Kern County CA Archives News.....MAULDIN'S 45th BUDDIES AMONG FIRST INTO REICH December 15, 1944 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Mike Poole mpoole262@yahoo.com February 6, 2010, 6:51 pm Stars And Stripes December 15, 1944 MAULDIN'S 45th BUDDIES AMONG FIRST INTO REICH By ED CLARK Stars and Stripes Staff Writer Germany, south of Kaiserslautern, December 15—Company "K" Bill Mauldin's old outfit, was among the leading elements of the 7th Army across the German frontier shortly after noon today. The real winner of the closely contested race by Patch's doughfeet to the enemy border probably will never be known. Reports of time of frontier crossings by various units made the "first over" honors vary as crazily as early returns from a tight election. Strongest bid for top honors was made by Company "I" of the 103rd Division's 411th Infantry. This outfit commanded by 1st. Lt. William McCutcheon, St. Joseph, Mo., reported crossing the frontier west of Wissembourg at 1305 hours. Second place probably went to the same regiment's Company "L" which reported pushing over the border under the command of Capt. Joseph F. Kasun, Bisbie, Ariz., at 1320 hours. Bill Mauldin's outfit claimed winning at least a three-cornered race in the Third Battalion of the 45th Division's 180th Infantry. Company "K" led by 1st. Lt. Norman J. Young, Staten Island, N.Y., reported entering Germany west of Wissembourg at 1345 hours. Official division credit was given, however, to the 108th's Company "L" commanded by 1st. Lt. William 0. Denham, whose time across the frontier was fixed at 1350 hours. Also in the money was Company "F" of the 79th Division's 315th Infantry, which reported crossing from France into Germany, west of Lauterbourg, at about 1400 hours. Although fighting through some of the roughest hills and wooded terrain on the 7th Army front, Bill Mauldin's old company wound over a straightllne distance of five kilometers in Just over six hours in Its push to the frontier. First of Company "K" past the 1826 vintage French customs marker was not Mauldin's Willie or Joe but Pfc. Stephen S. Pilate, Northampton, Mass., handle bar-moustached squad leader. He was the polntinan for platoons commanded by 2nd Its. Brewster F. Ellis, Lansing, Mich,, and Charles Roberts, Bradford, Pa. The company's fight to the border was tough but inexpensive. At a cost of no casualties, Lt. Young's outfit took 15 prisoners, killed a half dozen Germans, wounded three or four others and knocked out a bazooka AT frontier was Company "K's" last battle in France. Rolling over the border with the doughfeet was "Chick," a big Sherman from Company "C" of a tank battalion. Commanded by 1st. Lt. Philip Levy, South Bend, Ind., "Chick" was ready to fire the first tank shell into the Siegfried Line. The crew included Cpl. Charles Williams, Old Hickory, Tenn., Pvt. John J. McHugh, Shenandoah, Pa., Cpl Edward Paca, Delano, Calif., and Pfc. Ray E. Kelly, Eldorado Springs, Mo. After entering Germany, tankmen and doughfeet, with 1st. Lt. Virgil Woodall, Marion., Ky., executive officer of Company "K" since Sicily, returned to scratch their names deep on the stone border marker. Back at the CP of the Third Battalion commanded by Lt. Col. Everett Duvall, Spokane, Wash., Sgt. Harmon "Gene" Colling, Hobbs, N. M., Mauldin's former Company K communications sergeant, wanted to know when Willie and Joe were going to find out about the Siegfried Line. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/kern/newspapers/mauldins44gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 3.9 Kb