In the rain-drenched blackness of the night of the eleventh of February, Company "L", commanded by Capt. Donald Gautier. rode trucks from Wecker, Luxembourg, into the shell of what hart been Echternach, clinging to the ugly swollen banks of the Sauer. This was in the days when Echternach was being shelled periodically. and men crossed their fingers and moved quickly when they were in the town. Beyond the brown waters of the River, the Company fanned out to mollify enemy resistance on hills 342 and 352 overlooking Irrel. It was here that the Love company Doughs first met up with the famous German 88, that most feared of weapons in the Heinie arsenal. Before moving into battle the men of the Company and the Regiment had heard about it the hard way. In the days above Echternach, there was heroism on all sides, and among those of Love Company awarded the Bronze Star was Lt. Rush for the job he did in leading his Third Platoon against Jerries attacking the OP of another Company.

The Doughs of Company "L" knifed on through the Siegfried defenses and then plunged on to the banks of the Rhine. But before reaching the Rhine, the company had fought one of its most memorable battles in the town of Grosslittgen, where a thousand yards of open field were crossed under withering artillery, MG, and 20 mm fire. But Lt. Barnett's second platoon smashed forward with such ferocity that the enemy was forced to withdraw. During the battle for the town. the Platoon took more than a hundred prisoners.

At Camberg, the mortar section of the weapons platoon fired more than three hundred rounds in two hours, while machine gunners picked off Nazis manning machine gun nests, and snipers using both rifles and burp guns. And there was also the SS Trooper who came forward indicating signs of surrendering, only to open up with a hidden burp gun at point blank range. S/Sgt. Bibb and Lt. Wellborn took care of him however, almost cutting him into ribbons.

Among the Companies of the Regiment this was not the only time the surrender gag was pulled. and it didn't take the Doughs long to be wary of SS Men and white flags.

Love Company celebrated Easter Sunday in Usingen, where in the capture of the town they proved once again that though the Nazis were tough and smart, the Yanks were a bit tougher and smarter.

East of the Rhine when Nazi resistance had crumbled, the men of the Company got a chance to rest their weary feet a bit, and tore through the final days of the campaign riding on tanks and half tracks. Something new for the Krauts. And thus it went, following behind the 6th Armored, mopping up the nasty little bits which they by-passed. Love Company finally called a halt at Rabenstein and took up its share of the defensive position along the Mulde, waiting tot the Russian link-up.

When VE Day came, the men of Company "L" could look back with pride and satisfaction on their record in the ETO.