4 INFD, 12 INF REG, 2 BN, Medical Detachment
Mission: The 12th Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division, from November 6, 1944 to December 7, 1944, participated in the Bloody Battle of the Hurtgen Forest in Germany. During the Battle of the Bulge, the 12th Infantry led the transfer to the country of Luxembourg for defense of the Luxembourg area along the Sauer River. All units were to receive replacements and upgrade the equipment. My job was a litter bearer, which was to remove seriously wounded soldiers from the battlefield. My most vivid memories of the Bulge were close calls! On the morning of December 21, 1944, there was a call for two litter teams to Company F in Berdorf. We had two jeeps with a litter team on each. The road from the woods outside Consdorf to Berdorf was about four miles without any shelter. Our jeep drivers stopped, at the edge of the woods, to decide what they would do. As the driver of the first jeep pulled out, at a high speed, we were right behind.
All of a sudden out of nowhere, two soldiers appeared, shouting to stop. They were the outpost. We were able to get the first jeep to stop and turn around. The outpost guards told us the company pulled back during the night, and if we kept going – we were in “No Man’s Land” heading into the German lines. We were taken to the two wounded soldiers, and we transported them to the 2nd Battalion Aid Station. We almost became prisoners or being killed.
The next morning, with a new line of defense holding, my commanding officer called me aside, and told me the Battalion Mail Sergeant was going to Luxembourg City to pick up mail at Regimental Headquarters. As part of “other duties” as assigned, my commander made arrangements for me to go to Regimental HQ with the Sergeant and his driver to deliver an envelope. On our travels via Highway 11, about a mile past Radio Luxembourg, we were stopped at a Division Checkpoint. We then continued to Regimental HQ. I was dropped off, they continued to service company. I took care of the commander’s business and waited for the sergeant and driver. A few minutes later, they pulled up with a trailer full of mail bags. We did not receive mail for more than a month; because of the heavy fighting in the Hurtgen Forest.
We traveled back over Highway 11 and were stopped at a new 1st Army Checkpoint that was setup. This checkpoint was to help capture the German paratroopers, who were dropped behind our lines. The MPs at Checkpoint were checking serial numbers, and our jeep’s serial numbers were ones they were looking for. We tried to explain that we just picked up the mail, but were sent back to Luxembourg City with a police escort. It turned out that the MPs located the orders that said they should be checking “Dog Tag” numbers instead, so we were let go. When we arrived back at Battalion, we were met with “Where were you? What happened? We called Regiment and they said you left over two hours ago.” We explained that we were stopped at a 1st Army Checkpoint. The serial number on our jeep matched one of the numbers the MPs were looking for. We were taken to the 1st Army Provos Marshal Office, as possible “German paratroopers and spies.” The Battalion staff said they were glad we got
back safe!
The Battle of the Bulge turned out to be a bigger and more important attack than any commander realized on the first day. The attack was on a 75-mile front at the same time. This battle turned out to be the largest land battle the US Army ever fought, since it was found on June 14, 1775 to the present.
Awards: Combat Medical Badge, Bronze Star Medal with “V” device (valor), 2 Oak Leaf Clusters to Bronze Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Europe-Africa-Middle East Medal with 5 Campaign Stars (Battle Stars), WWII Victory Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, The Chevalier-French Legion of Honor Medal, Normandy Jubilee of Liberty Medal, Belgian Fourragère.
Picture of Jacob at the 75th Anniversary Commemoration of the End of the Battle of the Bulge 1/25/20, Washington, DC.
Photo courtesy: Hylton Phillips-Page