RHM and WWII

Following OCS at Camp Barkeley, Dick's next known destination is Camp Maxey , near Powderly, TX. It was named Camp Maxey in honor of Confederate Brigadier General Samuel Bell Maxey.

The 99th Division Begins

From a Camp Maxey Wikipedia page: "In November 1943, the 99th Infantry Division, nicknamed the "Checkerboard Division", arrived at Camp Maxey under the command of Major General Walter E. Lauer. The 99th Infantry Division trained at Camp Maxey until September 1944 and was sent into action in the European Theatre." Dick was in the newly formed 99th Division commanded by two-star major general Walter E Lauer.

A picture from '44 at Camp Maxey of Robert H Pfeifer, MD with Captain Thomas Egan is below. Pfeifer would later write and sign a Commendation for Dick that assumably got him a promotion to Captain, indicating that Pfeifer must have been Dick's CO during the Battle of Bulge action.

Aug '44 – A Special Troops Chapel service was held in 6 Aug 1994, perhaps in advance of the unit's pending deployment to the European theater. The obituary for Cpl Zack Castleberry, one of the ushers at the service, may be found here.

Sep '44 – Dick departed for EAME (European African Middle Eastern) on 29 Sep 44 and arrived on 10 Oct 44. He was now in the war.

Nov '44 – RHM is in Monschau, Germany. "During World War II the town of Monschau, sitting on a vital road network, was a point of great tactical importance in the opening phase of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 as the northernmost point of the battlefront".² Dick was in the 99th Infantry Division (a newly formed Division; nicknamed "Battle Babies" and compromised of the 393rd, 394th, 395th Infantry Regiments and supporting units, spent approximately 151 days in combat during World War Two) and it "...had arrived on the Continent in November 1944 and been placed in this defensive sector to acquire experience."

A detailed description of the 324th Medical Battalion's (of which Dick was attached) movements may be read here and here. The first link is a bit more helpful with more specifics. Assuming Dick was in Company A (at least he was after VE-Day), he traveled to the UK on the USAT "Exchequer", a 473 foot-long ship capable of carrying 1,613 passengers.

"The 99th Infantry Division was formed in 1942 and deployed overseas in 1944. The "Checkerboard" or "Battle Babies" division landed at the French port of Le Havre and proceeded northeast to Belgium. During the heavy fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, the unit suffered many casualties, yet tenaciously held its defensive position. In March 1945, the 99th advanced into the Rhineland, crossing the Rhine River at Remagen on March 11. After fighting in the Ruhr area, the unit moved southward into Bavaria, where it was located at the end of the war.

The 99th Infantry Division and the Liberation of Dachau Subcamps

I remember Dad talking about the horrible condition of the people from one of the camps they liberated. I can't say whether it was a POW or a concentration camp. The 99th Infantry Division was recognized as a liberating unit by the US Army's Center of Military History and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1992. From the Holocaust Encyclopedia by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on the 99th Infantry Division:³

On May 3-4, 1945, as the 99th moved deeper into Bavaria, it liberated one of a number of Dachau subcamps near the town of Mühldorf. The unit reported on May 4, that it had "liberated 3 labor camps and 1 concentration camp." The concentration camp was one of the "forest camps" (Waldlager) tied to the Mühldorf camp complex. The 99th Infantry's report stated that 1,500 Jews were "living under terrible conditions and approximately 600 required hospitalization due to starvation and disease."

Another description of the movements of the 99th Division from Wikipedia: "He (Lauer) took the 99th, consisting almost entirely of conscripts (or draftees), to England on October 10, 1944, and arrived with his troops on the Western Front on November 4, 1944. They were moved rapidly into the front line on 11 November 1944, just 35 days before the German Army's winter offensive of 1944 hit the 99th. The 99th was assigned to hold a 22 miles (35 km) long front. The green troops of the 99th, along with the battle-tested 2nd Infantry Division, held a key sector controlling access to Spa and Liege and large repositories of ammunition, fuel, and supplies. Despite being outnumbered by German forces at least five to one, during the Battle of Elsenborn Ridge they did not yield. It was the only sector of the American front lines during the German offensive where the Germans failed to advance."

Sep '44 – Assuming Dick was in Company A, his unit's movements from September '44 through VE Day, 7 May '45 (adapted from "324th Medical Battalion, Unit History"):

Belgium and Battle of the Bulge

Nov '44 – By mid-November, Command Post for Company A was established in Aubel and Krinkelt, Belgium.

