The Last Bugler: Experiences of a Private in the 79th Infantry Division, Europe, World War II

By Hubert O. Ranger

Merriam Press World War II Memoir

This is the story of an inductee into the Army during World War II and his ventures from basic training into and through combat and assignment to postwar duties during which he remained a PFC.

It is a view of the war in Europe from the invasion of Africa through the postwar period until the occupation forces were established in Germany and the inductees brought home.

It refutes or adds to some stories by high ranking civilian officials and Army officers that have been published and tells the story as seen from a very low level.

It recognizes heroes and others without blatantly condemning anyone other than stating what actually happened by personal witness. The reader can draw his own conclusions regarding right or wrong.

The author offers this story as part of history and to show that with the best of publicized intentions the facts may vary from those reported.

With the goal of obtaining personal recognition there have been situations to be recorded and evaluated against publicized stories written for profit or personal gain.

In so doing the author intends to offer entertaining reading and food for thought along with what really happened by his own views on the scenes in which he was involved.

Contents

Preface

79th Infantry Division: The Lorraine Cross Division

Chapter 1: Induction Into the Army

Chapter 2: Basic Training Adventures

Chapter 3: Preparation for Going Overseas

Chapter 4: Brief Stop in North Africa

Chapter 5: Adventures in Italy

Chapter 6: Invasion of Southern France

Chapter 7: Army Hospital in Draguinon

Chapter 8: Train Trip Up the Rhone Valley

Chapter 9: Heading for Combat

Chapter 10: Christmas on the Front Line

Chapter 11: The Battle for Alsace Villages

Chapter 12: Preparation for Crossing the Rhine

Chapter 13: Moving Up To and Crossing the Rhine

Chapter 14: Clearing the Ruhr Valley

Chapter 15: The Last Battle of the Ruhr Valley

Chapter 16: Occupying the Ruhr Valley Cities

Chapter 17: Post-War Occupation—Czechoslovakia

Chapter 18: Leaving the Infantry

Chapter 19: Events Within the Information and Education Divisions

Chapter 20: Heading Home

Chapter 21: Adjusting to Civilian Life

Postlude

Biography: Hubert O. Ranger

Glossary

Bugle Calls

Documents

21 photos, 2 maps, 3 documents, glossary

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781435777415

Book preview

The Last Bugler: Experiences of a Private in the 79th Infantry Division, Europe, World War II

by Hubert O. Ranger

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Hoosick Falls, New York

2022

•

eBook Edition 2022

ISBN 978-1-4357-7741-5

Copyright © 2010 by Hubert O. Ranger

First print edition published in 2010 by the Merriam Press

All rights reserved.

Additional material copyright of named contributors.

The views expressed are solely those of the author(s).

This work was designed, produced, and published in

the United States of America by

Merriam Press, 489 South Street, Hoosick Falls NY 12090

•

Preface

This book was written from memory by the author many years after the happenings reported in it. It was prompted by my having offered to try and translate a story of a soldier’s experience during the Napoleonic Wars. A friend had an old diary written by her great grandfather who was a Jewish citizen of Austria. He had been conscripted into the army, which was typical of Napoleon, who planned to attack Russia and overrun all of Europe. He needed all the men he could muster so his army consisted of any able bodied male his commanders could find in the countries they overran. The diary was written in German in the German script which was a struggle for me to read and understand since many of the words or expressions in use at that time are no longer used. It was a day-to-day account of his experiences not knowing what was going on or where he would be next.

I believed this to be an important contribution to history since it was factual and not written by someone seeking to make money from it and not written by a famous person or someone with a high rank. Countless books have been written about World War II but very few by privates who were in combat.

I was such a person and decided I should record my experiences to help expand or correct much of what has been published about World War II.

This book has no bibliography and makes no claims other than the factual reporting of the author’s experience or interpretation of events he witnessed. Real names are used where they are remembered and no attempt is made to protect the guilty or perpetrator of the events witnessed. Where the exact names are not remembered a reasonable substitute is used.

