Sketch sent to me by my friend and Ardennes survivor, John McAuliffe. Tell me that you don't feel chilled to the bone after staring at this for a while?
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter 'Monday' Poniedzialek
540th Combat Engineer - H&S Company
Yes Marion!! I still shiver thinking about the 44-45 winter. And I am sure Recon feels
the same. Our 3rd Inf Div suffered 2050 battle casualties (WIA, KIA and MIA) but 2520
non-battle casualties. Many from frostbite, pneumonia, frosen hands and feet and
all sort of problems that winter, just from Jan 23' 44 to Mar. 14 '45 (from the History of the 3rd Inf Div in WW 2 ). That is about 30 percent of the Div in about 7 weeks.. Winter
took its toll in more ways than one.
