I am Buck Marsh, past member of Company “A” 36th Armored Infantry Regt., 3rd Armored Division, having joined the Company on 29th December in Belgium, two weeks after the Bulge began. I was assigned to squad “32” which was the second rifle squad of the third platoon. I was very fortunate, making it all the way to Dessau in late April, receiving only a small piece of panzerfaust shrapnel in my knee without lost time on the line.
Recently, I have been contacted by Bill Sarver Jr., whose father, Lt. Bill Sarver Sr., was killed April 5-6, 1945 while acting as a forward artillery observer with our company. He was a member of the 67th Armored Artillery Battalion, having relieved Lt. Hart who had been wounded but was to rejoin our company upon the death of Lt. Sarver. Being the first scout I had worked with both FOs, more especially Lt. Sarver in the terrible battle of Paderborn where our company “A” suffered nineteen casualties, five of whom were KIA.
Lt. Sarver was killed by small arms fire during a night attack by Co A on a German roadblock just east of Paderborn. In reading the April 6th morning report there is mention of an enlisted man, Cardeana, whom I am guessing was Lt. Sarver’s radio man. I am attempting to locate Cardeana, if in fact he is still living, to get a better report on Lt. Sarver’s death, which his family is earnestly seeking. I am hoping that by publishing this inquiry in the next THE BULGE BUGLE someone may step forth that has knowledge of Cardeana or can shed more light on Lt. Sarver’s activities upon his joining the 67th. His family would certainly appreciate any information we might be able to relate to them about their father and grandfather, Lt. Bill Sarver.
Thanks for your assistance.
Buck Marsh
bmarsh@whiteconst.com