EXHIBIT G

BATTTE FOR HOTTON

3d Platoon B Co. 36th AI. Regt.
3d Armored Division

Add 11194
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CENI'ITAT. GT1RTTANY
 ARnn0R.D DIVISI'N
B. COI,,IPANY
THIRD
ARM'RJHIfiIl*?fi{ *rrrl'rRD PLATOON

BATTLT FOR HOTTON BTLGIUI',l

FROM CCR,CO TO EO TO
DTCEMBER 24,1944;O7OO HOURS RECEIVED ORDERS

Nv FRoM SOy BcIOIUM,AND SET UP A ROAD alOCr.Nv IS ABOUT 2" ttlLES

wEST oF SOY,R LITTLE HAMLET AT A MAIN CROSSROAD.MY SEVENTEEN MEN

HALFTRACKS
AND MYSELF LOADED OUR WEAPONS AND GEAR INTO OUR TWO

AND HEADED OUT.AnnIVING AROUND Q83OHOunS.AS I

eEOnN TO L9OK FgR

THE BEST LOCATIONS TO SET UP oUR OerENSe, I HEARD TulO

TANKS COMING

AND To MY SURP-
ALONG THE SAME ROAD FROM SOv.l WfNr TO INVESTIGATE
JOHN J.
RISE AND JOY I WNS GREETED BY A SHORT,ROUND AND SMILING
TO ASSIST
MOonnCr wtTH TlJo LIGHT TANKS,HE SAID,I HAVE BEEN SENT
yOU,wHERE DO YOU WANT MY TANKS?AT THAT MOMENT tllE HEAR Ttttto MORE
YOU KNOU OF
TANKS ALONG THE SAME ROUTE.I LOOK AT HIM AND ASK,DO

ANY MORE HELP COMING?HE ANSWERED,NOT AT ALL.I HAD

NO MAP OR RADIO

WITH TROOPS DR.

AND THE GTnNnrus wERE USING cAPTURED SHTNMEruS ALONG
THE LEAD TANK,THE
ESSED IN AMERICAN UNIFORMS.I STEPPED OUT BESIDE

COMMANDER IN THE TURRET STOPPED AND ASKED FOR Lr'WanOrn'l SAID'

yOU GOT HIM,HE SAID I'M Lr.SUtrH AND HAVE BEEN SENT TO ASSIST YOU'

wHERE DO YOU wANT MY TwO MEDIUMS?I CI-IMBED ON

TO HIS TANK T0 FIND
0N THE
OUT wHAT HE KNEW OF THE SITUATION WITH MOOnnCr STANDING
BESIDE THE TANK.AuI- THE TANKS HAD RADIO,S AND EACH OF
THEM
GRoUND

HAD A MAP.AS WE BEGAN TO MAKE OUR PLANS,OVER SNlrnS RADIO CAME

A VOICE ASKING,IS THE DOUGH LEADER AROUND? SUITH HANDED ME THE

SterueO ON 'nlTH,"BEEn TunrE"*HATS THE MESSAGE? Ir

WnS
AND I
'HONE
HoTTON,FRIENDS IN TROUBLE"THRT rr"AS IT,l tr'llt-coro AND
TURNED
"Go To
rO SMtrH AND ASKED TO SEE HIS MAP.HOTTON rltAs ABOUT THREE MILES TO

THE SOUTH ON THE OUNTUT RIVER lll,ITH SOME VERY IMPORTANT

CROSSROADS

AND A BRIDGE THE GENNNNS NEEDED VERY BADLY AND HAD BEEN ATTACKING
DAILy srNcE THE 21sr.AND ouR 23no.EmGR's,REGT.REAR CP,143no.SIGNet
AND REAR ECHELON OF THE 3RO.ANMONTO DIV.TR.
Co.5lsr.CoNaRT ENen's
AINS HAD HELD THEM OFF.Wr Wene NOT AWARE OF THIS AS WE HEADED FOR

HottOt't.l ToOK THE LEAD rlllTH MY TRACK,SMITH'S TANK BEHIND ME AND

THEN My SECOND TRACK FOLLOWED ev SMITH'S SECOND MEDIUM AND MOOnACT

WITH HIS Trr,,O LIGHTS BRINGING UP THE REAR.THT Nv nOno ON oUR RIGHT

AND THE RAILROAD AND I|JOODS ON OUR LEFT,WE MOVED SLOWLY WATCHING
FLANKS'
FOR ANY INDICATION OF THE ENEMY ANYWHERE TO OUR FRONT AND

