Thank you for the great and detailed article by Ernest McDaniel (now deceased) titled “Joe Kagan’s Patrol.” I hope you can print the following in the hope that I can locate the sergeant from either E or F Company 393rd, whose patrol got shot up and came to my platoon at midnight for help.

In early January 1945, around midnight to 1 a.m., I was awakened by Sgt. Isadore Rosen, my platoon sergeant, who told me that a sergeant from E or F Company, 393rd was here for help.

I met the sergeant who was shaking and really shook up. I placed my hand around his shoulder and encouraged him to settle down, that we would help him.

I awakened Capt. J.J. Morris, my company CO, and after a lot of persuasion, convinced him that I should go down the hill of Elsenborn Ridge to the German line and help the sergeant.

After the sergeant settled down, he told me he was on a patrol with 10 to 15 men and I believe Lt. Thompson. The minute they reached the German lines at the edge of the woods, the Germans opened up with machine guns and killed everyone in the patrol except him and Lt. Thompson. However, Lt. Thompson was down and unconscious where they were hit.

So when Capt. Morris agreed to my volunteering to go down the hill, I took our medic, one other man, and the sergeant and started down the snow-covered hill. Temperatures were 10 to 15 degrees, snow flurries were blowing around, it was pitch black, and around 1 a.m.

I told all of them that we would do no talking and touch by hand to signal what we were going to do. The sergeant led us to his lieutenant and we found him unconscious but still breathing and warm. The medic gave him a shot of morphine so he would not yell if he were in pain or give our position away.

We placed the lieutenant on the stretcher and carried him up the steep hillside to my platoon area. We had to be just feet in front of the German position.

To this day, I wonder whether the Germans heard us and were kind, thinking that they truly thought we were removing our wounded, or they did not hear us, since it was sowing and blowing. I believe it may have been the latter.

Removing him was so difficult climbing the hill that we had to stop every 20 to 30 feet.

We finally reached my platoon area and the men carried the lieutenant back to the aid station.

Please help and let me know if anyone knows the sergeant on this patrol, the lieutenant’s name and the company from which the patrol belonged.

Sam Lombardo

8 Alliance Dr., Apt. 205

Carlisle PA 17013

Grandson needs help

Philip Brown is working on a writing project about his grandfather, Robert Green, who served in Service Company, 395th. He would like information about his training and maneuvers at Camp Van Dorn and Camp Maxey in late 1942 and 1943. If you can help him, Brown’s address is 6924 Pleasant Oaks Circle, Charlotte NC 28216, or e-mail brownps@eamail.unc.edu.