States Army. Just short of two years
after arriving in Europe, on February
26, 1945, Ralph and the
rest of his 202nd Engineer
Combat Battalion were
forcing a crossing of the Roer
River, near Hilfarth, Germany.
The light of dawn was
creeping in over the smoking
battlefield, when the Battalion
reached the other side of the
Roer River, revealing a scene
full of the horrors of war.
Artillery and mortar shells
from the German army burst
all around Ralph’s batta [???Z[?\?^ ?Y[?[ZY?H ??\?? H?] K H?B??'QQP??'H??[?HX\? ??\? H?] [[???[?YY????\? ?? ???]\? ?Y[? H ?]?H ??[?Y??\?YB? Z[??[?HZ[?H?Y[?X\?[K???] ?[\?Y?\???\?\???[ ?Y?] KH\?Y?[?? HZ[?H\?XH ??]?H[B?ZY ?HZ[?H^ ?Y\?X? B?[?\?[K ?]?\?[ H ?] \?[??\? ?Y? Y?[? ???[??[B?X??]ZY? ?Y]???H\? ]Y[? ?\?Y?\?[??\?[??\?B?[?[?[??H Z[?H?]?Y??X?? ???[?YHYYX?[ZY?? H ??[?Y??X?\??Z[?B???Y\\??[?H ?\??YH?]??????Y?Z[???]\?[?? B?Z[?Y\?XK??[?[ KY?\? ??[?Z\? ?^H ??Y? HZ[?\? ^B??XX?Y[K?\??[ ?\??Z[??]?X?X]YH ?\?]Y?Z[?[? ?\?[?[ H ??[?Y ??? ???]\??\??\?YY[?X\??][??[Y]\?K?[?[Y\?X?[? ??Y\???&H?[Y]\?K[???[?[??\???[? ???? ??[ ??]\? ?\? ?? [[?\? H]?\?Y H \?HX\? ????Z[?? ??[?Y[?X?[?[? B??[ ?\??\???\??[[? ?H[?X?[??]??[? ? ] K[? ?X?Y?X?[??\?Y?H??H ??[?Y??\?YK????[ ??]\? ?\?H?Y]?? ?X\?\?H?]??Y]??\??B???]\??&\??X] ][??K??H?Y]?? ?X\?\?H0????[X?\?8?& L?0?? ? MB??