In addition, there may be some inaccuracies of spelling in names of places or ships, but this should not detract from the story. Also, be aware that I know about split infinitives, fragmented sentences and other rules of English exist but ignore them sometimes. That’s my style. Call it folksyism.

Outside references were seldom used since this is a story about one person and his observations. The basic purpose is to state what really happened or was seen on a very local basis. It is not to provide a broad or overall view. Other books have done that on a much more authoritative and researched basis. The basic objective is accuracy while providing interesting reading.

79th Infantry Division: The Lorraine Cross Division

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The insignia of the 79th Division is the Cross of Lorraine, a symbol of triumph dating back to the victory of the House of Anjou over Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, in the 15th century.

During the fall of 1918, General Headquarters of the American Expeditionary Forces spent much time in studying the question of the identification of troops in battle and of assembling them during the heat of action with its attendant confusion and dispersal of units. The idea of selecting distinctive insignia for each division, with the insignia to be worn by each member of the division on the upper left arm near the shoulder was proposed and immediately acted upon. The commanding generals of all combat divisions were ordered to select insignia for their divisions and to submit their selection for approval to General Headquarters. One by one, the combat divisions adopted their insignia. Following official approval and enactment, the idea proved to be so successful and of such an assistance in stimulating the morale of the troops that it was later extended to include all organizations in the American Expeditionary Forces.

The official insignia for the 79th Division was selected and approved shortly after the signing of the Armistice, while the 315th  Infantry still held its position in the shell-torn villages of Etraye and Damvillers northeast of Verdun. The insignia proposed by Major General Joseph E. Kuhn as best symbolizing the history and spirit of the 79th Division, was the Lorraine Cross. The Lorraine Cross is an ancient emblem of victory, adopted in the 15th century by the House of Anjou as a symbol of triumph following the defeat of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, in the Battle of Nancy.

For over 500 years the double traverse Cross of Lorraine had served as an emblem of victory and freedom for the brave, liberty-loving people of Lorraine, and certainly no other emblem could have better represented the history and traditions of the 79th Division.

The historical background for the adoption of the Lorraine Cross as the official emblem for the 79th Division rests in the fact that during its period of training in America the division was popularly known as the Liberty Division. In addition, during all its operations in World War I the Division faced the enemy in Lorraine, the province which the United States was pledged to win back in its entirety for France.

The insignia of the 79th Division, as officially adopted, consists of a gray Lorraine Cross on a blue shield with a gray border. In the passing of time, a slight modification was made to the insignia as worn by officers in which the Lorraine Cross was done in silver thread with a silver border for the shield.

In its hues of silver, gray and blue, the insignia of the 79th Division has become dear to the hearts of thousands of the best of America’s citizen soldiers.

79th Infantry Division in World War II

The Army reactivated the 79th Division at Camp Pickett, Virginia, on 15 June 1942 as the 79th Division and re-designated it as the 79th Infantry Division on 1 August 1942.

The division moved to Camp Blanding, Florida, on 1 September 1942; moved to Tennessee Maneuvers Area on 3 March 1943 where the division participated in the Second Army No. 1 Tennessee Maneuvers; transferred to Camp Forrest, Tennessee on 19 July 1943 and moved to Camp Young, California, on 17 August 1943 for the Desert Training Center No. 3 California Maneuvers (Camp Laguna, Arizona). The division arrived at Camp Phillips, Kansas, on 4 December 1943. The division relocated and staged at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts, on 31 March 1944.

The division departed the Boston Port of Embarkation on 7 April 1944; arrived in England 16 April 1944 and landed in France in June 1944. The division crossed into Belgium and then into Holland; and entered Germany 3 March 1945 and after VE Day performed Army of Occupation duties in Czechoslovakia. The division returned to New York Port of Embarkation on 10 December 1945 and was deactivated at Camp Kilmer, in Piscataway, New Jersey, on 11 December 1945.

315th Infantry World War II Lineage and Assignments

Ordered into active military service 15 June 1942 and reorganized at Camp Pickett, Virginia.

