Nick Zillas, 285th Combat Engineers, Company A tells of this fortunate meeting in 1945 and its surprising climax at the Nashville Reunion in 1992:

On 16 Feb 45, the Third Platoon of Company A was sent on a recon patrol toward Born, Luxembourg. The Company A patrol of one officer and 15 enlisted men was accompanied by a similar patrol of one officer and 15 enlisted men from Battery B of the 42d Calvary.

We were going to go into a small village to find out if it was occupied by the enemy. At the last minute, the plan was changed and we did not enter the village, after all. Our Company A 2d Lt. was in favor of going in, but the Calvary 1st Lt. talked him out of it. As it turned out, this was a very wise decision because later it was discovered that the Germans did occupy the village and were lying in wait for us.

We completed our patrol and returned to our Platoon CP in the vicinity of Boursdorf, Luxembourg. Most of the patrol entered the CP Building, but I stopped to chat for a moment with a man whose name I forgot over the years. That moment of conversation may well have saved each of us from injury or even death; a rocket launcher round exploded inside the CP just before we turned to enter the building! One man, SSGT. Roy Sattetfi.eld, was killed, and I believe about five others woe injured, some seriously.

This October 1992 at the Nashville Reunion someone came up to me and said, “Do you remember me?” I said no, I did not. Then he went on to say, “I want to thank you very much for saving my life!” Those words made no sense to me until he then explained that we were the two men who had stopped for the brief chat outside of the 3d Platoon CP just before the deadly explosion! This man told me that if I had not stopped and spoken to him that day, he would have gone right into the building -just in time for the blast!

The man who thanked mefor saving his life is Charlie Ransdell. His few words to me there in Nashville in 1992 took me back in a flash to our very brief and fortunate encounter on 16 Feb 45. To meet Charlie after 47 years made the reunion in Nashville a very special occasion! By coincidence, it was Charlie’s birthday on the night of our banquet. This gave us a double reason to celebrate – one happy birthday and one warm reunion!”

Submitted by Bessie Zillas, Nick’s wife and Andrea Britton, Nick’s daughter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TWO CHANCE ENCOUNTERS – IN 1945 AND IN 1992

 

 

Nick Zillas, 285th Combat Engineers, Company A tells of this fortunate meeting in 1945 and its surprising climax at the Nashville Reunion in 1992:

 

On 16 Feb 45, the Third Platoon of Company A was sent on a recon patrol toward Born, Luxembourg. The Company A patrol of one officer and 15 enlisted men was accompanied by a similar patrol of one officer and 15 enlisted men from Battery B of the 42d Calvary.

We were going to go into a small village to find out if it was occupied by the enemy. At the last minute, the plan was changed and we did not enter the village, after all. Our Company A 2d Lt. was in favor of going in, but the Calvary 1st Lt. talked him out of it. As it turned out, this was a very wise decision because later it was discovered that the Germans did occupy the village and were lying in wait for us.

 

We completed our patrol and returned to our Platoon CP in the vicinity of Boursdorf, Luxembourg. Most of the patrol entered the CP Building, but I stopped to chat for a moment with a man whose name I forgot over the years. That moment of conversation may well have saved each of us from injury or even death; a rocket launcher round exploded inside the CP just before we turned to enter the building! One man, SSGT. Roy Sattetfi.eld, was killed, and I believe about five others woe injured, some seriously.

 

This October 1992 at the Nashville Reunion someone came up to me and said, “Do you remember me?” I said no, I did not. Then he went on to say, “I want to thank you very much for saving my life!” Those words made no sense to me until he then explained that we were the two men who had stopped for the brief chat outside of the 3d Platoon CP just before the deadly explosion! This man told me that if I had not stopped and spoken to him that day, he would have gone right into the building -just in time for the blast!

 

The man who thanked mefor saving his life is Charlie Ransdell. His few words to me there in Nashville in 1992 took me back in a flash to our very brief and fortunate encounter on 16 Feb 45. To meet Charlie after 47 years made the reunion in Nashville a very special occasion! By coincidence, it was Charlie’s birthday on the night of our banquet. This gave us a double reason to celebrate – one happy birthday and one warm reunion!”

 

Submitted by Bessie Zillas, Nick’s wife and Andrea Britton, Nick’s daughter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TWO CHANCE ENCOUNTERS – IN 1945 AND IN 1992

 

 

Nick Zillas, 285th Combat Engineers, Company A tells of this fortunate meeting in 1945 and its surprising climax at the Nashville Reunion in 1992:

 

On 16 Feb 45, the Third Platoon of Company A was sent on a recon patrol toward Born, Luxembourg. The Company A patrol of one officer and 15 enlisted men was accompanied by a similar patrol of one officer and 15 enlisted men from Battery B of the 42d Calvary.

We were going to go into a small village to find out if it was occupied by the enemy. At the last minute, the plan was changed and we did not enter the village, after all. Our Company A 2d Lt. was in favor of going in, but the Calvary 1st Lt. talked him out of it. As it turned out, this was a very wise decision because later it was discovered that the Germans did occupy the village and were lying in wait for us.

 

We completed our patrol and returned to our Platoon CP in the vicinity of Boursdorf, Luxembourg. Most of the patrol entered the CP Building, but I stopped to chat for a moment with a man whose name I forgot over the years. That moment of conversation may well have saved each of us from injury or even death; a rocket launcher round exploded inside the CP just before we turned to enter the building! One man, SSGT. Roy Sattetfi.eld, was killed, and I believe about five others woe injured, some seriously.

 

This October 1992 at the Nashville Reunion someone came up to me and said, “Do you remember me?” I said no, I did not. Then he went on to say, “I want to thank you very much for saving my life!” Those words made no sense to me until he then explained that we were the two men who had stopped for the brief chat outside of the 3d Platoon CP just before the deadly explosion! This man told me that if I had not stopped and spoken to him that day, he would have gone right into the building -just in time for the blast!

 

The man who thanked mefor saving his life is Charlie Ransdell. His few words to me there in Nashville in 1992 took me back in a flash to our very brief and fortunate encounter on 16 Feb 45. To meet Charlie after 47 years made the reunion in Nashville a very special occasion! By coincidence, it was Charlie’s birthday on the night of our banquet. This gave us a double reason to celebrate – one happy birthday and one warm reunion!”

 

Submitted by Bessie Zillas, Nick’s wife and Andrea Britton, Nick’s daughter.