Captain Claude D. Wallace

In the early morning of December 19, 1944, the spearhead of the 101st Airborne Division arrived at Bastogne. The first unit of the Screaming Eagles sent to stop the Germans was the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment. The order General Antony McCauliffe gave to the Regimental Commander, Colonel Ewell, was brief: “Move out along this road at six o’clock, make contact, attack, and clear up the situation.”

Major Raymond Bottomly’s 1st Battalion was ordered to take the lead. After being stopped on his main road of advance at Neffe, Ewell ordered the 2nd Battalion, 501st, to his left flank to find out the enemy’s intentions from that side. The 3rd Battalion was sent to the right flank.

Parts of the 3rd Battalion reached Mont, and at around 13:30 hours, Item Company was ordered to advance to Wardin. The order turned out to be a death trap. Item Company took the full brunt of an attack led by seven tanks and one infantry battalion from the Panzer Lehr Division.

The company lost 45 enlisted men and four officers that afternoon. Among those who were killed in action was their company commander, Captain Claude D. Wallace Jr. (12 October 1920 – 19 December 1944). 🦅

Captain Wallace was one of the first Screaming Eagles to be killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge, with many more men perishing during the defense of Bastogne.

Over the next week, we will honor and remember some of the men who fought and died in the Battle of the Bulge, with a brief article published each day.

Lest we forget! 🇺🇸

Courtesy of David Blackburn

Source:

Bastogne, the First Eight Days (Rendezvous With Destiny, pp. 443 – 456)