}le ARRIVED unrHour INctDENT uNTIL ulE ENTERED Hottott's EAsr slDE A-
WHEN WE
LoNG THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND h,AS ALMOST TO ECOLES STREET
BEGAN TO RECEIVE FIRE FROM A DISABLED TANK ON RuE Hnurr ST'ALONG

THE RIVER.IT WNS RIFLE FIRE AND THE TURRET WAS BEING MOVED
BY

HAND FRoM n Grnunu INSIDE.Smrrn AND MoDRAoK wERE NOT IN A POslrloN

To sEE wHAT rvAS GorNG oN.|tlE wERE ALMosr ro

(Vtlle DES Venorns)

wHEN IT HAPPENED, I SIGNALED MY SECOND TRACK UNDER S/SOT.BETTER TO

pRocEED To rHE FIRST HousE oru Ecoles AND BEGIN cLEARItTtG tHEu.Bv

THIS TIME I WAS FIRING MY FIFTY AND TOLD MY DRIVER TO HEAD FOR THE

TANK.THE TANK rtrlAs BETuTEEN fHE Bnv AND COLLARD FARM HOMES'Z GenUenS
THE RIVER TO'UARDS
CAME OUT OF THE TURRET AND OVER THE 'I',ALL AND D0WN
Sun LES Hvs wooDs wHERE THE ATTACK WOULD COME FROM LATER IN THE

EVENING.MY BAzooKA TEAM LoADED AND JUMPED OUT,CIRCLED BEHIND THE

TANK AND FIRED INTo IT'S ENGINE.IT UJOULD BE 45 YEARS BEFORE WE

LEARNED THE TANK utAS ABANDoNED THE MoRNING oF 21st.t,ttrH cLAIMS oF

KILL By rHE 51sr.[Non's,23no.fruGn's AND SEVERAL orHER BAZooKAS

HITTING IT.TTIE FACT oF THE MATTER WAS IT WAS DEAD WITHOUT BEING HIT
By ANy oF us.lt's BEST To sHoor AND THEN TTGURE our rHE ANSwERS,
THAN BE A HERO AND GET KILLED BY YOUR OWN STUPIDITY WHEN CONFRONT-

ING A TANK OF ANY KIND.

(2) JACK VARDEN

onz car f,rtf r l\I
l,Je FLUSFTED our rwo GI's HTDTNG IN A cELLAR wrrH crvtLrANS AND ToLD

THEM TO SCRAM,DID NOT EVEN ASK WHO THEY WERE OR WHAT OUTFIT THEY

wERE FRoM.THenE wERE soME MEDIcs 0N Ecoles sr.AND THEy wERE ToLD
To cLEAR our.A GrnNnru BURST our oF THE LAST HousE AND DISAppEARED
TowARDS THE BARN AND ovER THE Sov nono.l HAVE ALwAys FELT THIS 'rlAS

A PATRoL To ASoERTAIN THE LoCATIoN AND STRENGTH oT AUTNICANS NEAR

THE BRIDGE.CouTo BE THEY wERE SENT To TRY To RETRIEVE THE TANK AS

THEY WERE LOOSING MANY TANKS EACH DAY AND WHOM EVER WAS IN THE TANK
KNEw Hotr.l To oPERATE THE TURRET BY HRND.By THE TIME WE HAD CLEARED

THE HoUSES, IT ,^,AS GETTING LATE i* THE DAY AND I HNO TO SET OUR DE.

FENSE FoR THE rureur.l ASKrD SrqrrH To REpoRT ro CCR Ho.WE anr IN

Horroru Rr rHE BRIDGE,wHAT ARE ouR oRDEns?THrv wERE'HoLD THE BRIDGE

AT ALL cosr'.Tnts rllAs ouR LAST coNTAcr t.trrH THEM.Stttt DoN'T KNou,

rr.rHy.l rolo Surru Rruo Moonncx ro pLAcE THEIR TANKS wHERE THEy couLD

MovE FRoM THE BACK oF THE HousES ro Ecoues AND Rur Hnure sTREETS

IF NEED BE.AT.THIS porNT ulE KNEw NorHING,ExcEpr t,tE couLD BE our 0N

A vERy sHoRT ulNe.l pLAcED THREE MEN t,ltrH A 5o CAL.MAoHINE GUN AND

A BAzooKA DUG rN AT THE Vrnerns Vlr-la ALoNG THE RAILRoAD TRAoK co-
vERTNG rHE Mrlneux-BRRvRux cRoss RoADS AND covERED av Moonncrs rrllo
LTGHTS LocATED AT THE Ecole LlsnE.TIREE MEN AT rur MnncHRt- DRuveruR

