Hawkeye Gets Ammunition to Yanks
By Frank Miles
Iowa Daily Press War Correspondent
In the Field with the 1st Army (IDPA) -- T/5 Ruben F. Rosnou, Sumner, was one of the heroes of the early fighting in the Rhine river crossing. The stalwart Hawkeye led 3 trucks loaded with 42 chemical mortar ammunition over the Remagen bridge under terrific enemy fire, saving American gunners, who had reached the German side. Military policemen warned him against the attempt to go across at that time.
Rosenou knew that without ammunition many comrades might be killed or captured. His crew decided to take the risks. Enroute the wheels of one truck stuck in a shell hole on the bridge. All 3 crews tore into the job of getting them out. Shells exploded around them but their mission was completed without the loss of a man. The ammunition arrived just as gunners were using their last rounds.
Lt. Col. Robert F. Evans, Davenport, of the first infantry division, has been awarded the legion of merit of exceptionally outstanding conduct in the performance of services in connection with the first assault on the Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944.
John G. Berfield, Clear Lake, is in the 32nd medical depot company, which has issued its 200,000 first aid packet.
"Our depot also claims to be the first unit of its type to operate in France when our advance platoon landed on June 7, set up and started issuing supplies on June 9." Maj. J.H. Trentholm, commanding officer, stated. "Since then the depot is still up front supplying front line troops.
Three Iowans are in the 204th field artillery battalion, which has fired its 50,000 the round. They are T/4 Linsworth Cleveland, Eagle Grove, Cpl. Donald B. Black, Iowa City, and Pfc. Arthur L. Horn, Perry.
Pvt. Charles Meyer, Dubuque, was in a 9-man reconnaissance patrol of the 1st division that made its way
across 1,500 yards of open terrain to reach the town of Dirmerzheim.
They expected hostile shots. When they arrived to their surprise, the place was almost deserted and 11 Jerry soldiers surrendered meekly after being dug out of hiding.
I saw the formal opening of the first American air field in Germany.
Correspondents were permitted to hear the interrogation of the flyers of the first group to take off on a mission that day. One youth reported he dived and strafed 50 German soldiers he caught marching on a highway. Another said he saw a road jammed with civilians walking east, carrying personal articles. One plane bombed a train as it emerged from a tunnel.
"Sitting Bull" was the name of the Red Cross clubmobile where returning crews were served doughnuts and coffee.
Going to the affair in a jeep, I saw a German jet plane streaking across the sky less than 1,000 feet high. American ack ack guns fired at it as it disappeared from our view in a cloud.
German civilians were filling trenches German soldiers had dug on the air field.
Source: Mason City Globe-Gazette, April 30, 1945
