Detachment, Sergeant Hiner went ahead of the front lines in the face of an enamy attack, 19 aid» wounded officer, xxnowing death or capture would be the result. When last seen in the smoke of battle, he was leaning over the cificer aa a yelling, shooting proup of emery closed in on them, He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Stragglers from nearby friendly units, broken by the fury of the German assault, were incorporated 23{nto the units of the 38th, standing firm against the constant battering — giving higher headquarters the sorely-needed time to move other units into position to hold Von Runstedt’s Northern drive, already halted by the Rock. ‘The enemy continued his attacks with numerically superior armor and infantry throughout the 19th, pulling back each time, leaving his dead around the edge of town. On orders, the 38th withdrew the night of the 19th to positions on the Elsenborn ridge near Berg, Belgium, again along routes cut by artillery and nebelwerfer concentrations. Its new positions had been partially prepared by crews from the personnel office and other elements of the division rear echelon. ‘The stand of the 38th at Rocherath and Kri where one mighty lunge of Von Runstedt’ toward Antwerp had been blunted is singularly ‘comparable to the immortal second baitte of the ‘Marne in World War T, Six months later Maj. Gen. E.R. Huebner, commanding V\Corps, said the Rocherath battle will be mlmbered among the {greatest nchievements of Ké European campaign.« ‘During the three days) the Rock and attached units knocked out 1 sn tanks, two armored Py Vehicles, two half tracks angio trucks. Maintaining iis unity, the Regiment lost but litle of its eauip~ ment, but the cost in mga Was high. From Dee. 15th to abn, it sustained. 749 casualties — dead, wounded and missing, °> Maj. Gen. WM. Robertson, Commanding General, {na letter fan. sth to Officers and Enlisted Men of the tnd.Division, summed up the miracle of facti and-courage: alm a span of twelve days the Division has > Cundergone changes in tactical disposition Fanging froma relief from a defensive area through movement Yo assembly” area for a Covordinated attack, execution of a biter attack against and capture of strona fort fied. settor ofthe ‘Siegfried Line, daylight withdrawal {o a defensive position across the front of a vigorous enemy attack, repelling of {strong armored and infantry thrust against the rear and flank of the Division, defense of am area against continuous. day” and night {naeat attacks by determined enemy armor and iniantry, preparation of a tenable defen- sive position, and finally, @ night withdrawal {o"oetapy an defend that postion For outstanding action, four regimental units — {st and 2nd Battalions, and Regimental Headquarters 25and Antitank Companies — were awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation, and Service Company ‘was awarded the Meritorious Service Plaque. For the remainder of December and through January the 86th Infantry held the Division's front, in constant contact with the enemy who tried only ttvice more — unsuccessfully — to breach its lines” 1 was White Christmas for the 38th, as the snows drifted over underground homes, heated with make-sift, mile can stoves. and insulated with cardboard om ration boxes. But it.waa Rot a quiet Christmas as enemy shells dropped {ato the area, along with an occastonal one" of the many buzz bombs that beat their humming course close over- head. 2 26 ‘The one objective of the #ath was to return to Rocherath and Krinkelt. White-hooded patrols fixed ‘enemy lines; probed for weak spots; brought back prisoners for identifiat(ons. Capt. Bdward L. Farrel, Sr, twice conducted Faids into enemy lines to capture f total of 17 Germans without firing & shot. (On Jan.,dth the Regiment started on the road back. The Zid Battalion got into Wirtzfeld before day yittout firing a shot. The 8rd Battalion strug- sled through the deep snow to reach and recapture ‘Keinkelt, while Ist Battalion seized Rocherath. 