Chapter 57: Valley of the shadow
In Chapter 57, the men of F-85 advance across the vally towards the German positions.
1. Johnny's thoughts and conversations are fictionalized, but the names and events are believed accurate.
2. We do not know if Johnny saw Lieutenant Callahan get killed. Marty Daneman, serving with F Company at the time, saw Lieutenant Callahan get hit by an artillery shell.
3. The incident with the mud-jammed rifle as told by Phil Lane, but we don't know if John was nearby when that happened.
4. Don Montgomery and Bill Kehres didn't attach any particular significance to Bob Dole at that time.
5. The general description of James Winterbottom's use of the knee mortar is based on numberous mentions in interviews and varous books, including Carl Cossin's book.
6. The incident with the Lieutenant and the men who refused to take unsafe positions as told by Phil Lane.
7. The incident with the noise at night and the grenade based on similar reported incidents.
8. We don't know if Johnny or Bobby Kraft saw Private First Class John Magrath that day, but they were on the same hill at the same time, so it is not impossible. I wanted to included Pvt Magrath in the book in some way to pay tribute to the only 10th Mountain Infantry Division soldier to be awarded the Medal of Honor during WWII.
9. Review the F-85 morning reports for April 14, 1945.
Media and Web links:
1. Figure 57-1 Video: Bill Kehres describes the start of the attack on April 14, 1945.
2. Figure 57-2 Video: Bill Kehres describes crossing the valley on the morning of April 14th.
3. Figure 57-3 Video: Bill Kehres talks about getting hit and the rest of his April 14th.
4. Figure 57-4 Video: Carl Cossin describes Ed Welche's heroic rescue of a wounded comrade on April 14th.
5. Figure 57-5 Video: James Orwig describes his experience on the morning of April 14th.
Copyright 2007 by Dan Oja