Friendly Fire

Some time in the morning of the 26th Captain Towns had the “C” Company fall out in line looking toward at the very large Hill toward Champs . We were lined up in a single line spaced apart by a few feet and given the order to head forward up to the top of the hill. We started ahead only 500 feet through the dense forest. We were advancing were under rifle fire from the Germans dug inside of that hill.

As we advanced I saw my buddy Shannon lay down’ his gun and leave the group. He was walking as though he was shot. We really started advancing and we were seeing the German soldiers retreating up the Hill. It was the first time I found myself shooting my rifle from the hip.

We advanced very easily taking the toll on the many German Soldiers. This hill was at least 300 to 500 yards up to the top. As we arrived at the top after a very successful advanced, I remember yelling to my best friend, Jack Gresh, “We Know who the MEN are around here”. Just as I said that, American P-47’ Fighter planes or P51 planes, came at us strafing the top of Champs Hill.

I saw a fox hole and jumped in it as the planes circled around again and strafed us. There in front of me was a German Tank which the U. S. planes knocked out. After strafing the top of the hill one of soldiers of our Company laid out a flag or cloth panel that showed we were U.S. Troops. The plane’s circled back tipping their wings to show us they now recognized us.

Right away the Medics showed up and I was still in the fox hole and a medic asked if I was okay and I said yes and I asked if the guy in the next hole was okay and he said answered that he was dead. I crawled over to his fox hole and checked to see if Jack had his dog tags on. I saw that he was shot in the groin with a .50 caliber round from one of the planes. Several medics were there and we were told to stay in our foxholes. There were several fox holes that some of our men jumped into, but still got killed. For the 1st time in combat, right then, they held a Mass for the loss of so many men. I don’t know who else was killed or wounded but the planes hit Captain Towns and he died later in the hospital. (pictured above, far right, from the collection of Mark Bando)

I was told to stay put with a few of the survivors to hold our position. Sometime in the next day, I was told there were only 28 Men left in our Company. Then 2 days later, in the evening, I was shot at night in my left cheek, which took out a few teeth. After being shot, I thought I am getting the Hell out of here.

I walked down through our Company on that hill and I didn’t see a single soldier. I kept walking, down the hill, across a lot of land, and got on a paved road. In a few minutes I was challenged to halt. Two, 101st Soldiers, asked ”Who is there?“ but I couldn’t answer. They came cautiously up to me and saw I was from their unit. They took me in to a farm house to stay overnight. I woke up the next morning in a field Hospital and was put on train to an Army Hospital; I believe it was in Reims France. Then I was put on another train, headed to a Paris Hospital to be operated on again. From there, I was shipped to England to another hospital.