Image
WWII,DDE
Image
Ike Logo
Image
DDAY
Image
Ike Logo

Stories from the Greatest Generation

Image
D Day
Image
Ike Logo

A Virtual World War II Honor Roll

Search

Filter Your Results

empty

empty e. empty empty

empty

EMPTY
E.
EMPTY
EMPTY

Jan 1, 2000 - Jan 1, 2000
BIRTHPLACE: empty

SOLDIER DETAILS

HIGHEST RANK: empty
DIVISION: empty,
empty
THEATER OF OPERATION: empty
SERVED: Jan 1, 2000 -
DISCHARGED: Jan 1, 2000
BATTLE: empty
MILITARY HONORS: empty
HONORED BY: empty

VIDEOS

empty

BIOGRAPHY

empty
empty

Search Results

Showing Results 1065 - 1072 of 1388

Clarence A. Rutz
Army
Clarence
A.
Rutz
DIVISION: Army,
71st Eng. Battalion
Feb 20, 1916 - Oct 20, 1981
BIRTHPLACE: Elmo, Kansas
HIGHEST RANK: Captain
THEATER OF OPERATION: Pacific
0
0
HONORED BY: Niece, Myrna Rutz Spicer

BIOGRAPHY

Clarence Rutz, my uncle, during his mid 20's enlisted in the U.S. Army. He received basic training at Ft. Riley, Kansas. Afterwards, he was sent to Westover Field, Massachusetts where he served until being transferred to the Philippines. In 1942 when Corregidor fell, he was captured by the Japanese a few days later and along with thousands of others, spent 3 horrendous years as their prisoner. Shortly after capture, hundreds of these prisoners were marched without food, water, adequate clothing, shoes, or needed medical care some 80 miles to Bataan Philippines. Many died enroute and some were bayonetted along the way by their captors for 'practice'. Then 2nd Lt. Rutz survived the march, and along with the others, was liberated in September, 1945. His brother, Sgt. Fred Rutz was stationed in the same area and helped with his liberation. Shortly thereafter, 2nd Lt. Rutz was promoted to Captain. After discharge, he settled in Aurora, Colorado with his wife Meda, daughter Sharon Lee, and later a son Clarke (who was killed as a young man in a hunting accident). Spending his whole post-military life in Aurora, Clarence Rutz was a well respected, active member of the community, participating in many civic affairs until his death in 1981.

Nathan Sachnowitz
Army
Nathan
Sachnowitz
DIVISION: Army,
52nd Armored Infantry Bn., 6th and 9th Armored Divisions
Sep 5, 1921 - May 30, 2019
BIRTHPLACE: San Antonio, TX
HIGHEST RANK: MAJ
THEATER OF OPERATION: European
SERVED: Nov 25, 1940 -
0
0
BATTLE: Battle of the Bulge
MILITARY HONORS: Bronze Star Medal; Purple Heart
HONORED BY: Dickinson County Historical Society & Heritage Center, and the Eisenhower Foundation.

BIOGRAPHY

A complete service record is not available for Nathan Sachnowitz, but we do know he initially enlisted in the National Guard at the age of 19 in 1940. In March 1943, while stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, Sachnowitz was promoted to First Lieutenant of the 9th Armored Division. In May 1943, he married Geraldine "Jerry" Isler of nearby Chapman, KS. Deployed to Europe, now-Lt. Sachnowitz, commander of a heavy machine gun platoon, was captured in Germany on December 19, 1944, likely during the Battle of the Bulge. Sachnowitz was taken to Oflag X111B, a POW camp for officers, in Hammelburg, Germany. (Source: https://hillbillygeek.net/oflag64/display.php?id=1522&in=S) In the waning months of the war, Sachnowitz was released from Stalag II prison camp and rejoined his division. (See attached news articles.) Major Sachnowitz is buried in the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, King County, Washington.

PRISONER OF WAR

Other Service Documents

Sam Sachs
Army Air Corps
Sam
Sachs
DIVISION: Army Air Corps,
82nd airborne.325th Glider Infantry Regiment
Apr 14, 1915 - Feb 4, 2022
BIRTHPLACE: Grand Forks, ND
HIGHEST RANK: Lt. Col
THEATER OF OPERATION: European
0
0
BATTLE: D-day at Normandy Beach
MILITARY HONORS: French Legion of Honor
HONORED BY: The Eisenhower Foundation

BIOGRAPHY

Sam joined the Army in 1931 and was a member of the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne. He was part of D Day landed near Normandy Beach. Sam said when going on missions, "I am Jewish and I will not be taken Prisoner!"." Sam as a Lt Col., led troops and helped liberate concentration camps. “I saw the horrors of the concentration camp, which you cannot believe unless you actually see."

Sam Sachs lived to be 106, dying 1 month before he turned 107.

Eugene M. Sackin
Army
Eugene
M.
Sackin
DIVISION: Army
Apr 23, 1920 -
BIRTHPLACE: Kansas City, Missouri
THEATER OF OPERATION: European
SERVED: Jan 1, 1943 -
0
Jan 1, 1947
0
HONORED BY: Wife, Margorie E. Sackin
Charles J. Sager
Army
Charles
J.
Sager
DIVISION: Army,
Signal Corps
Sep 7, 1917 - Aug 29, 1993
BIRTHPLACE: Solomon, KS
THEATER OF OPERATION: Pacific
SERVED: Mar 13, 1942 -
0
0
HONORED BY: Dickinson County Historical Society and Heritage Center, and the Eisenhower Foundation

BIOGRAPHY

No service information available. Charles' brother, Lawrence W. Sager, served in Europe with the Army Air Corps during World War II.

