Awards and Decorations of the 628th Tank Destroyer Battalion

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS

Citation Lieutenant Colonel W. M. Hernandez, 0191305, Field Artillery, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action on 20 August 1944 near St. Vincent de Bois, France. With utter disregard for his own safety Lieutenant Colonel Hernandez personally directed the fire of one of this Tank Destroyers, silencing the enemy fire and enabling the forward movement of our troops to continue. His continuous presence with the forward elements combined with his exemplary judgement and leadership, maintained in the face of intense enemy fire, during which he was fatally wounded, set an inspiring example of his command, and are worthy of the best traditions of the service.

Citation First Lieutenant Leon A. Rennebaum, 01822055, 628th Tank Destroyer Battalion, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy on 16 and 17 September 1944, in Germany. In a stubborn engagement with superior enemy forces attempting to encircle a hill held by our troops, First Lieutenant Rennebaum risked his life on unnumerable occasions to bring effective fire from his Tank Destroyers in support of the Infantry. Time and time again, he braved devastating enemy artillery fire, moving on foot to forward elements of the Infantry and to his Tank Destroyer units to direct their fire upon the enemy. When three of his Destroyers were disabled, First Lieutenant Rennebaum cooly and calmly supervised their evacuation under fire and personally returned to the scene of action to recover a remaining vehicle. On another occasion, he courageously drove to the crest of a hill subjected to heavy artillery and mortar fire, and, from his exposed position, singhandedly poured a hail of machine gun fire into attacking hostile troops, forcing them to retreat. Entered Military Service from New Jersey.

FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE

Citation Le President Du Gouvernement Provisoire De la Republique Francaise, Chef des Armees, cite:

A L'ORDRE DU REGIMENT

pour services exceptionnels du Guerre rendus au cours des operations de liberation de la France:

S/Sgt John A. Koczan 32071163

628th Tank Destroyer Bn.
5th Armored Division

Les presentes Citations comportent l'attribution du la Broux de Guerre avec Etoile du Bronze.

Paris, le 25 Jan 1945.

Le General de Gaulle Preside du GPRF.
P.O. Le General D'Armee J U I N
Chef d'Etat-Major General
de la Defense Nationale.

Signe: JUIN

P.A. Le colonel MISSONER
Directeur du Cabinet de I' E.M.G.D.N.

Signe: MISSONIER

SILVER STAR MEDAL

FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION



1st Lt. Basil Belew			B Co. 
1st Lt. Roland A. Eubank		B Co. 
1st Lt. Frank E. Hurt, Jr.		B Co. 
S/Sgt. John C. Boatti			A Co. 
S/Sgt. Gilbert N. Moser			B Co. 
S/Sgt. Daniel W. Scanlon		C Co. 
Sgt. Stanley Z. Basak			C Co. 
Sgt. Wendell A. Chamberlin		C Co. 
Sgt. Lawrence A. Elmore			B Co. 
Sgt. John Kalis				B Co. 
T/4 Allie R. Claycomb			Medics
Cpl. Bobbie C. Bush			A Co. 
T/5 William J. Walters			B Co. 
T/5 Russell K. Burden			Medics
Pfc. Leonard R. Brill			A Co. 
Pfc. George W. Dignan			Recon.
Pvt. Alfred B. Ames			B Co. 
Pvt. Warren J. Beam			Medics

BRONZE STAR MEDAL

HEROIC SERVICE


Capt. Robert C. Jones		C Co.		Cpl. Leo McCartney		B Co. 
1st Lt. Louis Duchscherer	B Co.		Cpl. George O'Brien		A Co. 
1st Lt. Ben J. Smith		C Co. 		Cpl. Joseph L. Olsabeck		A Co. 
2nd Lt. Robert C. Joyce		Recon		Cpl. Patrick P. Pennetti	B Co. 
1st Sgt. Mike Lewka		A Co.		T/5 Harold J. Ashby		Recon 
T/Sgt. John J. Slavinski	Hq Co		T/5 WIlliam J. Boyer		Recon 
S/Sgt William J. Barth		Recon		T/5 Sam Cschignano		Medics
Sgt. George A. De Lia		B Co.		T/5 Floyd Davidson		Medics
Sgt. Lawrence A. Elmore		B Co.		Pfc. Abe J. Auvic, Jr.		A Co. 
Sgt. Michael A. Kull		B Co.		Pfc. Arthur P. Dewey		Medics
Sgt. Doyle E. Swilley		A Co.		Pfc. Charles W. Lamoreaux	Recon 
Cpl. Jack T. Crawford		A Co.		Pfc. William Nicholson		Recon 
Cpl. Earl Daniel		A Co.		Pfc. William E. Brundage	B Co.

