December '44

[cincibuck]

I'm looking out my window, watching snowflakes fall and can't help but think about Uncle Cliff, Uncle Bob, Uncle Ray and Gatorubet's dad as they dealt with the opening blows of the German Ardennes offensive in December of 44.

I think also of the men and women far from home and serving us now, of the Korean vets and my fellow Vietnam vets.

At a time when almost all of us yearn to be home, close to family and loved ones, take a moment to remember their time away.

 

[The KSB]

I live just a few hours from the Ardennes. We have been getting snow dumped on us pretty good. I've thought a lot about how rough it must have been to have to fight your way across this country. To do it in hip deap snow and the most bitter cold imaginable is nearly superhuman. I would take desert heat over what they had to deal with any day of the week.

 

[BoxCar_Willie]

I live just a few hours from the Ardennes. We have been getting snow dumped on us pretty good. I've thought a lot about how rough it must have been to have to fight your way across this country. To do it in hip deap snow and the most bitter cold imaginable is nearly superhuman. I would take desert heat over what they had to deal with any day of the week.

Where you at KSB?

 

[Best Buckeye]

Nuff Said;
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTb6qdPu8JE"]YouTube - I Fought For You By The Sound Tank[/ame]

 

[The KSB]

I'm in Baumholder. Very Western side of Germany. I would say about three hours east of the Ardennes. If I ever get the time I intend to have a look at some of the battlefields around here. Being on this terrain really gives you an appreciation of the men and women who went before us.

 

[Steve19]

My boy discharged and home for the holidays for the first time in 6 years. Tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is going to be a very good Christmas indeed.

God bless all who serve.

 

[Gatorubet]

My boy discharged and home for the holidays for the first time in 6 years. Tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is going to be a very good Christmas indeed.

God bless all who serve.

Congrats, welcome home, and Merry Christmas to you and your family Steve.

 

[Gatorubet]

I'm looking out my window, watching snowflakes fall and can't help but think about Uncle Cliff, Uncle Bob, Uncle Ray and Gatorubet's dad as they dealt with the opening blows of the German Ardennes offensive in December of 44.

http://www.battleofthebulgememories.be/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=551%3Accb-9th-armored-division-battle-of-the-bulge&catid=1%3Abattle-of-the-bulge-us-army&Itemid=6&lang=en

My dad loved Christmas. One of the reasons was, he never thought that he would ever see a Christmas again this week, back in 1944.

Dad was an old Cavalryman, trained at Ft. Riley, Kansas when they issued him a horse to ride instead of a tank. They (sadly) eventually took his horse Pancho away, and gave him a Sherman. He at least had the 76 instead of the 75mm cannon, but they could only disable a Mark IV Panther or Tiger with armor piercing rounds and then only close and at an angle that would get you dead the next minute. He was sent to England and then to Europe, and he was in the 9th Armored, 14th Tank Battalion, Combat Command "B", or CCB the week of December 17-24, 1944.

And as has been said, it was freaking cold that week near St. Vith

I put a link (above) to a brief part the official Army record of that fight. What it does not say is that my dad and his unit that formed part of the "fortified goose egg" around St. Vith was supposed to be the last out of St. Vith - as the rest of the defenders fell back in a corridor opened by the brave men of Gen. Mark Clark's 82nd Airborne. Being "last" was generally not a long lived task during the Ardennes fight, but they were ready to do their part. Mostly, the roads were muddy and would not support a withdrawal of even the valuable 9th CCB armor. Then - just mere hours before the dawn of the withdrawal - a cold front roared down and froze the ground, so that instead of a Custer's Last Stand against 5th Panzer, they were able to withdraw (so that they could later seize the Remagen Bridge in the Spring and help end the war in Europe even quicker)

St. Vith from above

Dad always said Christmas - for him - was enjoying that week because he never thought he would be somewhere warm and among family, and because of his friends and comrades who died and would never be able to join him. His unit had a 50% casualty rate, which was better than most (!st Infantry had a 200% casualty rate).

