I have a friend who was a heavy machine gunner in the 104th Reg't, 26th Yankee Div., 3rd Army and went through this whole thing, including the 3-day 100-mile forced march, incredibly shifting Patton's Army from Metz to Bastogne.
To the day he and his failing wife entered a local senior care center, he was a faithful member of the Yankee Div. Association, Life Member of NRA, present at the church house whenever the doors were opened, and supported its ministries with his time, income, and prayers.
While I would guess he has read this, I am sure he was at the receiving end of this praying task, and came home unscratched, but with an incredible record as an infantryman.
I am going to send this to him to let him know that I have followed anything I have seen re the Third Army, in honor and appreciation for his service when I was a kid, 8 years old in December 1944.
And thanks again!
Thank you, and please give him my heartfelt best wishes.
Here is another story about Christmas 1944 in the snows of Europe:
Christmas Eve in an Old Barn
We left Metz, France, and drove all night to stop the German attacks. The weather was one of our enemies and the snow made it hard to move our jeeps, trucks and tanks. The roads were covered with ice and snow and when we arrived in Luxembourg our company was also billeted in an old barn.
It was Christmas Eve and there I was standing guard duty; it was better cold and I can still remember the full moon shining down the landscape.
Many Christmas Eves have gone by however my thoughts still go back to the old barn and Christmas Eve in 1944. Moving on we had to cross the river at Diekirch in Luxembourg and this is where I lost a great friend, Donald Ickes, from Chicago. He was wounded and died (January 18, 1945) there on the riverbank. Each year the townspeople of Diekirch, Luxembourg, reenact this river crossing that resulted in the liberation of their town.[...]