On New Year's Day 1945 the Battle of the Bulge was far from over. By the official records, it lasted 25 days longer---until the Allied lines were in approximately the same position they were in on 16 December. but, except for local counterattacks, the Germans were in retreat and we were slowly advancing. The battalion was assigned to the VIII Corps of the Third Army in the first days in 1945. The primary mission, as outlined in the after action report, was unchanged. We were to continue sound and flash range on enemy targets and carry survey control for the field artillery units of the VIII Corps. The immediate aim of VIII corps was to retake St. Hubert on the southern hinge of the German salient in the Ardennes. The eventual objective was Hourralize, a road junction northeast of St. Hubert.
In our outfit there were two events that didn't get into the official report that day. Tom Garos and a crew from our supply section were in Arlon to get rations for the battalion when about 15 German aircraft appeared suddenly and bombed the area without opposition for at least 10 minutes. Tom and his men scurried under nearby rail cars and came out unscathed. Others were not so lucky. And I started the new year on the wrong foot. On survey from Morhet to Sibret to the southwest of Bastogne, the weapons carrier I was driving slipped off the icy highway, hit a tree and landed on its side in the ditch. I climbed out with only a scratched knee. About five minutes later, Sergeant Thompson came by and gave me hell. Then 15 minutes later, he returned to ask if I was hurt. This was truly typical of the kind of guy he was. I waited around for a maintenance truck to arrive. An armored division wrecker already had come along to pull the weapons carrier out of the ditch. It was after 8:30 p.m. when I got back to the schoolhouse at Libramont. In addition to suffering a royal ass-chewing by Thompson. I was humiliated because this accident resulted in the loss of a needed vehicle for some time, causing inconvenience to everyone in both survey sections. Of even greater concern was the fear that I might be forced to sign a statement of charges, agreeing to pay for the cost of the weapons carrier. For some days I worried that I might have to stay in the army for years making payments from my paltry $65 per month pfc. wage. That did not come to pass, but I was not allowed to drive a vehicle for some time; and that was all right with me.
In our outfit there were two events that didn't get into the official report that day. Tom Garos and a crew from our supply section were in Arlon to get rations for the battalion when about 15 German aircraft appeared suddenly and bombed the area without opposition for at least 10 minutes. Tom and his men scurried under nearby rail cars and came out unscathed. Others were not so lucky. And I started the new year on the wrong foot. On survey from Morhet to Sibret to the southwest of Bastogne, the weapons carrier I was driving slipped off the icy highway, hit a tree and landed on its side in the ditch. I climbed out with only a scratched knee. About five minutes later, Sergeant Thompson came by and gave me hell. Then 15 minutes later, he returned to ask if I was hurt. This was truly typical of the kind of guy he was. I waited around for a maintenance truck to arrive. An armored division wrecker already had come along to pull the weapons carrier out of the ditch. It was after 8:30 p.m. when I got back to the schoolhouse at Libramont. In addition to suffering a royal ass-chewing by Thompson. I was humiliated because this accident resulted in the loss of a needed vehicle for some time, causing inconvenience to everyone in both survey sections. Of even greater concern was the fear that I might be forced to sign a statement of charges, agreeing to pay for the cost of the weapons carrier. For some days I worried that I might have to stay in the army for years making payments from my paltry $65 per month pfc. wage. That did not come to pass, but I was not allowed to drive a vehicle for some time; and that was all right with me.
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