2nd Battalion followed and swung to the North of the 2 towns. By noon Jan, Sist the 38th Tafantry was back {in exactly the same positions it had held during the three bloody days — Dee. 17th, 18th and 10th. ‘The Regiments of the Division leapfronged through the Monschau Forest toward the Roer River and, on Feb. 5th, the 38th assaulted the valley town of Hellenthal, Germany, gateway to the second. bolt of Siegfried defenses. Swinging suddenly South from the Division axis of advance, the 2nd and 3rd ‘Battalions moved through enemy outposts on a dark, rainy night, to reach the town at dawn, They fought all day and through the next night before Hellenthal ‘was entered and cleared. Then a platoon of Com- arpany I took Hill 525, which overlooked the town, fnd repulsed a strong enemy counterattack, Killing throe Nazi field officers and taking 14 prisoners. ‘After holding a defensive position in this vicinity for two weeks, the 38th moved to @ combination rest-assombly area near Hofen, Plans were made for fn enveloping attack on the fortified town of Ge- rund. Moving North through Schmidt, the 20th trossed the Roce River at Heimbach on March rd into a shallow bridgehead; cut South across the heovily-mined Kermeter Peninsula to seal Gemind from the rear and secure a bridgehead for V Corps across the Hoer River and through the second belt of the Siegfried Line. Maj. Gen. Huebner, later commending the 24 Division, said, ‘The silful execution of operations. by the 2nd Tnfantry Division in. capturing’-the Schleiden-Gemnind position enabled the V, Carps to break the German defensive dispositions est of the Rhine and vitally contributed to the sicess of the First and Third. Armies in their advance to that reat river« Subsequent operations, he stated, sere executed in a manner characteristic of the work of masters in the art of w ‘The 3th followed: & five-day pursuit ofthe 28 ‘enemy past Mochernich, Munstereifel and Ahrweiler to the Rhine. Here the Regiment billeted 10 days in ‘and near the resort town of Bad Neunahr. ‘The S8th Combat Team was the first unit of the 2nd Division to exoss the Rhine, moving into the southern end of the narrow Remagen Bridgchead ‘March ist, Carrying the assault to extend the bridgehead, the 38th cleared more than a dozen towns, including Rodenbach and Segendorf where 29units of 2nd Division were billeted during the oc- cupation of Germany following World War I. The ist and 2nd Battalions seized and expanded a surprise crossing of the Wied River, where the enemy had hoped finally to contain the Remagen bridgehead. On April 1st the 38th Infantry was attached to bth Armored Division. It struck out in a mopping 1 ‘encircling movement — past Limburg, Wetziar, Giessen, Marburg, Bad Wildungen and Warburg — 161 miles in six days, At the end of the long dash, the Ist Battalion and Special Units, working with Combat Command B, were wrapped around a strong pocket of troops and tanks rushed from the SS school at Paderborn to cut ‘off the American spearheads. On Easter Sunday these forees mounted in fury an attack on Antitani Company in Bonenburg. In overwhelming years that night they fought into the town — and into the hhouses with the Antitankers, who