Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
10:55 | During the final push to end the war, the fighting was still heavy recalls Radio Operator Lewis Emerson. In fact, the crossing of the Neckar River and the battle for Heilbronn were the bloodiest of the war for his unit.
Keywords : Lewis Emerson Rimling Germany Bitche France Sam D’Agostino Heilbronn Rhine River Mannheim Heidelberg Stan Pape Neckar River Lt. Edward Clark Bonner Teeter
Army recruit Lewis Emerson was promised he would enter electronics school after basic training, but the manpower needs for a second front in Europe delayed those plans. He shipped out for France to join the push from the South.
When Radio Operator Lewis Emerson landed in Marseilles to join the fight, he heard Axis Sally on the radio and it scared him. The Nazi propagandist knew more about his unit and the plans for it than he did.
Lewis Emerson was most afraid after the shooting stopped. It wasn’t helped by the loss of commanders as soon as his unit entered combat, but the appointment of Col. Wiley Wisdom gave him hope. “He took us through the war.”
A pleasant memory of the war for Lewis Emerson was the good wine offered by the French civilians to the American troops. Less pleasant was the memory of the sound of the Screaming Mimi, a Nazi projectile weapon.
In the battle for the towns of Bitche and Rimling, Lewis Emerson’s fight was made more difficult by the movement of Patton's army to the Bastogne assault. His unit suffered heavy losses in the snow and bitter cold.
Lewis Emerson recalls the exploits of Sgt. Charles Carey, an eventual Medal of Honor honoree, who was a natural leader and close friend. The bravado of Carey inspired Emerson and all who knew him.
As a Radio Operator, Lewis Emerson worked with a Forward Observer and relayed targeting information to the artillery gunners. He marveled at the precision and timing of the fire and would hear the gunner say “Splash” over the radio just as the shells hit.
Lewis Emerson lost his best friend to a mortar round in the final push to victory. Jimmy Rembert caught shrapnel from the round and Emerson felt guilty because he was on leave when it happened. He also recalls an enounter with some German soldiers.
Without enough points to return home after victory in Europe, Lewis Emerson did not mind so much. The occupation duty was light and the German women were friendly.
