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We were on the move again, this time traveling northeast. The tanks rolled all that day and through the night and even the next day until reaching Margraten, Holland. This trip was through four countries, Luxembourg, France, Belgium and Holland. It no doubt showed us how small these European countries are, and why it was so easy to overrun their land.

On reaching Margraten, Holland, we were quartered in a very large barn, with thirty cows, six horses, ten hogs, some chickens, and a large dog that had an uncanny habit of howling in the middle of the night. Only difference is that we slept up in the hay loft on hay piled four or five feet high. Our location was in the path of the German Buzz Bombs, and at night they could be seen traveling through the skies like shooting stars. One of these bombs landed in our vicinity at night and shook the building from the concussion. While here we were assigned to the Ninth Army. On the outskirts of this town was a large Ninth Army cemetery, which naturally drew many remarks from the men, all in terms of hoping never to have to pass the entrance gate.

While here we received about twenty new men. They were to make the fifth man in each tank, for we were previously operating short handed with a crew of only four. Three days in succession we were alerted to move up on the line at Hinesberg, Germany for our first engagement, but it was always postponed and finally canceled.

On Feb 21st we left Margraten, Holland to be placed on the line for the first time in Posterholt, Holland. Here we only participated in indirect firing across the Roer River into Voldrop, Germany. The object was to soften the enemy's defenses so we could cross the Roer. Just before the crossing, we helped to lay down a barrage of artillery only second to the one put down on D-Day.

On Feb 28th we left Posterhold, Holland and crossed the Roer River. It seemed more like a wide stream and we were wondering how it held up our Army so long. Once across, we were traveling through the northern defenses of the Siegfried line. It was a mass of large strong pill boxes covering each other, and the land was covered with bathed wire entanglements. We assumed the units that took this sector had quite a job. We passed through three towns which had been evacuated by German troops, therefore no resistance. Not trusting the lone houses and barns that dotted the countryside, they were taken under fire by the tanks. We were moving too easily since crossing the Roer, and nobody trusted their surroundings. Where were all those German troops that were holding up the advance of our Armies before crossing the Roer?

After spending a night in Am Stern, Germany, the morning found us with a mission to take the town of Aldekerk, Germany, with the rest of our Combat Command. To date we've been more or less just following the wake of other advanced units, but now we were to be making the new front lines. Guns were checked, ammunition was placed in the handiest places, and everything else was given a last minute check. Our company being the light tank outfit of the Battalion was selected to spearhead this assault. The first sight of Aldekerk was afforded us from a bridge the tank column passed over. Here we saw a large clean German town on the side of a wide highway, basking in the sun. The streets were deserted, except for a few stray dogs.

The company split up into platoons at the entrance and resembled a fork prong traveling hell bent up different streets. Upon reaching our designated area, the infantry men who followed us in half tracks started to clear out the houses. We remained in our vehicles at the alert, prepared to blow the buildings apart at the least sign of resistance. Nothing happened, so we dismounted to help check each individual house in our area from cellar to attic. All we could find were cowering women and children in the cellars. They were very much afraid, and crying. Here we were expecting to fight for this town, and all we were accomplishing was scaring women and children. We later found the reason why, They had been told to expect the worse from the American soldiers, cold blooded murder, rape, pillaging and torture, for no crime was too low for the American soldier to commit. Alderkerk was taken without a shot being fired. We all looked at each other and said "this is an ideal war, not even a casualty".

After staying at Aldekerk for two days, we were given another mission. It was to take the towns of Lintford and Rheinberg and to capture the two bridges crossing the Rhine River at Wesel, Germany. Without a doubt we knew the bridges across the Rhine were the important objective, because to date no army was over this last real barrier to Berlin. We were all flattered to be given this important mission. The Allied world was waiting eagerly for news of an allied bridge over the Rhine, and we were picked to spearhead the drive for the Ninth Army.