407th Infantry Regiment

NOW! 51 STORIES
and Adding More All the Time!

Arthur "Art" Roth's Account of Service with the 407th Infantry in World War II -- Addendum to the Haubenreich and Schaible Account

Story added on 8 April 2008.

"...all hell broke loose as shells began landing all around us. Fred Woelkers was hit almost at once. I ran to him to see what I could do, but Cpl. Sergio Francolini just behind us shouted ,"Roth, it's okay. I've got him. Keep going!"..."

Memories of Service in the Second Platoon, Co. K., 407th Infantry, 102d Division

Story added on 20 April 2007.

"... Bullets from long bursts of machine gun fire are now cracking all around us. Mortar shells begin exploding just behind us. Sergeant Radice, who is bringing up the rear after finally leaving the shelter of the house, is hit almost immediately. His body threshes convulsively as Greenfield runs to his side..."

"Being Resourceful"
by Ralph K. Wittle, HQ-3., 407th

Added on 29 March 2005.

"...Four brick walls around you during nature calls became helpful. Only a mortar round from directly above can cause concerns. Basements were off limits because they were often used by support personnel..."

"Whatever Works"
by Milton McDonald, Co. I., 407th

Added on 29 March 2005.

"...I replied "We have visitors, give me a burst over their heads." I did not want bullets coming our way. John let off a burst with his BAR. The Krauts were shocked and turned to face John and Stophel..."

"F. David's War"
by Geoffrey D. Schad, Med. Det., Co. C., 407th

Added on 29 March 2005.

"...The Americans could see the Germans and, just as important, the Germans could see them, and immediately opened up on the attackers with their machine guns, especially from the pillbox that fired down parallel to the farm road..."

"The Open Field Attack"
by Paul Wible, Co. L., 407th

Added on 29 March 2005.

"...Even with bullets coming so close to our head that they hurt our eardrums, we did not fully grasp the fact that these bullets would mean certain death if they had been an inch or two closer, it seemed as long as we moved forward, we did not realize we were in mortal danger..."

"The Court Martial"
by Hector Goldman, HQ., 1st Btn., 407th

Added on 29 March 2005.

"...Our crime was "fraternizing with enemy aliens". Our names were duly recorded by the MPs. I do not know what happened to the other ones (including the major), but I was sent back to my outfit to be court martialled..."

"Who Was My Angel?"
by Arnold Mayer, Co. E., 407th

Added on 29 March 2005.

"...I woke up and no one was around. I went outside and asked some of the men what was going on. The answer was that during the night a German plane flew over and dropped a bomb and a truck caught fire next to the ammo dump. Colonel Wohner got into the truck and drove it away..."

"The Attack on Flossdorf"
by Albert Gilpin, Co. E., 407th

Added on 8 November 2004.

"...Suddenly, they dropped one back and it exploded no more than 10-12 yards from us. I still remember the sinking feeling in my stomach as I realized I was going to be hit. The four of us that were hit should have received stomach, chest or head wounds, but it was a freak burst..."

"Nov. 30, 1944 from the eyes of..."
by John D. Emerich, Co. I., 407th

Added on 8 November 2004.

"...We were immediately pinned down by machine gun and flat trajectory artillery coming from the East. Laying flat in the field, my own personal dilemma became acute by an urgency created by the GIs..."

"On the Front Line at Lindern and Linnich"
by Co. K., 407th, 2nd Platoon

Added on 8 November 2004.

"...we were in Linnich returning to our nice, safe cellar when we heard an awful sound that is almost impossible to describe. If you can imagine Superman pulling a dozen grand pianos across an oak gym floor and the squeal and squall of their scraping on the floor magnified a hundred times - that is close..."

"A Flood in the Night - Holding the Line"
by Jim Harris, Bill Reist and Bill Schaible
Co. K., 407th, 2nd Platoon

Added on 8 November 2004.

"...At any rate, he fell, the bazooka crashed to the frozen surface and launched itself down the slope like a released torpedo. We could not have done more to alert the German crew manning the machine gun if we had blown bugles for charge!..."

"An Unforgettable New Year's Day"
by Joseph E. Wannamaker, Co. E., 407th

Added on 8 November 2004.

"..."There were about ten or twelve men in a circle around the fire when a big shell came in. I never heard it coming. I was knocked unconscious. When I came to, the fire was completely blown away and there was no one else except Somers who was lying on his back next to me, not moving..."