BARN wrrH A 50 cnl.MG aruo A BAzooKA DUG rN covERINc rHE Rnutsse-Sov

cRossRoADS AND FAcTNG THE Sun-lrs-Hys wooDs.Ttus posr 'llAS BAcKED up
By Sor.Rellly eruo ANoTHER MAN t,lrrH A 50 cnl,MG Rruo A BAZooKA pLAcED
IN THE tllINDot,J THE RossIGNoN HoME WHIcH IS THE LAST HOUSE BEFORE THE

cuRVE oN Rur Heure ovER LooKING THE BARN AND THE wooDs.ERctt out
posr AccouNTED FoR A TANK THAT NIGHT.SNTtn's rANKS wERE IN THE

REAR YARDS oF I & M HoUSES FACING THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND COULD

covER ALL THE cRossRoADS FRoM THERE.THenT wERE THREE MEN IN THE

Ecolr Llgng ovER LooKIN0 THE FrRST our posr AND covERtt'to MoonAcKs
Tt,lo LIGHTS.THe REST oF us u/ERE spREAD By rwo's BEHIND SNrrHs TANKS.

(3)
[xcrpr FoR My BErNG ALoNE IN THE HousE DrREcrLy BEHIno SNITH's
ooMMAND rRr'rK.[tlE wERE ALL sEr ABour 1900 HouRS AND I rolo SNtrn I I
II,AS GOING TO TRY TO CATCH A FEhl WINKS AND TO WAKE ME IF ANYTHING

wAS ABour ro HAppEN.Jusr As I uv DowN oN THE coLD FL00R IN FULL

GERR,( I Hno HARDLy cLosED My EyES srNcE THE 19IH.AND HAD BEEN oN

THE MoVE coNSTANTLY).SNITH YELLS OUT,HERE THEY COME.THEY DID INDEED

coME.THry oAME FRoM THE tryooDs By rrAy or Cxnpalle DE t'AruGr Ganoteru

AND OVER THE RAIL ROAD TRACK IN SKIRMISH LINES,YELLING AND FIRING
AS THEY CAME.THE NIGHT wAS 0LEAR AS A BELL AND SNOW ON THE GROUND.

Wr couLD sEE outET wELL AND r,vAS HoLDING ouR owN.THrv wouLD FALL
BACK,REGRoUP AND coME RGAIN.I HAD INSTRUCTED MY MEN TO TOSS A GRE.

NADE OUT OF THEIR WINDOh'S EVERY FEW MOMENTS IF WE WERE ATTACKED.

THTy DID AND GoT SEVERAL ENEMY trHo HAD GOTTEN CLOSE ENOUGHT TO LOB

A GRENADE oR usE A PnruzrnrRusr.ONE Panzenrnusr rEAM Gor IN POSITI0N ,'

BY SHEER GUTS AND DETERMINATION AND KNOCKED OUT ONE OF SI,IITH,S TANKS -
BUT THE cREw utAS 0K.THe Grnmnru TEAM wAS KILLED.CALVIn Mc CesllN,MY
RUNNER AND GOOD FRIEND WAS PAIRED uJITH THE ONLY MAN WHO HAD NOT

SEEN COMBAT AND AS THEY I{ERE FIRING EVERY THING THEY HAD,THE MAN

LooKED our rHE t,ltNDow AND sAID,THERE's n Genmnru RIGHT HERE JUST

oUTSIDE THIS wtNDow.CRtvltt SAID,SHooT THE S0B.Txe MAN DID JUST

THAT AND LATER SAID,"I CAN'T BELIEVE I OTO THAT".REILLY AND HIS

TEAM IN THE LAST HOUSE HAD A PANZERFAUST HIT BESIDE THE U'INDOW

THEY WERE FIRING OUT OF AND THEY COULD NOT HEAR FOR A COUPLE OF

DAYS.THE ENEMY GoT oNE RIFLE GRENADE INTO ONE WINDOW AND IT HIT
AT THE TOE OF ONE MAN AND PEELED HIS BOOT BACK,BUT HARDLY TOUCHED

HIM orHERwtsE.Tnts t,lAS ouR oNLy 0ASUALTY AND IT wAS vERY LIGHT.

