INTERVIEW

CAPTAIN JOHN PASCO, JR.
S-3, Air, 36th Tank Battalion

TO: 1st lt. Howard L. Oleck, (Historical Officer)
AT; Venlo, Holland, 1530 hours, 13 March 1945.

Captain John Pasco, Jr. was sent by Major Van Houten to bring up infantry support for the tanks.

His verbatim statement follows:

"I found Col. Murray, C.O. of the 137th Infantry, in Lintfort about 1630, 5 March 1945, about to send a battalion of infantry to Rheinberg. This was the 3rd Battalion of that regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. Butler.

I had radio contact with the tank force at Rheinberg, so accompanied this infantry battalion so that they would have some contact with the tanks.

At 1730 this battalion moved out, with one company mounted on 12 tanks (colored tank company), and 2 companies mounted in trucks. The tank C.O. was leading the column, and it was planned that this force would proceed up the canal road northeast to Rheinberg, joining D Company of the 36th Tank Battalion. We ended up on the road that runs to Rheinberg from the south, through Winterswick. The colored tank company turned right at one road junction, instead of left, and went toward Orsey. I finally ran down and brought them back.

I stopped the entrucked infantry and had them dismount in the vicinity of Winterswick and move in to assist the tanks in taking Rheinberg.