For those who were never there, a Battalion Command Post in the race across Germany was usually a pretty busy and hectic place.  Back home the folks think of Headquarters Companies and CP's as being dignified groups and places where people stand around large maps and command doughboys on distant fields.  But at Battalion level, a Command Post is as likely to be a barn as a mansion, and often just beyond the range of small arms fire.  Or sometimes closer. Take Headquarters Company 2^nd Bn., for example.  Establishing CP's in towns before the last Krauts were chased out, they kept immediately behind the riflemen, and on one notable occasion at the tag end of a long day, managed to set up shop in a town which had not been previously taken, and which was in advance of all the Line Companies.

From Bournemouth to the end of the line on VE Day, the Battalion hart three commanders. Lt. Col. William R. Harrison, Lt. Col. Simon R. Sinnreich, and Lt. Col. James K. Schmidt, and two executive officers, Maj. K. J. Stanton, and Maj. Edwin Trowbridge.

The Battalion S-1 section was under Capt. Theodore Staiger, also Headquarters Company Commander, ably assisted by T/Sgt. Robert Loughry.  Their job was to arrange for billets, and throughout the entire campaign saw that the men of the entire Battalion got all the comforts which they could possibly get, S-2 was originally 1^st Lt. John Hoffhines, succeeded by 2^nd Lt. Lloyd C. Upton, and the section kept information coming in and flowing to higher headquarters, even though cliffs at Echternach had to be scaled under enemy fire to do it, or on another occasion there was a neat little patrol across the Rhine with Jerry active in the area.  The Operations section was under Capt. Thomas B. Walton and S/Sgt. Chester D. Stodowick, and the S-4 was initially 1^st Lt. John Fesselmeyer, succeeded by 2^nd Lt. Gordon Maston.

1^st Lt. Paul A. Gooch carried the burden of communications and when wire couldn't be gotten through there was always the message center crew of Sgt. Arthur Schmidt who couldn't be stopped.  Not that the wires didn't get put in. They did.  And more times than not, under fire. T/Sgt. Arthur Neff had the A & P Platoon, toting ammo for the entire Battalion and taking care of extraneous Nazi booby traps and mines.  And though the AT Platoon, under Lt. Robert E. Walsky had few chances for work, they did a fine job when called on.  These who were there won't forget the neat job of picking off barges in the Rhine.

These were the men, who with their subordinates, formed the nucleus of the Battalion, kept things moving, saw to it the men got ammo, got fed, fulfilled their missions.  It was a smooth working team which is exactly what a Headquarters Company and a Command Post group must be.  There are few chances for gallantry in action, but more chances for hours of tedious, tiring work, and headaches which multiply constantly. 2^nd Bn. Headquarters was a case of fine devotions and tough jobs faced squarely, and a success story as well.