The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Battle of The Bulge - Dec. 16th, 2002

http://hometown.aol.com/dadswar/bulge/index.htm ^ | Wesley Johnston

[MistyCA]

Yes, Patton was really not a happy camper when they overlooked some of his divisions for medals and awards. The 90th was in line for an award and it was given to the 101st Airborne instead. Patton said it was a political decision.

[Protagoras]

Thank God for your father, and all the fathers, husbands and boys who fought and died to save our country from the horrors of national socialism and Japanese domination.

[MistyCA]

Oh...I just found this

90th Division in WWII

Medal of Honor 2

Distinquished Service Cross 78

Legion of Merit 6

Distinquished Flying Cross 4

Silver Star 1311

Soldier's Medal 40

Bronze Star Heroic 3526

Bronze Star Merit 1531

Air Medal 115

Attached Units:

June 44 thru May 45: Killed in Action 3,124 Enlisted

216 Officers

Died of Wounds 500 Enlisted

31 Officers

Died of Injuries 11 Enlisted

7 Officers

Seriously wounded in Action 4,602 Enlisted

263 Officers

Seriously Injured in Action 838 Enlisted

18 Officers

Lightly Wounded in Action 7,287 Enlisted

409 Officers

Lightly Injured in Action 1,360 Enlisted

47 Officers

Missing in Action 2,567 Enlisted

93 Officers

Totals 20,293 Enlisted

1,078 Officers

Total Treated by Medical Units:

Non-Battle Injuries 976

Misc Diseases and Injury 9,936

Total Battle Wounds 15,076

Respiratory 2,046

Trench Foot 1,201

Mines & Booby Traps 131

Small Arms 3,121

Shell and Mortar 8,060

Bayonet 13

Hand Grenades 51

Bomb Fragment 95

Battle Exhaustion 1,830

Battle Injury 1.770 Ju

[Darksheare]

Medals have become an increasingly political decision.
In my old unit, we had a guy who did nothing but dig holes and sleeeeeeeep.
He got an Army Achievement Medal for it.
I watched guys I trained who deserved getting props like that get over-looked purposefully.
I only saw ONE guy I trained get any recognition, and that was because both he and I were put in for it. So the cap played favorite and chose him. (I don't hold any animosity towards him for it. He deserved it. It's just insulting to it when one of 'my troops' gets recognition, and some clod gets recognition for doing nothing but dig and sleep.)

[MistyCA]

Yes, and then there are those my my husband's step-dad who were wounded in battle, received a purple heart, got the paperwork for it, had an article written in the news about it, and now the military has lost those records and can't confirm it! Now, I wonder if it has anything to do with some sort of benefits he should have had all these years???

[MistyCA]

I am in and out...mostly out. :)

[SAMWolf]

July 2, 1980

Major Arthur C. Parker
Leeds, Alabama 35905

Dear Major Parker,
Through correspondence with Henry D. Healan, M Company, 423rd Infantry, I have learned of your whereabouts. It is a little late for me to be writing you about The Battle of the Bulge, but I have been totally unaware of your whereabouts all these years.

In The Battle of the Bulge, I was commanding the 82nd Airborne Division and we were originally given the front from Trois Ponts to Vielsalm, including Their Dumont. We got into very heavy fighting when the 1st regiment of the First SS Panzers Division broke through the Engineer's front and occupied Stoumont. We then had the remainder of the Division at Trois Ponts. At the same time, in twenty-four hours, it became apparent that the Germans were bypassing us, moving to the west, turning north when the opportunity presented itself. The 7th Armored and part of the 28th Infantry Division and a few of the 106th came through our lines.

I was in the town of Fraiture, one mile northeast, the afternoon you made your great stand at the crossroads. I had sent a Company from the 325th under Captain Woodruff, to the crossroads to help hold it, so I started over in that direction myself. The fire was so intense, however, that there was no way of getting there without crawling through the woods, and it was still some distance away. I decided that I had better get more help, so I sent to the extreme left flank of the division for the 2nd Battalion of the 504th, where it had the 1st SS Regiment of the First Panzer Division bottled. In doing so, we uncovered the Germans and during the night of Christmas Eve they slipped through the 505th Parachute Infantry. Nevertheless, I got the 2nd Battalion of the 504th to backup the crossroads, come what may.

That stand your defenders made at the crossroads was one of the greatest actions of the war.

It gave us at least a twenty-four hour respite, so I thank you and all the brave soldiers who were under your command for that.

With best Regards
signed Lieutenant General James M. Gavin USA (Ret)
Commander, 82nd Airborne Division

[Light Speed]

Sneaky Germans!...yes the plate mod on the turret certainly does look a U.S. M-10 tank destroyer.
Operation Greif [Grab!] was a failure...they projected to capture over 100 US Tanks...only got 2 Shermans....and they both broke down later.

How leathal was this thing?...only 416/9 built...3 decimated an entire Churchill tank regiment in a few minutes.
Jagdpanther said to be superior to the Tiger II.

Abandoned Jagdpanther and US M-36

It was calculated to cost the Americans the loss of 5 Shermans to destroy 1 Panther in battle.
The Russians paid heavier..as it cost them 9 T-54's to knock a Panther out of action

[Light Speed]

Fingers co-operate...above post on Jagdpanther should read 9-T-34's!

[SAMWolf]

LOL! YOu had me worried there for a minute with the T-54 comment.

[SevenofNine]

No problem on international news wire copies AntiJen actually I bump into this I didn't know that somebody start this Freeper Foxhole don't worry I be around

I been hanging out at Canteen LATELYYYY

Rackkkk this part of FR

[Jen]

I love that song "I'll be Home for Christmas". It reminds me of Christmas 1990, when I was on the other side of the world from my family. My AF unit was deployed to the United Arab Emirates for Desert Storm. It was strange that during a time of year for "peace on earth, good will to men" we were preparing for war which was only a few weeks away.

[Jen]

The FReeper Foxhole is a new daily thread. We've been trying hard to get the word out so FReepers will know it's over here in the VetsCoR forum. I'm so glad you dropped in, Seven. Come back every day and give us your special news updates! ;-)

[Jen]

Did you ever get to meet Patton? Thanks for telling us about your service during the Battle of the Bulge. I'm so glad you made it home.

[habs4ever]

The Third Army was the Mean Machine ;-)Wow!They were the original Rolling Thunder.

I just know that Clint Eastwood,Donald Sutherland and Don Rickles from Kelley's Heroes had to be from the Third Army ;-)lol

[larryjohnson]

I am reading & learning more for my 2004 trip.

[Jen]

Thanks for your post. I think it's very appropriate in the Foxhole.

Senator Schumer needs to hear from Veterans!

Here's contact info:

313 Hart Senate Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-6542
Fax: 202-228-3027
TDD: 202-224-0420

Send an email

[Jen]

Remind me where you are going. Normandy, is it?

[MistyCA]

LMAO!

[MistyCA]

Thanks for that information about the Senator, and the email link!