From dugouts catch first glimpse of highly-touted Siegfried Line, just across the valley; watch Kraut scramble from pillbox to pillbox; hide by day, move by night; dress up in "snow whites;" carry chow twice daily up icy cliffs.

Securing bridgehead across the Sauer.  Heinies zero in, rake our positions.  Oh yes, had ice cream, too!

Cross Sauer--GI boots on German soil! Someone complaining, "Hey where's the beer and schnapps I've read about?" Tiny schoolhouse billets for one company of GIs. Learn ballet dancing tip-toeing through mine fields.

Security positions outskirts of town. Boy Scouts for a while--pup tents, washing in ice-cold stream, reveling (?) in nature. CP in German pillbox.

Cross Prüm, engage enemy; reorganize, attack again accomplishing second mission. "Big Red" up front directing digging security positions as meemies and mortars pepper the area. 38 PWs. Shrapnel interrupting our meals and sleep.

Wade across Nims River. Successful attack on Meckel. Enjoying fried potatoes, eggs when new attack order arrives--out of the frying pan, into the fire. One of our worst enemy artillery barrages as we gain high ground beyond Meckel. 210 PWs.

Cross Kyll River at 0100. Once again push through territory claimed by Nazis as impassable to infantry troops. Seize Hosten, Auw, and Preist.

Speicher ours against determined resistance. 3rd platoon on patrol routs enemy MGs. Kraut claims Americans crazy--move too fast, pop up in places long before German authorities sag they will. Tsk, Tsk!!

Capture Burg, cross Salm River so Engineers could build bridge for "Onaway Task Force." Enemy artillery deadly; company ordered to attack. Captured Musweiler without artillery or other infantry support.

Captured Gipperuth and Grimmerath; promised that 89th Inf. Would relieve us upon the completion of that mission. Back to Wittlich for a rest--the luxury of sleep, as much as we wanted. Replacements for our depleted ranks--praise be!

Cross Moselle River, take Bernkastel, Cues, Graach, Monzelfeld, and Longkamp. Cellars searched for Jerries, champagne. Burgermeister gave us keys to city.

Tremendous cliffs on either side. The Rhine. We remember the German promises back on Salm River, "This is the road to the Rhine--but never back." "Visit the Rhine and leave your skull," "Beautiful Rhine, BUT dangerous." Outposts established surrounding Oberheimbach. Billeted in hunting lodges; million-dollar setting.

Cross at St. Goar. We now have hold of Germany-where it hurts. Mighty castles of old appeared dwarfed as a modern army rolled past.

275 miles, some by walking, mostly by truck, five days. Climax, seizure of Zimmern.

Support attack on Bad Tennstedt, Kleinballhausen and Grossballhausen. Outflank the village of Schwerstedt when assaulting company is pinned down; take town over stiff resistance. Join E Company; attack Vehra. Advance by fire and movement upon Werningshausen with close tank, TD, and AT support just at dusk--a long, hard but satisfying day. PWs now total 549.

Wipe out pocket of ten 128 mm flak guns. 95 PWs, three of them women snipers. Just at dusk three JU-88s brought down by AAA, MG fire. We watch big show from billet windows.

Entire German regiment surrenders to company at Mödelwitz--450 prisoners taken.

By trucks to Mittweida. French, Poles, Italians and British Red Devils from Arnhem landing liberated by our big drive. Pull back to Ottendorf, blow up ammo dump, search out SS troopers. Defensive positions prepared for counter-attack.

Leave Markersdorf-Claussnitz for Berthelsdorf.  Waiting on Russians.  Contact CCA, 9th Armored.

V-E Day. Celebration? No, not much!  Yes, we drank some German beer; drank it in a German beer hall--strange thought, that.  Beer halls were the start of this war . . .