"Just Rewards --
WWII Combat Experiences of Grant Miswald"
by Grant Miswald, Co. L., 407th

Added on 8 November 2004.

"...Carrying Stamirowski on his back, Miswald tried to cart him to safety. Before he died, Stamirowski sadly talked about his loving family back in the States..."

"Interview with Sheldon Samuelson"
by (son, Dr. Robert Samuelson), Co. L., 407th

Added on 8 November 2004.

"...I pulled the trigger of my carbine and nothing happened. It was empty. The magazine had fallen out moving up. We were the right flank attacking platoon; the second platoon was on the left and I was guiding on a wagon track straight into town..."

"The Surrender"
by Paul Wible, Co. L., 407th

Added on 8 November 2004.

"...Just about the time the soldiers appeared, I heard a noise behind me, and there were two German soldiers standing not five feet behind me with their guns slung over their shoulders and their hands up..."

"A Story in Two Parts"
by Robert Y. Fleming, HQ, Co. B., 407th

Added on 23 October 2004.

"...While crawling for some time through this sugar beet field, I began to realize I had lost contact with the others. I stopped and raised up, only to see or hear no one. I lay there for what seemed like an eternity, when suddenly I felt a hand on my ankle..."

"The Last KIA"
by Rutland D. Beard Jr., Co. E., 407th

Added on 13 October 2004.

"...its members were to have demolition experience in the making of satchel charges, pole charges, use of bangalore torpedoes and beehive charges employed in the destruction of wire entanglements, pill boxes and other fortified positions..."

"The Surrender"
by Arnold Meyer, Co. E., 407th

Added on 5 October 2004.

"...About an hour later some of the Germans started over the river; we could not get them to give up their rifles but they would lay down the automatic weapons and Panzerfausts by the river bank..."

"A Sequel to Weltz"
by John Emerich, Co. I., 407th

Added on 5 October 2004.

"...In the bottom of the crater sat a German SS non com with one leg dangling at the knee. He was begging "schutzen mich" (shoot me). No one in my vicinity was willing to accommodate him by wasting ammo so we skirted the crater on the right side..."

"Weltz"
by Joe Laska, Co. K., 407th

Added on 5 October 2004.

"...I could plainly see the gun smoke which seemed to be about 35 feet away. When one bullet hit the ground about three feet in front of me splattering dirt in my face, I could do nothing but get up and shoot at the smoke. At that time I was thinking that no one charges a machine gun with only a rifle..."

The Search for PFC Julius S. Hass, Co. F., 407th
A Young Caretaker at the American Cemetery in Margraten Searches for the Identity of a Soldier!

Added on 26 July 2004.

"...Company F was soon pinned down by heavy fire coming from Korrezig within the zone of the advance of about five hundred yards..."

"Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart"
by John Emerich, Co. I., 407th

Added on 4 April 2004.

"...First we discovered there was a box of Ozark caps missing; then we found that the smaller box with unit photos was gone (62 of them) and finally we realized that some of the artifacts we've displayed were missing as well..."

"It's Been A Long, Long Time"
by John T. Wood, Co. I., 407th

Added on 4 April 2004.

"...There was no schedule for processing. Headquarters would call down and say, for instance, collect forty marks from every man and turn it in for franks at ten o'clock this morning. Such processes can be difficult when only one officer is designated to handle collections and payments in the company. Anyway, we got processed..."

"I Remember When"
by Jim Crawford, Co. G., 407th

Added on 4 April 2004.

"...By the time we'd paddled to mid-stream, I'd already heard/seen a couple of guys in the middle and left side of the boat take bullet hits and slump down. Then our boat got hung up on the branches of a flood-debris tree nearer to the far bank. One of the two engineers jumped overboard and tried to free us and, with plenty of flare light overhead, I could see him struggling with the tree branches. He said we were truly stuck but it was only shoulder deep..."

"The Roer River..."
by Milton McDonald, 407th, Co. I.

Added on 19 January 2004.

"...I remember one night in December [1944], the Captain told a group of us he wanted us to go across and take a look so the 327th Engineers were to get us to the other side. We started across and got most of the way when we lost control because of the swift water. The engineers had stretched a rope across but we were so heavy loaded until we were losing the boat..."

"Co. K's Beer Party on the Banks of the Rhine"
by Gerald Norris, 407th, Co. K.

Added on 2 December 2003.

