Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Sergeant

Unit:

Squad Leader, Company B, 1st Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles", US Army

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Sergeant

Unit:

Squad Leader, Company B, 1st Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles", US Army

Witness account:
"On the 4th of October, 3rd Battalion was dug in to defend the small village of Opheusden. They held the line very well until it was evident that they needed help. On the evening of the 5th, around 2 o'clock we were dispatched forward in order to attack. the objective was a dyke about six hundred yards out of town. We made the attack and moved a couple of hundred yards out of the town, but were stopped cold. Clifford had been in charge of his first Squad and things had been helping out quiet well because of his knowledge of the Dutch Language. He used it several times that night to great advantage when the enemy tried to send his patrols against our outposts in effort to find weak spots to throw his main effort the following morning. After a heavy fight we were still holding the line in the morning. It was a great disadvantage when the Germans stopped us short of their objective, which was the dyke. That gave us a poor terrain to defend on, and even worse: we knew that the Germans were aware of this advantage, and they would make use of that. The Germans struck right on schedule, with a full regiment, supported with his Tiger Tanks. We were forced to draw in there lines to properly defend the village and to avoid being overrun. The Germans reached the edge of the town..and kept pushing forward. The only road to our rear was cut off and without it to receive supplies of ammunition, medical supplies and to evacuate the wounded we could not hold out long. The dicision was the only one that could be made in such circumstances: simply attack to break the road open again. Several repeated attacks were made against what seemed to be hopeless odds. The Germans had higher ground on both sides of the 2 rivers (the Rhine and the Waal) , and the atillery gunners took a holiday in firing what our Regimental Commander later told us was the Germans greatest concentration since El Alimein in North Africa. One of the shells landed a few feet from Clifford, who was standing next to his Machine gunner and Platoon Officer. All 3 were killed."