”The Greatest of the Greatest Generation"

The fraternization edict was soon forgotten as the regiment moved to Bergstein, about three miles west of the Roer River, the last obstacle west of the Rhine River.

On February 9, The 508^th PIR was ordered to seize and hold the West shore of the Roer River.  By midmorning, the entire regiment was in position overlooking the approaches to the Roer River.  Upstream, the famous Schwammenauel Dam was partially demolished by the Germans before its capture.  As a result, the Roer River area was partially flooded and the projected river crossing was delayed.

On February 17, word was passed that the 82^nd Airborne Division was returning to Sissonne and going into reserve.  The next day, the 508^th PIR marched to Schmidt and loaded on boxcars.  It arrived in Sissonne on February 20.

In the period December 17, 1944 to February 17, 1945, the 508^th PIR’s battle casualties included 101 men killed in action, 33 died of wounds and 398 men were wounded in action.  Two hundred seventy three men were injured and 23 men were reported missing in action.

Although no one suspected it at the time, the fighting days of the 508^th Parachute Infantry Regiment were over.=

Following is a quotation from the Belgian Minister of National Defense Decree Number 1034, awarding the 82^nd Airborne Division and the 508^th Parachute Infantry the Belgian Foregoer of 1940.

Citation

At the proposal of the Minister of National Defense, we have decreed and we order:

Article 1: The 82^nd Airborne Division with the 508th Parachute Infantry attached is cited twice in the Order of the Day for the Belgian Army and is herewith given the fourragere of 1940, for:

This elite Division which has gone with great elan through the campaigns of Tunisia, Sicily, Holland and France, has distinguished itself particularly in the Battle of the Ardennes from December 17 to December 31, 1944.  Called upon as reinforcement by the Allied High Command in the evening of 17 December, at a time when the Division was near Reims, the Division was able to take up combat positions in the region of Werbomont only 24

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