"...Midway in the evening a messenger edged his way to the table of acting company commander, Lt. Robert Clark, of Pittsburgh, PA. The news he whispered wasn't pleasant. A Nazi patrol was on the prowl a few streets away and raising a little cain. Without disturbing the floor show, Lt. Clark ticked off a dozen men to welcome the intruders..."

"I Remember My Adventures..."
by Joe Evangelista, 407th, Co. E.

Added on 3 December 2003.

"...Our patrol, led by Sgt. Christopher Lorenz, quietly crept down to the river, climbed into waiting boats, and bobbed and heaved across the river. Nauseated and shivering from the cold, we left the boats and walked in single file, carrying grenades and machine guns. After almost one hour of walking and creeping around the area we were covering, suddenly one of the men sidled over to Sgt. Lorenz, and pointed to a light &emdash; a pin prick of light..."

"From the Pen of..."
by Joe Laska, 407th, Co. K.

Added on 3 December 2003.

"...Almost all men were seasick during the crossing. I asked one man if he was all right. He said he was OK but he did add that his false teeth had gone over the side. He happened to be on the same ship as I coming home. Again he looked sickly. When I asked if he'd lost his false teeth this time, he said they were in his back pocket now..."

"Amusing Incidents During and After Combat"
by Paul Wible, 407th, Co. L.

Added on 3 December 2003.

"...After the war, in order to get new clothes, it was necessary to tun in our old clothes, but they must be clean and worn or damaged to a state where they could not be worn again. We collected our old clothes and purposely tore them extensively and took a duffel bag full to a German lady to wash for us. For a package of cigartettes, which at that time cost us a nickel, she washed and ironed them, and would you believe she mended every tear..."

"Ozark Officer Captured..."
by Marvin Danielson, Hqs-407th, Co. A.

Added on 25 November 2003.

"...I then went through the process of being interrogated, etc., and finally wound up in Oflag 64 near Szwein, Poland. On January 22,1945 Oflag 64 was overrun by the Russians. Those of us who could not walk were left behind in Odessa on the Black Sea From there we went by a British ship to Cairo, Egypt, to a U.S. Army General Hospital. I wound up back in the U.S. on Easter Sunday 1945..."

"A Day in the Big War"
by Jim Harris, 407th, Co. K.

Added on 25 November 2003.

"...Two German soldiers emerge from the hole with their hands held high. We notice the SS insignia; Lahti orders them to remove their helmets and move to the rear. It is apparent they either don't understand or perhaps cannot hear after that grenade explosion; they just stand there and look puzzled..."

"My Furough Story"
by Bob Smith, 407th, Co. K.

Added on 25 November 2003.

"...The lieutenant's jaw must have settled to one button above his belt buckle as the major smiled and said "You'll find a lot of these Polish DPs around in old GI uniforms, Lieutenant..."

"An Adjustment to Combat"
by Paul Wible, 407th, Co. L.

Added on 25 November 2003.

"...During those times we had no more feeling for dead Germans than we had for a stick of wood or a stone. We could have put our messkits on his chest and eaten our meal with no qualms whatsoever..."

"A True Love Story"
by Keith Parkin, 407th, Co. C.

Added on 17 November 2003.

"...On May 15 my wife was home. The doorbell rang and she answered. It was a Western Union Messenger with a telegram for Joyce. In a good humor remark, the messenger said something to her to the effect "Good news from the war front." She opened the telegram and it read "THE SECRETARY OF WAR DESIRES TO EXPRESS HIS DEEP REGRET THAT YOUR HUSBAND, S/SGT KEITH 0. PARKIN HAS BEEN MISSING IN ACTION IN GERMANY SINCE 29 APR 1945. What a way to end the war and celebrate my birthday..."

"Observation Post"
by William Lipton, 407th, Co. G. 

Added on 17 November 2003.

"...All night long there was retaliatory tracer fire and flares and some mortar fire so we had to use our helmets for relief and pick a propitious time to dump. Then came the big news of the day: we were not going to be relieved after all but had to stay out another night! This with 24 hours of rations and water - in that damned hole. The second night a German patrol came by; we heard them mumbling. We thought they were looking for their dead comrade but once they smelled him I guess they decided to return to their lines..."

"World War II Rations"
by Jim Crawford, 407th, Co. G.

Added on 5 November 2003.

"...Jim Crawford added that burning the wax container produced a smokeless flame that was just right to bring a canteen cup of instant coffee to a boil. A hot mocha pudding could be had by adding the fruit bar and biscuits to the brew. The K ration box included instructions saying that burning the box for this purpose was part of the design rationale..."