TuT BATTLE coNTINUED To ARoUND MIDNIGHT A.ND THINGS 'T',ERE GETTING

A LITTLE TIGHT AND IT LOOKED AS IF WE MIGHT BE OVERRUN SHONTUY.I

HAD ASKED Sutrn ro rRy ro LocATE ANy HELe rHAT MIGHT BE ARouND,As__ _l
JACK VARDEN I

(4 ) 806 sALEltI-L[--^ i
AUSTIN, TX. 78753
wE ARRIVED AND HAD cLEARED THE AREA.HIS FIRST CONTACT WAS I.JITH A

Mnuon,wHoM I seLIEVE rrlAs FtcressEN oF THE 23no,ENGR'S IN nls CP

AcRoss rHE RIvER.HE sAID HE coulD oFFER NoTHING,BUT THE 84rH. INF.
DIV.HNO TROOPS ON THAT SIDE OF THE RIVER BUT WOULD OFFER NO HELP

To ANyoNr.Bur SNrrH DrD coNTAcr nru AnrrLLERy UNIT AND ASKED FoR

HELP wHEN wE CALLED,THEy AGREED TO GIVE US A BARRAGE

'T'IHEN
CALLED

ron.Ar THE HEIGHT oF THE gnttuE,l YELLED ro SulrH To 0ALL FoR IT

RrGHT oN Top oF us.As HE rltAs DorNG THAT I nnn FRoM GUN To GUN TEL-
LING EACH cREt,l ro pREpARE To rAKE covER.THr orulv covER THEY couLD
TAKE WAS SIMPLY MOVE AWAY FROM THEIR WINDOWS AND HOPE TOR THE BEST.

THT BARRAGE cAME RIGHT oN TARGET AND IT BROKE UP THE ATTACK,SAVING

ouR TA I LS . Jusr BEFoRE Sp'u tH ' s MED I uM lvAS KNocKED our, GrnMaN TANKS

BEGAN To APPEAR cRoSSING THE Nv ROAD AT THE VTNOIru FARM AND THE

Sov RoAD AT THE t'AruGe GenotEN AND 0N BorH stDES 0F THE RAILROAD

TRACKS.THEy I{ERE TRytNG To GET IN posrrroN To FIRE oru SNtru AS HE

BEGAN To ptcK THEM orr.Tne NExr MoRNING t,lE couNTED stx rANKs HE

HAD HIT AND THE oNE oN Rur Haurr rHAT HAD BEcoME A coMMUNITY PROJ-

ECT AND THE Trllo HIT BY oUR Two BAZoOKA TEAMS ON OUTPOST.TWO OT THE
pRISoNERS wE TooK,sAID THERE wERE ABour 1500 Nrt't AND NINE TANKS IN

THrs ATTACK.Arren yEARs oF RESEARCH THRouGH THE AncHIVEs,ArtEn Acr-

IoN Reponls AND MANY AUTHoRITATIVE AUTHORS.MY CONCLUSION IS THIS

ATTAcK wAS rN coNJUNcrtoN t+rtrH THE oNE oN ANotttNES wHERE THE REST

oF ouR FrRSr BATTALToN uNDER T/F Onn llAs cATCHING HELL.Howrvrn I

FEEL THE Mosr AUTHoRITATTvE INFoRMATIoN oF ALL IS ALeenr HrNurns
AccouNT oF LocATIoNS oF uNITS,BoTH Grnunru Rruo ANrnlcnru.As t.llrH
MoST rltRITERS,(EvEtrt THIs oNE,TH0UGH I oo Nor 0LAIM T0 BE A I.JRITER

AND IT IS oBVIous,l'M Not.)HruNrn GETS TANGLED IN HIS DRAwERS AS

HE TRIEs ro GLAMoRTzE THE rrlAR rN woRDS.TttosE oF us utHo FoUGHT DAY
AND NIGHT,MONTH AFTER MONTH THERE IS NOTHING GLAMOROUS ABOUT SEE-