Lawrence W. Sager
Army Air Corps
Lawrence
W.
Sager
DIVISION: Army Air Corps
Apr 29, 1920 - Dec 18, 2010
BIRTHPLACE: Solomon, KS
HIGHEST RANK: S/SGT
THEATER OF OPERATION: European
0
0
HONORED BY: Dickinson County Historical Society and Heritage Center, and the Eisenhower Foundation

BIOGRAPHY

Lawrence Sager was known by his family and friends in Herington, Kansas, as "Peewee", and as "Shorty" at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he worked for many years at the airbase as an airframe foreman. During World War II, Sager was a Staff Sergeant working on aircraft hydraulic systems, and saw action in Northern France and the Rhineland Theaters. He was proud to be called a "Tin Bender". His brother, Charles Joseph Sager, served in the South Pacific during World War II, with the US Army Signal Corps.

Manuel Salas
Army
Manuel
Salas
DIVISION: Army,
Co. K, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division
Aug 9, 1923 - Dec 19, 1945
BIRTHPLACE: Parsons, Kansas
HIGHEST RANK: PFC
THEATER OF OPERATION: European
SERVED: 1942 -
1
0
BATTLE: D-Day Normandy Invasion, Battle of the Bulge
MILITARY HONORS: Combat Infantryman Badge , Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster
HONORED BY: Dickinson County Historical Society and Heritage Center, and the Eisenhower Foundation

BIOGRAPHY

The following article, “They Chose to Die So Buddies Could Live,” was officially published in Stars and Stripes, Liege Edition on January 23, 1945: “Men of this division today told how an entire squad of doughboys chose to die in order to allow their buddies to escape from a death trap during the recent German counter offensive, the Battle of the Bulge. Obeying the order to hold their position at all costs, the Second Platoon of Co. K., 23rd Inf. Regt., repelled repeated attackers until surrounded on three sides. When Tiger tanks appeared and began firing point blank into the foxhole, the platoon was ordered to withdraw. The Second Squad called back, “Get everybody else out first. We’ll cover them.” As the rest withdrew they saw the attackers concentrating their fury on the tiny point of resistance. German tanks crashed through the scrub pine growth to fire into the foxholes. Emptying their weapons at the waves of Germans, the men climbed from their holes swinging their rifle butts. That was the last their buddies saw of them.“ At the time of the German attack on December 17, 1944, the 3rd Battalion, 23rd Inf. Regt. was defending the main supply routes in the Krinkelter Wald near the Roppenvenn crossroads about 3 miles east of Rocherath-Krinkelt. They managed to repel a total of seven attack waves before they ran out of ammunition and had to withdraw when German infantry accompanied by several tanks struck the men of the 3rd Battalion in a decisive attack. According to the Silver Star commendation: “At this moment Private John Swedick, with fixed bayonet, climbed out from his cover, rushed forward to the enemy infantry following the tanks. When last seen Private Swedick had closed with the enemy and was engaged in bitter hand to hand fighting. Private Swedick, together with every other member of the squad, is missing in action.“ Officially listed as missing in action: S/Sgt. Fred J. Schaeffer, Salem, Oregon Sgt. Leonard W. Story, Mancos, Colorado Pfc. Charles W. Schnair, Maynard, Massachusetts Pfc. Walter L. Gates, New York City Pvt. John Diamond, Shreveport, Louisiana Pvt. John Swedick, Watervliet, New York Pvt. Manuel Salas, Elmo, Kansas The U.S. Army later searched for the bodies of these brave men, but some of them were never found. According to our research only one member of the entire squad managed to survive: PFC Charles W. Schnair was captured by Germans and was held captive in Stalag IV B, Mühlberg until the end of the war. Charles Schnair passed away in 1977 and he is buried in Maynard, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Source: https://indianhead-roster.com/they-chose-to-die-so-buddies-could-live/. See also the attached newspaper articles from August 1944 and possibly December 1944 and/or January 1945. Pvt. Salas is memorialized in the Missing in Action or Buried at Sea Tablets of the Missing at Ardennes American Cemetery Neupre, Belgium.

KILLED IN ACTION
Charles W. Samms
Navy
Charles
W.
Samms
DIVISION: Navy
Aug 4, 1920 - Nov 17, 1992
BIRTHPLACE: Winfield, Kansas
THEATER OF OPERATION: Other
0
0
HONORED BY: Children
empty

empty e. empty empty

empty

EMPTY
E.
EMPTY
EMPTY

Jan 1, 2000 - Jan 1, 2000
BIRTHPLACE: empty

SOLDIER DETAILS

HIGHEST RANK: empty
DIVISION: empty,
empty
THEATER OF OPERATION: empty
SERVED: Jan 1, 2000 -
DISCHARGED: Jan 1, 2000
BATTLE: empty
MILITARY HONORS: empty
HONORED BY: empty

VIDEOS

empty

BIOGRAPHY

empty
empty

The mission of Ike's Soldiers is to honor Dwight D. Eisenhower's legacy through the personal accounts of the soldiers he led and share them with the world.

Image
Sunset
"Humility must always be the portion of any man who receives acclaim earned in blood of his followers and sacrifices of his friends."
Image
Eisenhower Signature

Guildhall Address, London, June 12, 1945