Inactivated 11 December 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

315th Infantry World War II Honors

Campaigns: Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.

Decorations: French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II for Normandy to Paris; French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II for Parroy Forest; French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II, Fourragère.

2nd Battalion additionally entitled to Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Hatten, Alsace.

3rd Battalion additionally entitled to Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Rittershofen, Alsace.

315th Infantry Regiment Coat of Arms

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Blazon

Shield: Azure, on a fess wavy Or between a fleur-de-lis and a patriarchal cross botonny Argent, four oak trees Vert (trees not to be connected at base).

Motto: QUI ME TANGIT PAENITEBIT (He who touches me will repent).

Symbolism

Shield: The shield is blue for Infantry. The wavy fess with its green oak trees signifies the Meuse River and the Argonne Forest; the fleur-de-lis represents service in France in World War I; the patriarchal cross botonny identifies the regiment with the 79th Division.

The coat of arms was originally approved for the 315th Infantry Regiment, Organized Reserves, on 2 July 1925.

Chapter 1: Induction Into the Army

Fall was in the air that October day in central Maine. The year was 1943 and the country had been at war since it was declared by President Roosevelt and Congress shortly after Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese on December 7, 1941. When that moment arrived, I was in my dorm room as a freshman at the University of Maine trying to solve physics problems. I thought, make a note of this time and place because you are about to witness world history being made. Little did I realize I would be a personal witness to some of it.

On that October day, I entered the U.S. Army as volunteer. It was not my intention exactly since I thought I was going to enter the Air Corp as an aerial photographer. It seemed the recruiters had other ideas. From then on things seem to have happened around me without much control on my part. Some are so unbelievable that I decided they should be recorded for both interested reading and to let the reader know what life was really like as a private in the infantry and other parts of the army in wartime and after.

This story is not the figment of my imagination. Some descriptions are underplayed either to protect the guilty or shield the sensitivities of some readers. As background, I have read as many books and articles as I have run across regarding the many facets of World War II. Most were written by commanders or writers with recognizable names because, of course, the publishers wanted to sell the books or periodicals with articles by them as a drawing card. I have been repeatedly impressed by the lack of knowledge these writers had because they were not present at the scene of most events they describe and were dependent on records, after battle reports, morning reports, translations of enemy records and the like. There is an important place for these stories but they leave many things untold that history needs to have for future reference. A few books by combat veterans serve to fill this gap but are not easily available since they are usually self-published or not in the main stream of the book markets.

Chapter 2: Basic Training Adventures

The passenger train of three or so cars pulled by a steam engine left the station in Skowhegan, Maine and headed south with a stop in Waterville. The small group I was with had already had a taste of the army when we were chosen to sweep the floor of the induction center before we left. The recruiting sergeant lined us up after we were assigned serial numbers and said all those with V after their number should step forward. Knowing that V meant volunteer we expected some special recognition. We got it in the form of brooms and orders to start sweeping. The non-com said, What did you think V stood for, ‘victory’? Let that be your first lesson. Never volunteer for anything in the Army.

My girl friend, later to be my wife, was at the station in Waterville knowing I would be passing through. We couldn’t leave the car not knowing when the train would start up so all I could do was wave from the window until we passed around the bend out of sight and on our way to Ft. Devens, Massachusetts.

It was at Ft. Devens that I began to see what the army was really like and to enter a world in which, with one exception, I would never meet anyone I ever knew before for a period of nearly three years. Devens was an induction center which meant people were converted from civilians to army privates, the lowest form of humanity in terms of control over your existence. Our position was summed up by one of our training command’s buck sergeants from the south whose favorite saying was, Give yo heart to God cuz yo ass is marn. We first met him when we left Ft. Devens and arrived at Ft. McClellan, Alabama and that was his greeting to us. More about that later.

The train ride was a three day event. The passenger cars had been resurrected from some side track storage area. Some of the seats, those in the older cars, were woven straw that probably predated World War I. There were eight cars on the train, the most forward one the mess car where chow was prepared and served. We had been issued a mess kit and a canteen and were ordered forward car by car to get whatever was being dished out and then return to our seats balancing the mess kit that threatened to fold up into its original shape and the canteen cup that held about a pint and had a flexible steel handle.