ING YoUR BUDDIES ToRN APART AND KILLED DAY AFTER OEY.II.I FACT THERE

(5)
IS NOTHING MORE BORING AND DISGUSTING OR DISTASTEFUL THAN COMBAT

TO THE MEN ON THE LINE IilHO ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE ELEMENTS AND

ENEMy FIRE.ONLy By rHe GnncE or Goo DoEs ANyoNE suRVIvr.Nor BY THE

BRTLLIANT LEADERSHIp oF ANyoNE oR GRoup,oNLy gy Goos GnacE.Bur BY

AND LARGE Heuuen Is MoET INFoRMATIve.OuR AcrIoN oN THE 24tn.tttAs

NEVER REPORTED TO ANYONE AND CAME AS A COMPLETE SURPRISE TO SEVERAL

wRITERS AND RESEARCHcnS.TUIS DOES NOT SURPRISE ME,AS Tt,lO MEN IN AN

ATTACK WILL EACH DESCRIBE THE ACTION DIFFERENTLY AS EACH ATTENTION

IS FOCUSED ON HIS IMMEDIATE FRONT AND WHERE HE IS RECEIVING FIRE

FRoM.THERETonE oNLy EACH MAN cAN DETERMINE HIS ot,tN pERcEprt0N AT

THE TIME.MoST WRITERS MUsT DEAL trvITH GENERALITIES RATHER THAN EYE-
WITNESS ACCOUNTS AND OR EMBELLISHMENTS, INTENDED OR NOT,CAUSE A LOT

oF MTsREpRESENTATToN oF THE FAcrs.lrltrn rHrs IN MIND I cnru oNLY vo-

UcH FoR THE BATTLE ITsELF AS I sew IT AND CONFIRMED BY MY MEN WHO
suRVIVED THE NIGHT wrrH ur.45 or rHE ATTACK 0F
yEARS LATER I lEnnru
THE PnnarnoopERs FRoM Horroru ro Sov AND rnou Sov ro Horroru THAT

JUMpED oF ABour 0830 rHe Z r+.AND JoTNED FoRcEs ABour 1130.1r

lilAS DrcrNsen 93 BEFoRE I lrnnrueo Col.BovuEs Tnooprns AcTUALLY DID

JUMp FRoM THE HousEs 0N RUE Hnurr,RATHER THAN THE cRossRoADS oF
Bnnvaux Rruo MelREux ALoNG THE RAILRoAD TRACKS.NoR wERE utE AwARE 0F
eNy AMTnIoANS oN oUR SIDE oF THE RIVER AT THE TIME U,E ARRIVED IN
Horrom.Bur AccoRDING To SEVERAL souRCES THERE wERE outET A FEI.J

JUST ACRoss Ecoles Sr.nruo ALoNG Mrlneux nono.At-t- DENv HEARING 0R

SEEING US ARRIVE BUT THEY TAKE cREDIT FoR ALL THE TANKS.FICTTSSEX

cLAIMS B.Co.36ru.trtAs UNDER HIM,BUT HE oFFERED No HELp oR FoR THAT

MATTER ANY INFORMATION AS TO WHAT HAD GONE ON BEFORE OUR ARRIVAL.

WE wERE Nor roLD To REpoRT To HrM oR ANyoNE ELSE.THE 36IH.AIR AAR's

oR THE 33 AnNo.Rrer.AAR's MENTToN THrs Acrr0N,Nor AT nlu.Atrto Horroru
HoNoRS THE Bn I r I ss rrJI TH sropp I Nc rHE GrnNnrus AT THE BR I DGE. THrv
wERE MILES FRoM Horroru nfo AT No rrME INVoLVED wtrH IT's LIBERATIoN.
JACK VANDEN
(6) 806 SALEM LN.
arlsrTrN rrrta ro.rED
 I supposr rHIS Is rHE pERILs oF wAR.TtrE MEN oN THE LINE DIEING AND

