US Army

Battle of the Bulge

Severe winterconditions hamper traffic in the Bulge,January 1945. Service Company,505th Parachute-Infantry vehicles with supplies are stuck in the snow. Howard P. MELVIN, 1st Sgt, I Co, 505th PIR, 82d Abn Div, USA, 12061240, recollections) ~~ I joined the service February 23, 1942, and after receiving Basic Training, volunteered for the Paratroops ! It looked attractive, sounded interesting, and provided for extra pay ! I got my "wings" in July 1942 . I was part of all the major combat jumps made by the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and participated in 6 Campaigns, making 4 Combat Jumps � I joined the "All Americans" for the Assault against Sicily (July 1943), the Jump over Salerno (September 1943), the Normandy Operation (June 1944), the Holland Jump (September 1944), and also took part in the fighting during the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944-January 1945) . I was a member of I Company and served as a Rifleman, got started as a private, then promoted to Corporal, followed by Sergeant, and became the Regimental Sergeant-Major after the Holland Campaign . I retired a First Sergeant, but on returning to the US in 1945, I got reassigned as Regimental Supply Sergeant, 505th PIR ! While in Normandy, the guys from my Company already hated my guts, and thought I was a real s.o.b., I kind of have a rather powerful voice and shouted a lot; but I still think my job was to care for the men and the equipment, and that's just what I did ! When stationed in the Belgian Ardennes my main concern was cold and hunger , sometimes we were lucky and found some temporary shelter in an old barn, or abandoned houses, where bits of food might be available ... we had to wear different layers of clothing to keep warm, and some of us managed to scrounge for warm clothing . I at one time I was wearing woolen underclothes, a woolen shirt, a woolen sweater, topped by an M-43 field jacket combined with long johns, woolen trousers covered by mountain trousers, woolen socks, thick ski socks and double-buckle boots, I never saw neither overshoes nor shoepacs during that cold and bitter winter . Howard P.Melvin made his final jump on July 5, 2002.Airborne all the way.RIP greetz,brummbar