Cpl Frank Lege, My Grandfather
Remagen Bridgehead, 1945
Genealogy Matters Storyteller Tuesday Challenge: MILITARY MARVEL
In early March, 1945, the bitter cold of the Ardennes gave way to mud and grime when Corporal Frank Lege and his unit, Company E of the 2nd Battalion, 78th Infantry Division Reserve, 310th Infantry Regiment, arrived at the Remagen Bridgehead, days after his baby girl Jackie’s first birthday on March 1.1 Frank kept a precious photo of his young family in his breast pocket as a reminder of the life he was fighting to return to.
The bridge, though damaged by the retreating Germans, still stood, a vital artery across the Rhine. The air crackled with anticipation and dread.
On March 8, the 2nd Battalion, pushed forward, advancing to 2,000 yards south of Heimershelm. They dug in, setting up a defensive position. The next day, together the 2nd and the 3rd Battalions held and improved their positions west of the Rhine. Frank was keenly aware that a dangerous order to cross the bridge was imminent.
That day, while moving supplies in the chaotic and slippery conditions of their defensive position, Frank missed his footing. He fell awkwardly, crying out, first in surprise, then searing pain, as he realized his knee was twisted at an unnatural angle.
The next 7 to 10 days were a blur. With a diagnosis of a dislocated knee, Frank was first taken to the Battalion aid station, where he heard the terrifying sounds of shelling as he lay safe in a cot. Soon he was transported to a hospital in Leige, Belgium so his injured knee could heal.
He felt quiet relief; almost a shameful whisper. Could he have subconsciously injured himself? The thought made his stomach churn. He was a Texan, a soldier. The idea went against every fiber of his being, against the very code of honor he believed in. He had been terrified, but not enough to shame himself or his family. He knew he had simply been in the wrong place, at the wrong time, taking the wrong step.
*Cpl Lege rejoined his Company after a week and continued to fight against the Germans until VE Day.
Brubeck. William E.; Hollins, Lewis S.; and the United States Army, “The story of the 310th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division in the war against Germany, 1942-1945” (1946). World War Regimental Histories, 36. http://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/ww_reg_his/36