CREDIT GOING TO THOSE WHO ARE MILES AWAY AND NOT AT ALL INVOLVED.
WHtlr trE u/ERE Nor rHEN NoR Nottl sEEKING cREDIT FoR ANyTHING,wE Do
RESENT THE cREDIT GotNG To rHE BntrrsH.SrMpLy BEcAUSE DrD Nor
'r,E
FEEL THEY CARRIED THEIR PART OF THE LoAD AT ANY TIME.THIS FEELING
HAD BEEN |VtrH us stNcE THE Fnursr GAp AND rr/ERE Nor IMpRESSED trltrH
Morurvs TtDYING uP ouR lrrvrs.Hts ovrN, tF HE pLEASED.BuT KEEp youR
LIMEY MITTS oFF oF ouR TRoops.HowevEn rHE polITIcAL cLIMATE tvAs

SUCH THAT ITT TURNED THE.IST.ANUY OVER TO HIM FOR rHE BUI-OE.WE

DID NOT KNOW OF THIS ON THE LINE.THAT'S wHY THERE ARE STAFFS IN
THE SERVIcE,T0 DEAL tllrrH sucH cRAp.Besrorur Gor ALL THE pRESS AND

t,lAS IMPoRTANT,BUT No MoRE so rHAN Horroru.THr ours AT Bnsrorur DrD

A GREAT JOB.BUT OUN HERO WAS Pnrroru,vlHo ARRIVED Drcrrqagn Zfun.AFTER
THE woRsr HAD pASSED.Evrru Morurv coulD HAVE RELIEVED THEM By rHEN.
But,stNcE MY sroRy oNLy TNVoLVES Horron,l ttrtLL LEAVE EVERyTHING
ELSE To rHE UJRITERS u'tHo wRITE FoR MoNEy.lN so DotNG I wtt-r_ ptcK up
MY STORY AS THE BATTLE TruOTO.I CHECKED MY MEN AND AGAIN INSTRUcTED
EVERY oTHER MAN TRy ro GET soME REST.AT-r- trtAs ourET UNTrL ARouND 0600
WHEN I UTNNO A SHOT DOWN AT THE BARN ouTpOST. I RAN DowN To SEE wHAT

WAS GOING OI.I.THTY WERE BEING ATTACKED BY A cALF.THEY SHoT IT AND trlE
sET ABour cLEANING IT FoR ouR CHntsrMAS DINNER.Notnlru6 tvAS HAppENING
UNTIL TIME TO EAT.SOUE PNNNTNOOPERS PAssED,SAID THEY wERE LooKING

FOR A FIGHT.TNTNT WERE ONLY ABOUT A DoZEN oF THTu.I INVITED THEM To

HAVE LUNCH,BUT THEY DECLINED AND wENT oN UP THE Sov RoAD.AeouT 14OO

A JEEP ttlAs slot,tly AppRocHING oowrrr Soy noao.l ToLD THE ourposr ro
LET THEM rHnouoH.lr wAS My 1/Sor.sENT To LocATE My pLATooN.No orlE
REMEMBERED wE wERE sENT ro HorroN.B.Co.C0 nno Nor BEEN NorrFrED AS

PRoMISED ev CCR Ho.FnoM rHE 19rH.rNro Jnruunny we DrD Nor FrGHT AS

A COMPANY,BUT EACH PLATOON WAS SENT TO PUT OUT FIRES AS THEY FOUND

rHru.hle NEVER KNEw wHERE THE orHER oNEs u/ERE.Tnts tltAs Aprly cALLED
Taken from Albert Hemmerrs bookrwhi-ch.f believe to be more correct
in detail than any other f have searched.Since my search has been
limited to only Hotton and the action there from December 20-25,1944.
Hemmer being a resident of Hotton was acquainted with all the fam-

ilies and their homesrfarms and surrounding woods and area.His maps
are explicit in their detail of buildings and homes.Where he drew
on personal experience of that time and interviews with the loca1
peoplerit is well done.However in.the case of my platoon action on
the 24thtl believe he went with Fickessen's versj-on which vacillates
from fact to fiction.He does not acknowledge our being there the
z(th.For that matter neither does the 36th.AAR's or the 33rd.Armd.
Regt.either.The 36th.AAR I s Dec .23rd,staterDuring the periodrCo.B.
36th.AIR(less one platoon in Hotton)were reli-eved from CCR and re-
verted to alF. Orr who was heavily engaged throughout the day in the
vicinity of Amonines.On the 23rd,there was no B.Co.platoon in Hotton.
We were sent there on the morning of the z(thrwithout any knowledge