"Recollections of a 407th Medic"
by Ed Furlow, 407th

Added on 5 November 2003.

"...I clasped the syringe in my right hand, swung my hand back a good distance, came forward in a smooth arc toward the bare rear expecting the needle to disappear upon contact therein. It didn't; That GI must have spent half his life on horseback because the needle didn't even begin to penetrate his tough hide. It simply doubed up and the GI took off across the room like a shot, yelling all sorts of nasty words..."

"Nov. 1944 -- Dreary and Depressive"
by Edwin S. Dojka, Co. F., 407th

Added on 3 November 2003.

"...One tank was knocked out about 30-40 yards directly in front of our foxhole. The small arms ammunition in the burning tank sounded like popcorn popping and the artillery shells detonated sporadically, one at a time, making a muffled explosion and each time blowing a smoke ring out of the hatch..."

"Combat & Hospitalization Experiences of..."
Hobert W. Enoch, Co. B., 407th

Added on 3 November 2003.

"...We had moved into the outskirts of the town and moved from building to building seeking out the enemy. As I moved across from one corner of the street from behind a stone building I remember hearing a loud crack above my head and only remember spinning around, the momentum tearing my rifle from my hands as I dropped to the ground..."

"Prisoner of War"
by Robert L. Eastman, Co. C., 407th

Added on 3 November 2003.

"...Back in out trench again, the private war between the sniper and us was heating up. Rayford Andrews did not change his position when he rose to fire, and eventually the German sniper got him. Andrews received a bullet through the steel helmet and into the head. He fell into a foot of water that was in the trench, moaned for an hour, and then became still..."

"Reminscences of an Infantryman"
by George Illis, Co. C., 407th

Added on 3 November 2003.

"...I was hurled into the air and landed on my back. All of the sudden there was a good bit of screaming and people yelling that they had been hit. Actually eight of the thirteen had been hit only one ever returned to duty, and that was about three months later...."

"Marching Fire"
by Bob Lally, Co. L., 407th

Added on 3 November 2003.

"...Darting across the street, I took cover in a sunken driveway and fired off a few rounds at the retreating German soldiers. Minutes later, though, one of the tanks rotated its turret and when I found myself looking up the barrel of an 88 millimeter gun, I retreated back across the street. Still fresh in my mind was the damage the 88s did to Hursch [Solomon G., PFC] and others during the Roer River crossing at Linnich a few days earlier. Hursch took a direct hit on his legs..."

"Brief Russian Encounter"
by Bob Lally, Co. L., 407th

Added on 3 November 2003.

"...Unfortunately for those defenders - two Americans with a heavy 50-caliber machine gun - the tanks didn't hesitate at their bridge. The Americans let the tanks pass and then fired into the gasoline supply trucks that followed, setting many on fire. Then, we were told, one of the tanks backed up and crushed to death the two brave but inexperienced fighters in their shallow foxhole..."

"Return From the Dead"
by S/Sgt. Richard G. Smith, Co. L., 407th

Added on 31 July 2003.

"...Up front with the infantry during a major WWII battle, just as I had mustered enough courage to go up and over the top of a steep embankment, a German machine gun opened fire and shot me in the face. The bullet entered just below my left eye and exited behind my right ear. It felt as if someone had hit me in the head with a sledge hammer..."

"The Capture and Liberation of 'C' - 407"
by Dominick Plescia

Added on 7 July 2003.

"...As soon as the white handkerchiefs went up the Germans were on us in a flash. They came up barking orders to us. One of our guys who understood German was relaying their orders to us in English. They became very angry and belted him with a rifle butt. They accused him of being German and therefore a traitor..."

"My Longest Day"
by Alex Varga - Co. K., 407th Reg.

Added on 1 July 2003.

"...Again someone called for a medic. As I got to him I could see that this soldier had a punctured diaphragm, and was having difficulty breathing, and I realized how serious a condition he was in. In combat it's almost impossible to use sterile techniques. As old saying that I'd heard from medics, "a live soldier and a dirty wound is better than a clean wound and a dead soldier" came to mind..."

"Big John, the BAR Man"
by John Emerick - Co. I., 407th Reg.

Story Added on 9 May 2003.

"...I can recall when approaching the town I noted an intact church steeple which could have housed an observer so I decided to send a few rounds in that direction. I was surprised to see the steeple disintegrate and then realized that a tank behind me had put his cannon shot off at the same time..."