From then on I became a member of the 9th Arm’d Div. 2nd Tank Bn Co D.
Redesignation of the 2nd Cavalry Division to the 9th Armored Division
15 July 1942, Camp Funston, Fort Riley, Kansas
We trained a set of rookies that were shipped off and then got a 2nd set of them which we kept. We went to the Desert Maneuvers and from there to the maneuvers at then Camp Polk, LA. Got to go to a parade in New Orleans with the tanks and that was something for a farm boy from Kansas. From Camp Polk we went to NJ where we left for Scotland on the Queen Mary. From Scotland we went to England where we drew new equipment and waited for our turn to land on the beach. After working our way thru the hedge rows we went thru Paris with our tanks. My youngest brother was killed in Oct of 1944 only a few miles from where I was but it took almost a month for me to find out. I had 5 brothers and 3 sisters and 4 of my brothers plus me were all in the service, 1 in the Pacific, one in Australia ( who went in the service the same day I did and after being inducted at Ft Leavenworth we didn’t see each other again for almost 5 years), 1 in Africa and Italy and the youngest brother John and I in Europe. In Dec. of 1944 we were ordered to the area around Bastogne.
Our light tanks were ordered to guard a road crossing and not to leave the area for any reason. When the big Tiger Royals started in on us it was something else. You could read a newspaper all night long with the firepower around you.
Finally about the 18th of Dec. we ditched our tank and threw a grenade in it and took off on foot with nothing with us as we were out of shells of any kind and no food. It took almost 2 weeks for the Germans to catch us but they finally did. We have snow and cold but nothing like they had in the Bulge. I have never been that cold since and never want to be. I am the only one left out of my tank - the other 3 did come back after being POW’s but they have all since died. I was on a forced march across Germany for most of the 149 days I was captured but finally did end up at Stalag IVB…there’s lots on the web about this pow camp and some pictures. I weighed about 185 pounds when I was captured and when liberated I weighed less than 90 pounds. I never saw a Red Cross pkg. and the best meal I had was cooked by some women who gave up their meal for us in a factory of females prisoners. It was barely and water and some awful looking bread but it was the best food I’d had in a long time. I am now almost 85 years old and have had some major medical problems this year but doc says I can still kick butt so guess I’m doing fine.
Sam © 2003 2nd US Cav