of the rest of B.Co.reverting to T/f Orr control.f am now 48 years

laterrfirmly convinced our attackers at Hotton hrere part of the
force attacking Orr at Amonines the night of Christmas eve.The ab-
rupt ending of our battle may not have been entirely because of the
barrage called in.We now know the 290th.Combat Team of the 75th.fnf.
Div.jumped off in their attack at 2330 hours from the vicinity of
Hotton with the La Roumiere OI Fagne as the ultimate objective.By
0445 Dec.zSth.objective reported taken.This attack could have rel-
ieved the pressure on the entire line of attack of the enemy.From
Hotton to Amonines.Seems logical to me as the strangeness of that
night is still very vivid in my mind.Communications were poor to
non existence all along the front.Neither Smith or Modrack picked
up any communication on their radio
i Jlok B Warden
I 8(i6 $alem Ln
(R) ALislin. TX 78753-3938
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HOTTON

$a*l'c

HAMPTE,A

JacI B Warden
806 Salem Ln i
Austin, TX 78753-3938 i
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 Col. and Mrs. Carlton P. Russell
U.S. Army (Retired)
2O8 N. Jordan Street
Carthage, MS 39051-8724
23 Januar5r 1995

Mr. Alfred S. Roxburgh

2719 Laurel Drive
Sacramento, CA 95864-4950
Dear Al:
A STATEMENT
After these fifty years, my mind grows dim, and my eyesight is nearly
gone. One has aptly said, "On the day of battle, truth walks stark
naked, but on the next day, it takes on a dress rehearsal."
I had been in the 3rd Amored Division since activation 15 April lg4l.
All of my senriee was in the 36th Armored Infantry Regiment.
General Maurice Rose commarlded the 8rd Armored Division, and
Colonel Robert L. Ilowze commanded the 36th Amored Infantry
Regiment during the period of the Battle of the Bulge. I was
Executive Officer of the regiment and therefore, also of the Combat
Command "Ru. This Combat Command did not have a Combat
Command headquarters and thus the Headquarters of the 36th
Armored Infantry Regiment had to double as the Headquarters of
Combat Commald uRu.
Colone Howze gave the orders. He called upon me to see about some
of the execution -- especially if it were not going satisfaetorily. I
was to do what he told me to do -- or what I thought he would want
me to do -- in an emergeney. Several emergencies developed. One
emergency was the Battle of the Belgian Bulge.
Having moved baek from Gemany to Hotton and Soy, Belgium on 19
December 1944, CCR Headquarters was established at Soy in a small
hotel. General Rose had orily one-third of his division. TLe balance
was off under other commands, Iherefore, CCR was the bulk of
what he had and he was in charge of the area in and around Soy,
Hotton, Amonines, etc. As a result, he was around CCR
Headquarters often and was breathing dov"n Col. Howze's neck. Our
orders were! "This area must be held at all cost and cleared of the
enemy." lVe faced some powerful troops including SS troops.
On24 December 1944, we were in dire circumstances. lVe had our
Rear Headquarters and Headquarters Company at Hotton. They
were calling for help. Captain John C. Anderson was commanding
the company. The 509th Parachute Battalion was sent to our relief
and helped some. We were relieved to hear that the 75th Infantry
Division was assigned to come and help us.
The 75th Infantry Division could not have come at a better time for
us, but not at a worse time for it. The division had onlybeen on the
continent since early December 1944. The 289th and 290th
Regimental Combat Teams arrived late in the day -- I believe on 24
December. The personnel were tired, scared and lacked information
on the actual situation. Frankly, we were uncertain of the enemy
and their intentions. With the enemy wearing some of our uniforms
and using our vehicles, it was very diffieult to know who to shoot.
I remember the commander was mueh disturbed about going into
combat that night and under those eircumstanees. Ilowever, Col.
Ilowze said, "Sorry, but it must be done."
As the action progressed, I remember that a gap developed between
the 289th Regimental Combat Team and the 290th Regimental
Combat Team. Some SS troops infiltrated that area creating mueh
concern. A tragic ineident occurred when a company of 290th
Regimental Combat Team (I think) was wiped out.
With your help the German attack was stopped here, and but for the
Grace of God, this operation would have failed. \trithout the guts and
determination of men like John Anderson and Jack Warden, the end
could have well been different.
I must add the fact that the civilians had a terrible time. Ihey had to
put up with death, deprivation and destruction from both us and the
Germans. Particularly at Hottou, they were in a precarious position
-- both sides wanted the bridge. In 1994, the Belgian people had
many ceremonies in honor of their liberation by the Ameriearls --
and some British. I am attaching some pertinent material about the
ceremonies.