grimly” fought them from room to room and called aftllery down fon their own positions. The any had cleared most of the SS from the town next morning and was watching them form fof a new aitack when loments of th Armored-Division shot their way Jno town, forcing the enemy back into the trap. 30 a © White this battle was raging for Bonenburg, the 1st Battalion was repulsing other forces at Willabe- essen where the second prong of the attack sought f clear road for the main body of SS. ‘Commending the 35th »on a task well donec, ‘Maj, Gen. John W. Leonard, commanding the sth ‘Armored Division, declared, »The speed and precision. with which your personnel adapted themselves 10 an armored type of operation is a tribute to all the officers and men of your regiment.« ‘The 38th reverted to 2nd Division contro! on ‘April Sth and, crossing the Weser River, began ‘another motorized pursuit of the disorganized Wehr- macht through Gottingen, Bleicherode, Sonders- ahhausen and Querfurt, At frst fending off forays on the Division's wide-open North flank, the Regiment later swung South, crossed the Saale River at Wels seniels, and then fought back North through the Leipzig-Merseberg ring of anti-sireraft. defenses. Unable to move in daylight without excessive casualties from point-blank anti-aircraft fire, the TRoglment made attacks on four suecessive nights, enveloping the enemy facing other 2nd Division Dridgeheads, then swinging East to the outskirts of Leipzig. Here opposition crumbled and the 36°h moved into the city with litle difficulty. From April 10th to 2ist, rd Battalion again operated under control of the 9th Armored Division, moving 118 miles during the first three days. During the I-day period the Battalion cleared enemy. holding out in a dozen tovins before rejoining the ‘Regiment at Grimma where the regiment had moved from Leipzig. The first two days were spent clearing enemy from the Bast bank of the Mulde River; the remainder in processing prisoners igplaced persons And liberated allied soldiers swept toward the sta~ tionary American lines ahedd of the advancing Russians, [At the end of ApriD'the Regiment moved South 32 Ss 240 miles to the western tip of Czechoslovakia, relieving elements of the extended ‘Third Army. Attacking with little opposition through the Sude- tenland, the 38th moved into Pilzen May 7th with the 2nd Division, Tt was here, ina land dominated for six years by the Nazis, that the Rock of the Marne Regiment celebrated the unconditional surrender of a now ‘thoroughly defeated Germany. 33»Let us cherish close within our hearts the memory of our fallen comrades. SALUTE, ‘THEM, THEN FORWARD.« ULYSSES GRANT McALEXANDER Col. Gater Brig. Gen.) Commanding Ofticer, ‘8th Infantry Suly,, 1918 7 THIRTY EIGHTH INFANTRY COMMANDERS AND STAFFS DURING THE WAR IN EUROPE REGIMENTAL COMMANDERS Col, Walter A. Elliott Col. Ralph . Zovicker Col. Francis H. Boos ExkcunivE oFricErs LE Gal Tom 6. Morte 1 Col Frame Ten (Cast. eth A, Sehmetemann (Capt Herman A. Pracer, Je Maier Samos H. Mecay aloe George D. Calaway Major James W. Lane Malor Robert bx titley (Capt Baward IL. Farrel Je ‘cant. Raymond HL mtcheoek (Capt, Bivard ©. Ethel 4 Maser Vivian G, Pa, 3 REGIMENTAL SURGEONS Major Davi. Weaver Cent. Merry Kaye OPERATIONS SERGEANTS M/S. Louts 3. Chambertaln M/Set, David W. Noble IM/Sat. Gooree Cardwot, Je M/Set. George L. Nelo 351ST BATTALION Lt Go Prank 7. sttdron EE Ga, Tom ©. Nor EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Major Martin BL Coopers aloe Gaores D. Caliway (Cast. Emast 8. Mtler (Cant. Groree HL, Vanoorbake (Cape Fred Le Ramany (Capt Robert 0. Enalish sa 4st. Lt, Norman A. shiiey Capt, Robert ©, Engh Se Lt. Darrell J. Bie Bet LA. Shiney P. Dane SERGEANT 30430 17/Set. Jona 3. Smith, J. ‘7/Set. James D. Roberts HEADQUARTERS COMPANY cant. Bord Arnatale 2ND BATTALION ‘commaNDERS 1, Cok Jack. Nomis Malot Cart A. Martin, 32 36 ON Onto 28, Barnet Cant Mion Le Manuel CCeot éwand {2 Farrel J ‘capt Rober W. Erwin ‘Capt, Robert O. Etsh (Cant, Ricard ¥. Want sa aps Ast. Lt Kemnoth 5. Pratt et Lt, Baward O2 Eth, (Cat. ay Ln White Ast Le Pred Herm J Ie Lt Sowa Re Bridiort Bhd Li Paar Baka COMPANY eee ‘F/Sat. John F. Sener [HEADQUARTERS COMPANY Cent, Jouoh Stages (Cant Statin F. Caller, 3. (Cant, Robert W. Powel ‘comPANY & Cat. Louis D. Witthower Sat, LE. Robert 1. Larsen (Cone Kenneth M Bender (Cope Willam 5. aeartor (Capt, Bstel Ekian comPANY © (Cape. Casts P. Venabe 4st Li Harel, sheptent 4st Lt Raward © Rolinee Bet Lt Rey B Mode Solent bo Ped Rea Te th ate a wet Soe ‘at, Lt. BMichaeh J ? wate Bt tk ee Han conmanoens Et tihptnen ob ay {aoa Malem RS Maser Robert L. Utsy EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Maser George D. Callaway EXECUTIVE OFPicens Malbr Cael A actin, Je (Capt Raul L. Riges si) tA, master 1, Lavon. ‘Cape, Bdvard U. Farve, JF. fot Lt award 3. Hall company ¥ Cant Vineet. Wallace it Li Jota W. Dumont et Le Prat W. Marre, J Cast. Lauren A. Reymond eet Bertrand 1 Warmer ‘Cait. Joteoh E Skaaes (Cant. Alin A. McEvoy COMPANY Ht Cant Catt A. Martin, J Set Lt bhward L- Fare Je Set, Schaal _Wierowsl ‘Cast, Rober. W. Bevin cant, Rober A. Ros RD BATTALION Major James H, MeCoy Major Casuncy Haris sa ‘cant, Olm C. MeCary ‘cant. Harry Edstrom (Cenk. Raymond H. Hitencodk arsa tet, Lt. Delmar W. Kenzer Sat LA, Dara 3 Rie Cet. Aiton Vs Henry Sst TE Sohn T. Kenmaty Cast, Thoms J. onder (Capt Ralph €. Wines SERGEANT MAJORS Bet LL Davney D. Rowers 'T/Set. Citon G. Krowe, Je 3st Le Albert. Shatin BEADQuARiia Gwarang ie Lt Richart B. Blanka nase CGiok, Herman A. Praeee, J oaat tok 8, Calan, 3 Ist Lem Kit % ‘company 1° ‘COMPANT 1 (Gat, Past B. Hamble Cant Robert te Ver ne Li James Eo liwon GOL John W. Mrs ‘Capt. Goaree Hf Vantorebeke (Capt. Harry B. Bastom Cee fot Lt ving L. Ratner Capt, Halland W, Hankel Cant Melvin H. Mere aut LA. stove &. Serta COMPANY K et Lt Paul Fier ‘capt. Omery C. Weathers Capt. Frank J, Drakel, Jt SPECIAL UNITS REGTL. HQ. COMPANY CANNON coMPANTE) Cot, Caner To Hares Cat Jn W Fats Sot and 2 Peer Cosa. Swot ae TAN COMPA aot Ralph 1. Staortn CE mes W. Love Clot ent be legs 1D Lents ster a5 Statin FE, 2G. See, Shaler 38 Sta’ Sergeant Alei6P. Corey was awarded. the nation’s highest trib, the Congressional Medal of Honor, for adeaneing alone 10 knock out 120 concrete bunkers on Hill 154 which had ‘halted the advance of an entre company. Sergeant Carey, after Kiln seven enemy and wounding others, was billed in the action. ~ ‘Although other recommendations are pending, the following officers and enlisted men of the 38th Infantry have been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy. capt Omery C. Weathers, at Trevers ‘S/Set, Maree M. Siz, at Trevarer ‘Set, Joneph S. Pumber, at St. George d'Ete et Lt Goorge W. Reynois, om Ht 192 ‘Pe Thendore K. Mister, on Hi 292 Pie, Lawrence Googesto, near Vite Aut Lt, Jesse Morrow, at Rocherath ‘7/8 Clarence L. Hiner, at Rocherath 39Written and Edited by Capt. Edward O. Ethell ‘Pfe, Paul A. Caldwell Sketches by ‘7/5 Samulson J. Nuckolls Printed June 1945 Planogratia, Novy Vietlsk, and Grafika Plizen, Czechoslovakia, “0 PERSONAL RECORD SERIAL NUMBER . ORGANIZATION -.. DATE JOINED 38TH BATTLE ACTIONS .... DECORATIONS