Dec '44 – Dick's commander during 16-20 December 1944 , Capt Anthony J. Lentine (A Co), receives Bronze Star on 30 January 1945 for meritorious service in command of A Company during the period. One of Dick's friends, Capt Thomas A. Egan (C Co), received a Bronze Star on 8 January 1945 for meritorious service in command of C Company during the same period.

Dec '44 – On 9 Dec, advance warning was given that the 99th Infantry Division would be involved in combined offensive operations with the 2d Infantry Division, commencing on 13 December.

13-20 Dec '44 – "Evacuation problems increased due to snow, rugged and heavily wooded terrain, and the lack of adequate road nets in the Battalion's forward positions. Long hand-litter parties were necessary and Litter-equipped Jeeps proved of exceptional value whenever they could be utilized. Sleds, improvised from civilian skis, proved of value in deep snow, and additional Litter Bearers were obtained from line troops when necessary."

Mar '45 – Note: The bridge at Remagen was actually named the Ludendorff Bridge (Ludendorff-Brücke) and was a critical bridge allowing for transport of troops and material during war. A Wikipedia article on the bridge may be reviewed here.

May '45 – Victory in Europe (VE) Day was declared on 8 May 1945.

Jun '45 – In a post-VE Day portrait of Dick taken in June '45, Dick wrote on the back that he was "1st Lt, 1st Army, 99th Div, 324th Med Bn, Co A".

The Unit History of the 324th Medical Battalion may be found here.

"Battle Babies; The Story Of The 99th Infantry Division In World War II", by Walter E Lauer in 1951 (open-source) is an excellent history of the 99th Division is available here for reading on-line. Alternatively, you can download the pdf of the book here .

Jul '45 – What is known is that Dick said that he was part of an occupying military force that administrated governance for a portion of Germany. He said that he loved the duty; that he and about six or so others had a great headquarters to live in with cooks, maids, and drivers. Quite the life for a 25-year old who a few months earlier was being shot at while littering the wounded to care sites. He was willing to make a career of the Army; he said that he only came home to placate his parents who missed him.

Jul '45 – Dick was in Ansbach, Germany where he was assumably with the 325th Medical Battalion. He had a photo of the Clearing Company building, which during WWII was "a medical unit that treated and evacuated wounded and sick soldiers. They operated clearing stations to sort and prepare patients for further treatment." What is unclear is how/when/where he served as an Intelligence Officer as Dick received a Battalion Intelligence Officer Lapel button.

Jun '45 – Dick is in Lohr, Germany. One of his friends there is Herb Power who was awarded a Bronze Star as a 1st Lt. He made it through the war and had a medical practice in Vaiden, MIssissippi. He died in June of 1989 at age 70. His Find-a-Grave page is here.

Aug 2001 – Robert H Pfeifer, MD, Dick's commanding officer dies at the age of 84 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He had gone on to become an ophthalmologist. His obituary is below. He was awarded a Bronze Star as a Captain.

Sep 2011 – Lester L Dunn is in one of the pictures Dick took while in the Lohr region of Germany post‑VE Day and was awarded the Bronze Star as a First Lt. From Lester's obituary: "He entered the war as Private Lester Dunn, quickly became Lieutenant Dunn and left as Captain Dunn in 1946 with a bronze star due to his heroic efforts in the Battle of the Bulge. He returned to BPC (SNU) where he became head of the music department and retired in 1978." His obituary is below.

Apr '46 – Dick leaves European African Middle Eastern (EAME) area for Ft. Dix, NJ on 15 Apr.and arrives in the US on 24 Apr. It is assumed that he is quartered in Fort Dix, NJ as that is his place of separation. His Adjusted Service Ratings (ASR) score was 69. The rules were simple in general principle: "those who had fought longest and hardest should be returned home for discharge first."

Jun '46 – RHM is separated from the US Army at Ft. Dix, NJ, effective 19 Jun 1946 (a Wednesday) as a member of the 99th Infantry Division. He was in the service for 31 months and 16 days. He served one year and 21 days in Continental Service and one year, six months, and 25 days in Foreign Service.

Dick entered active duty on 3 Nov 1943 as a "Litter Officer". The Battles and Campaigns he participated in were: Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe. He was awarded the following Decorations and Citations: American Campaign Medal, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and the Army of Occupation Medal. He attend Officers Candidate School Class #25 at Camp Barkeley. Dick also received a Battalion Intelligence Officer Lapel button and a Meritorious Service Unit Plaque.

Aug '46 – Dick applies for a Hospital Administration position through the Federal Employment system. He desired a position that would pay no less than $3,000 salary per year (about $50,000 in 2024) and were within 100 miles of Philadelphia. He puts his height at 5' 2½" and weight at 167 pounds. He never gets such a position.