The End of the Second World War in Europe

Abstract

The Second World War brought me to the European theater of operations, where I was assigned to Special Troops of the First United States Army commanded by General Courtney H. Hodges. I was a first lieutenant and platoon leader in a reconnaissance troop. The specific task of our unit was the gathering of military data for the G-2 (military intelligence) of the 69th Division. According to the training manuals this meant moving out front with all due regard for stealth and developing information about the characteristics and location of enemy forces, particularly enemy armor. In reality, more often than not, it meant moving forward to the point of drawing enemy fire. In any event the objective was to gather useful information and pass it back for processing by G-2, thus providing a basis for action by the First Army’s air and ground forces.