Remagen, anyone been there?

[Gotthard Heinrici]

Thats not a truck. Its a landing craft.

[Franek]

Yep, you are right Jeff,i never noticed the patch. But it was the same crossing for us. Notice how they ducked the German fire from the east bank. It looked like hail hitting the water from machine guns

[Slipdigit]

Originally Posted by Franek

I first joined them after finishing my basic training in Camp Wheeler Ga.. I was with them for a couple of months. It wasnt a bad place.I was only 18 yrs old at that time. The local gentry were good to us. They held a lot of watermelon festivals for us. I liked that. We were close to Louisiana and Arkansas..

You visited Louisiana and Arkansas while in basic training at Camp Wheeler?

[Franek]

I read that there were 5 German officers charged with treason by Hitler for not destroying the bridge. Four were hanged and one escaped for he was a prisoner of the Americans????????

[Franek]

LOL! No Jeff.It was from camp maxey Texas.. Georgia was much further away

[Franek]

Ok guys;I am coming to the end.
On Merch the 7th. we were loaded into trucks and were transpoted south to Remagan. It was in the early morning hours,it was dark.Again we were back into hill country.At the entrance to the toiwn of Remagan we dismounted the trucks. We walked through the streets of Remagan in the dark. We walked hugging for cover as we advancedThere were white sheets hanging fromn the windows. It was very eerie. I was scared to death. I expected to be shot at any time.We all were. This spell was broken by music and singing coming from our rear. As we huddled in cover. We saw this crazy GI wearing a top hat,playing
an accordian and singing.( WHEN THE SAINTS COME MARCHING IN). That nut inspired us. We no longer cowered as we advanced.
Hell,after performance, we then advanced in battle formation,confident that nothing could hurt us.
At daybreak we looked down and saw the Rhine river.Then the bridge.By now the 9th armored gained a foot hold on ther east bank.Reinforcements were rushed over as fast as possible. The bridge being narrow and damaged could only handle so much traffic. So a Bailey(pontoon bridge) was built just north of it.
The engineers suffered great casualties from German 88MM cannons. But they did it. We were immediatly loaded into trucks . I was never so glad to get out of that truck to seek cover for we crossed under fire to reach the east bankWe spread out and advanced to clear any Germans off of the high ground.

[Franek]

I forget the exact dates. This happened 65 yrs ago.From the 8th of March,we were busy consolidating our lines.In the meantime more reinforcments were pouring in.By now there was no one going to chase us off of the east bank.
During the next few days we spent clearing more ground. I was no longer in view of the river.But the Germans sent in thier secret jet fighters the ME 262,to bomb the bridge. Our P38 and Mustangs could not catch them but managed to keep them clear of the bridge. Gi's were firing MI at the jets ,50 cal,and anti aircraft guns were firing away. What went up had to come down. Flak and metal was falling down. I was glad to have my helmet on.Failing in this. The Germans sent frog men down stream to plant explosives on the bridge. They were spotted ,and killed or captured.We were constantly reinforced.My regiment the 394th.Recieved the first black combat soldiers of the war. They perfomed very well.

Next my capture

[Franek]

On the morning of March 12th 1945( I know this date well. I still have in my possesion the original telegram from the war dept. to my mother,advising that You son Frank has been reported missing in action somewhere in Germany)
Any how,that morning we were assembled to attach the town of Bad Honnegan.There were three of us line men laying wire so the Co. would have communication with HDQS. We went down one hill then started up another. There we met resistance. We fired back called in artillery and cleared out the resistance.We achieved our goal by taking the high ground. I remember standing to the company commander looking down at Bad Honnegan. It looked like a picture post card. Suddenly the line went dead.Since Iwas in charge of the line men i proceeded first holding the line in my hands retracing our steps.With my eyes on the wire. I heard a commanding voice. I looked up and in a thicket were a bunch of Germans in camaflouge uniforms with weapons aimed at me. I had no choice but to put my arms up in surrender. My carbine was still on my shoulder.Suddenly a shot from somewhere shot out and the German holding the Panzerfaust fell. All hell broke loose. I jumped in a ditch.After that I dont know what happened. I suspect that they threw a grenade in on me. I had shrapnel wounds,my arm was shattered, I got a bullert in my shoulder and suffered a head wound.
I rember coming to at times and saw that I was supported by someone.
Next my treatment as a POW

[Slipdigit]

Originally Posted by Franek

On the morning of March 12th 1945( I know this date well. I still have in my possesion the original telegram from the war dept. to my mother,advising that You son Frank has been reported missing in action somewhere in Germany)

Could you post a picture of this?

[Franek]

Jeff;
I will look for that telegram. But how do I post a picture of it? Let me work on it.