[bobabode]

Dad's stint was in Patton's Third Army, Tenth Armored Tigers Hdqtrs battalion. He never rose above pfc and was a mailman. Sadly the after action reports burnt up in a fire in St. Louis but along with the Ardennes ribbon and recognition as a liberating unit of a death camp and a Bronze Star there wasn't much else except a hand written ribbon the says 20th AIB Bastogne. I know he wasn't with those guys in Bastogne as I and my siblings would've never been born. He had a lot of friends killed and wounded there. A few years after VE day the general in charge of the defense of Bastogne commented that it was a shame that the Tenth AD CCB never got recognition for their part in saving Bastogne during he Battle of the Bulge. The 101st Airborne would never even got into Bastonge much less held it without those Tenth Armored Tigers.
I sure would like to find out how a mailclerk at Division Hdqtrs won a Bronze Star. As far as I can tell they weren't handed out like candy. The CCB was another unit that received the Presidential Unit Citation alongside the 101st Airborne. CCB came under Gen."Nutz" McAuliffes command once they were cut off and served as the "Bastogne Fire Brigade" during the siege. Whenever the Panzers would try a thrust at the town ,CCB was hurried to push 'em back and plug the holes. They were racing around in their Shermans and tank destroyers fighting off panzers and worse. Tigers and even a few Elephants were thrown at these guys and they fell back grudgingly and made those SS assholes bleed.