The railroad tracks varied in horizontal smoothness and sideway warpage so walking down the aisles without spilling something was a challenge that was frequently violated.

There were drinking water spigots in each car but they were usually out of water or dispensed water with an odor and temperature that revealed its age and defied actually drinking it. A 5 gallon GI can in the mess car provided water that was potable if you could figure out how to get it into your canteen.

We were not allowed to get off the train at any of the stops and there were no cleaning facilities so the ripeness from spilled food and unwashed bodies developed detectably. We got some relief from the loose connections that allowed air to seep in for unintended ventilation and October temperatures improving as we headed south.

Guessing where we were heading became a game. As we headed west out of Boston night fell and some hours later we entered a long tunnel that the more learned amongst us identified as the Housic Tunnel that goes several miles through the area near the New York and Massachusetts line. This encouraged rumors that we were headed west and would probably end up in Minnesota at Ft. Leonard Wood. That guess was far off because we turned south and began to cross states whose identity they could not hide as judged from the signs on stations we passed.

About one hour before we arrived the cadre on board was allowed to tell us the deep dark secret that our destination was Ft. McClellan in Anniston, Alabama. That brought a cheerful note since it seemed we would be in the warm and sunny south for some months. Nothing could have been further from the truth which we leaned later when out on bivouac night after night. Alabama has a winter, too, that you feel if you have to sleep out in a pup tent with one blanket.

Our arrival was greeted by the training cadre we would have watching over us for the next eighteen weeks. Our first orders were to Shave off those mule tails and get ready to stand inspection. Our civilian clothes had already been sent home from Ft. Devens along with any personal possessions that wouldn’t fit into a small canvas hand bag.

We looked like a rag tag army in unpressed khakis we had been sleeping in for three days and no understanding of what the marching orders meant. The non-coms who inherited us concentrated on showing who was in charge as they yelled at us while we did everything wrong while trying to march, formed into several platoons, from the rail siding to the training area known in our case as C-29, Company C in the 29th Battalion, an IRTC (Infantry Replacement Training Center) command.

The first few days were spent being re-interviewed, getting physicals, and getting dental checks along with a lot of marching, policing up the grounds around the company and filling in with detail assignments. I was assigned the job of latrine orderly and was given two pages of print of what was to be done. Determined to do an excellent job on my first assignment as part of an army outfit I tried do each job as listed. The first handicap was the lack of anything to work with except a mop. I did the best I could with some rags and bar of GI soap, better known as naphtha soap, I found in the furnace room of the latrine. One item was Polish the fire extinguishers. These were copper tanks that had turned a brownish green and had never seen a polishing cloth. I went to the supply sergeant and asked for some copper polish. He never heard of it and said nobody ever bothered doing most of the things on that list anyway. He took a look at what had been done in my two hour cleaning job and said he had been in that company a year and never saw that latrine so clean. I thought I was on my way to a promotion but I found they never heard of those either in a basic training company.

Interviewing to decide where to send you is a science in itself. My first one was at Ft. Devens where I got my turn sitting across from a master sergeant at a table who had a series of standard questions. They were, with my answers, as follows:

When were you born? July 16, 1924.

What did you do in civilian life? I was a student in college in my third year.

What was your major? I was a chemistry major, along with chemical engineering since it was in the same department and with a minor in physics.

Do you have a pilot’s license? No

Can you drive a motor cycle?: Yes

Do you know Morse Code?: Yes

Do you have an amateur radio operator’s license? No

How did you learn Morse code? I learned it in the Boy Scouts.

How many words per minute can you send? I don’t know. I never checked.

We’ll test you later, OK? OK but it won’t be very many.

Do you play a musical instrument? Yes, a trumpet.

Next we will give you a general test for your Army Service Record score. OK

The interview ended and I learned later that the records were sent to the headquarters of the casual company where I was billeted. The first sergeant there