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The remaining men of the Company were moving back to sleep in Lintford that night. On the way, we were passed by hundreds of German troops being marched to the rear with hands over their heads as prisoners. Upon reaching Lintford, we took over a beautiful home, and had our first chance to see what was left of the Company. Many men were nervous, and the day's action was reflected in the strained look on their faces. They had the look of men who have gone into an unbelievable hell and saw and done things almost inconceivable. We looked at each other as if to say, we were the lucky few. Coffee and a good hot meal was made, but only the coffee was appreciated, because we knew some of our men were still out there fighting behind enemy lines. And many of them would never be able to tell their story. The morning found us preparing to move to Rhineberg which had been taken during the night. Some more men of the Company had also made their appearance, after fighting their way back from the enemy lines.

Two tanks which were disabled through minor damage were recovered during the night, and brought our tank force up to three. We moved to Rhineberg passing through the area that was a battlefield only hours ago. The light of day unfolded the powerful defenses prepared by the enemy, the burnt out tanks lost the day before, and the American and German dead. Upon reaching Rhineberg, the town was being baptized by enemy artillery from across the Rhine. The company was quartered in a house on the main street.

The company was gathered in the kitchen for the roll call. Twenty four hours before, we represented more than a hundred men. But now what remained could fit in a kitchen room. The names were called off, but many of them went unanswered. This silence keenly showed us the price the company paid the day before.

One of the men came in with a case of French Champagne found in one of the local cellars, which contained over six thousand bottles of wine and cases of Champagne. Everybody was shaky from the shelling outside so a stimulant was more than welcomed. While drinking one of the boys said, "I've always heard you had to pay a high price for Champagne".

Our mission was not completed yet. We still were part of the task force to take the bridge at Wesel. That night tank crews were formed from the company to man the three tanks. They were alerted in the darkness to move out on orders. The men were resigned to their fate with the fresh memories of only the day before. They were expecting the worse, for they felt their luck would not hold out indefinitely. It was a mission we were fearing, but ready to fulfill. Three hours later, we rejoiced to hear our company would not be used. All night long, heavy artillery and mortars were dueling across the Rhine.

The next day, while getting our few remaining vehicles in better working condition, a heavy shell from across the Rhine struck the side of a building near the vehicles, and poured its deadly shrapnel into a group of the company. Three were killed and five were wounded, taking a toll of eight more of the company.

The barrage from across the Rhine was becoming more intense. Without a doubt, we developed a keen respect for the whistle of the enemy shells and would automatically embrace the bosom of Mother Earth before the shell exploded. No longer were the above street level houses considered safe. We slept in the cellar and even on the coal pile for want of space.

On March 8th, 1945 the tension was relieved, when orders came down that our particular company was to pull back to Lintford and guard trains. It was surprising to see how crowded the streets were with civilians going on their way as if nothing had happened. Yet the bitterest battle only six miles away was being waged to establish a bridgehead over the Rhine, and this town had felt the brunt of our armor only three days ago. And the only signs that war had passed through Lintford were the dead horses in the streets and the partly shattered buildings. Our tanks knocked out of action just outside of this town were brought back here to our ordinance outfit to be repaired or salvaged. It gave one a peculiar feeling to see these broken and burnt out hulls being dragged through the streets to the repair buildings. Nine of our tanks were burnt beyond salvage. We stayed in Lintford until March 12th, 1945.