29th Infantry Division, 116th Infantry Regiment

[W Rusty Lane]

Howdy all,

My wife's father served in Company L, 29th Infantry Division, 116th Infantry Regiment and went in with the 1st Infantry Division on the first wave to Omaha beach.  He went throughout the war & never even got a scratch.  However, his brother, Uncle Grover, was a runner from the 80th Division attached to the 285th Forward Artillery Observation Battalion that was surprised on the road near St. Vith, Belgium.  One of Joachim Peiper's men from Kampfgruppe Peiper shot him in the head at the Malmedy massacre at the Baugnez crossroads, St. Vith, Belgium, on December 17, 1944.  He survived the wound and his buddies carried him on a makeshift stretcher as he guided them back to the American lines.  They played dead until the Germans left the scene.  For his actions that day Uncle Grover was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals, both of which I have in my collection of WW2 memories.  I also have all of his Army records.  My wife is currently reading a book about the Malmedy massacre and I've read one book called "The Devil's Adjutant" which is about the battle of the bulge.  Cheers from an old Marine sergeant in eastern TN