God Bless them all.

I think also of the men and women far from home and serving us now, of the Korean vets and my fellow Vietnam vets.

At a time when almost all of us yearn to be home, close to family and loved ones, take a moment to remember their time away.

Hear, hear!

 

[cincibuck]

http://www.battleofthebulgememories.be/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=551%3Accb-9th-armored-division-battle-of-the-bulge&catid=1%3Abattle-of-the-bulge-us-army&Itemid=6&lang=en

My dad loved Christmas. One of the reasons was, he never thought that he would ever see a Christmas again this week, back in 1944.

Dad was an old Cavalryman, trained at Ft. Riley, Kansas when they issued him a horse to ride instead of a tank. They (sadly) eventually took his horse Pancho away, and gave him a Sherman. He at least had the 76 instead of the 75mm cannon, but they could only disable a Mark IV Panther or Tiger with armor piercing rounds and then only close and at an angle that would get you dead the next minute. He was sent to England and then to Europe, and he was in the 9th Armored, 14th Tank Battalion, Combat Command "B", or CCB the week of December 17-24, 1944.

And as has been said, it was freaking cold that week near St. Vith

I put a link (above) to a brief part the official Army record of that fight. What it does not say is that my dad and his unit that formed part of the "fortified goose egg" around St. Vith was supposed to be the last out of St. Vith - as the rest of the defenders fell back in a corridor opened by the brave men of Gen. Mark Clark's 82nd Airborne. Being "last" was generally not a long lived task during the Ardennes fight, but they were ready to do their part. Mostly, the roads were muddy and would not support a withdrawal of even the valuable 9th CCB armor. Then - just mere hours before the dawn of the withdrawal - a cold front roared down and froze the ground, so that instead of a Custer's Last Stand against 5th Panzer, they were able to withdraw (so that they could later seize the Remagen Bridge in the Spring and help end the war in Europe even quicker)

St. Vith from above

Dad always said Christmas - for him - was enjoying that week because he never thought he would be somewhere warm and among family, and because of his friends and comrades who died and would never be able to join him. His unit had a 50% casualty rate, which was better than most (!st Infantry had a 200% casualty rate).

God Bless them all.



Hear, hear!

Sorry, Gator, I thought your dad was with the 4th Armor and I confused Valmey Ridge with St. Vith's. As the last photo you posted shows there's a spine that runs through the town north and south. From the crest gunners had excellent fields of fire west or east and that's why the spot was so vital.

 

[BoxCar_Willie]

I'm in Baumholder. Very Western side of Germany. I would say about three hours east of the Ardennes. If I ever get the time I intend to have a look at some of the battlefields around here. Being on this terrain really gives you an appreciation of the men and women who went before us.

On the other side in Graf. I have friends that just deployed out of there. Driving through Bavaria I also sometimes imagine what it must have been like coming through some of this rough wooded country.

I only made it over near there once to visit Landsthul for and MRI on my torn hamstring. I really want to visit Aachen. Have you been there?

 

[The KSB]

On the other side in Graf. I have friends that just deployed out of there. Driving through Bavaria I also sometimes imagine what it must have been like coming through some of this rough wooded country.

I only made it over near there once to visit Landsthul for and MRI on my torn hamstring. I really want to visit Aachen. Have you been there?

I haven't really done crap yet. I got here in late July. The day after I was done improcessing I hopped on a bus to Graf. We spent a month and a half doing gunnery out there. I came back to the Rock for a weekend and then headed out to Hohenfels for another 5 weeks. We came back and did ISA operations for two weeks then LBE operations. I'm on block leave right now for a couple of weeks. I was hoping to get out and see a bit of Germany but mother nature is dumping a metric ton of snow on us every day. I have to dig my way out of the house just to make it to the commissary. I made it up to the cathedrals in Cologne and Trier but that's about it. I'm going to Paris for New Years if the weather lets up at all.