(il,,W^ /?EL*J/'
Carlton P. Russell
Col. U.S. Amy (Retired)

Attachment
 REMEMBRANCES
Dr. William Cohen
CO Medical Detachment
36th Armored Infantry Regiment
(Combat Command R) 3d Armored Divlsion

At the age of 38, Dr. William Cohen was in command of the medical detachment of the 36th Armd Inf.
Regiment of the 3rd Armd Division commanded by General Rose. He played a big part in the allied
landing and took care of the soldiers from Normandy to the Elbe River.

Dr. Cohen still practices dermatology part-time in Trenton, N.J. He has a steady hand and is alert.

"I had three Battalion Aid Sections servicing three combat units plus the 36th Regimental section. We
were in combat almost entirely throughout the European campaign and had wounded and dead every
day."

There were three levels of priorities in terms of care: for the minor and first aid treatment of critical
wounds, the physician of the mobile unit performed the majority of the care in the field. The aid men
were well-trained and carried out their duties efficiently. Up front we were equipped with first aid kits:
gauze dressings, sulfa powder, morphine, scalpels, scissors, and that sort of supplies.

For the severely wounded we would send them back to the supporting medical company by ambulance.
There they would receive more definitive treatment. The third category was performed in a field or
general hospital back in the rear, tented and well-equipped for more detailed attention.

The urgency, according to Dr. Cohen, had led the physicians to rationalize the treatment of phpical
trauma. It left very little room for diagnostic precision. Dr. Cohen recalled the case of a soldier injured
by a tiny piece of shrapnel. He was in shock. I was unable to revive him or stop possible internal
hemorrhaging. He was rushed to the nearest field hospital. When I went back to check on him the next
morning, the doctors were performing an autopsy on him. They found a thin sliver of metal fragment
that had nicked the inferior vena cava. He had bled to death. Life had hinged on a few millimeters, just
a minute distance to the side, it would have been embedded in the psoas muscle and he would have lived!
(He was our first casualty in Normandy.)

At that time we had no antibiotics available to us and had to rely on sulfa powder and iodine for
antisepsis. Dr. Cohen remembered treating a German soldier who had a gaping wound of the abdomen.
All that I could do was to sprinkle sulfa powder over the exposed intestines and cover the wound with
thick layers of gauze dressing. I doubted that he would survive.

Obviously up front, we were not like the scenes seen in the tv show "MASH'. We performed where or
near where the injury occurred, in the open field or along the road. At first our kits were similar to
those used in World War I. Now with the advent of antibiotics and newer equipment, considerable
progress has been made. Plasma now can be given forward and that could mean the difference between
life and death.

Another area of progress has been in dental care. The supporting medical units have dental surgeons
with the latest equipment. The regimental dentist was utilized as a medical assistant throughout combat.

Add 2195 Page 1

 One neglected aspect of medical care upon which Dr. C;ohen insists is the moral comfort of the wounded.
The medical care in the field inevitably becomes a spiritual exercise. The injured men were naturally
scared. Those who were near death needed some words of comfort. The chaplains were a blessing to
U be nearby.

Don't believe those who tell you that you get used to death. One never, never gets used to it. Each time
it crushes you. You can't be satisfied being the cold technician -- the dying need you.

Dr. Cohen very carefully tried to avoid mentioning the word "heroism". The ph5nician or aid men who
run around the battlefield without protection, looking"for the wounded and the dying, --- weren't they
heroes? I don't know much about what is meant by heroism. All that I know, from my point of view
as a phpician functioning in war is that war is blood, battered bodies, and suffering. The goal of each
side is to kil one another until one comes out the winner. Our goal as a physician is to make life prevail.
It is absurd and at the same time lofty.
In my opinion, ALL of my men were heroes.

This is a translation of a telephone interview made in early May L994. lt was part of a special "D" Day
edition of a medical magazine distributed in Canada and Europe.

\.-*l

\,;:
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