MERITORIOUS SERVICE


*Lt. Col. William J. Gallagher	Hq Co 		M/Sgt. George A. Howell		Hq Co 
*Major Hal A. Burgess, Jr.	Hq Co 		M/Sgt. Paul L. Kirkpatrick	Hq Co 
 Major Joseph A. Patalive	Hq Co 		T Sgt. Marvin Allred		B Co. 
 Capt. Joseph F. Bayer		Hq Co 		T/Sgt. Ernest L. Kirshbaum	Hq Co 
 Capt. Francis Tillman England	Medics		S/Sgt. Carl Gutterman		C Co. 
 Capt. James H. Lloyd		A Co.		S/Sgt. Herman A. Fittery	Medics
 Capt. Paul L. McPherran	B Co. 		S/Sgt. John Koczan		A Co. 
 Capt. Elmer V. Sparks		Hq Co 		S/Sgt. Roy E. Mellring		Hq Co 
 Capt. Daniel T. Thomas		Hq Co 		S/Sgt. Dominic A. tomburrini	C Co. 
 Capt. Authur L. Travis 	Hq Co 		T/4 Rene J. Webster, Jr. 	Hq Co 
*Capt. John S. Wright		Hq Co 		Cpl. Jacob A. Koetje		A Co. 
 1st Lt. David Doerr		Recon 		T/5 Paul W. Barnes		Medics
 1st Lt. David C. French	C Co.  		T/5 Alonzo H. Edhn		Medics
*1st Lt. Glenn O. Garber, Jr.	A Co.  		Pfc. George P. Hassen		C Co. 
 1st Lt. Charles H. Geissel	Recon 		Pfc. Kenneth O. Young		Medics
 1st Lt. Herbert A. Pratte	C Co.  		Pvt. Vernon R. Adams		Recon 
 WOJG Frank E. Gerlach		Hq Co		Pvt. Glenn C. Sanders 		Hq Co.

*Indicates Oak Leaf Cluster

PURPLE HEART MEDAL


  Headquarters Company		          "B" Company			      "C Company

 1st Lt. Edward V. Jahoda		 T/5 Ernest Caudill		*Pfc. William W. Le Page
 T/Sgt. Roy Haupt			 T/5 William L. Grizzle		 Pfc. Mathew R. Politylo
 Cpl. John J. Jago			 T/5 Joseph S. Monaco		 Pfc. David Romig
 T/5 Joseph Blozitis			 T/5 William Walters		 Pfc. Harold W. Taylor
 T/5 Edgar H. English			 T/5Nicholas J. Valenti		 Pfc. William T. Tomlin
 T/5 Michael Wojtyszyn			 Pfc. Edward C. De Witt		*Pfc. James W. Carrol
 Pfc. Joe Watts				 Pfc. Jont R. Greens		 Pvt. Judas E. Dixon
 Pvt. David F. Downs			 Pfc. Vincent Iacona		 Pvt. Dan Kelton
 Pvt. Martin M. Ellmer			 Pfc. Joseph P. Keller		 Pvt. Gilbert L. Kluska
					 Pfc. Henry J. Maslowski	 Pvt. Thomas J. Linane
					 Pfc. Theodore Spalte		 Pvt. Carmine Monte jr.
  "A" Company				 Pfc. William G. Van Pett	 Pvt. Allonse M. Witkowski
					 Pfc. William J. Yaker
 1st Lt. Daniel C. French		 Pfc. Joseph J. Ward		  Reconnaissance Company
 1st Lt. Glenn O. Garber, Jr.		 Pfc. Otis Banks
 2nd Lt. E.V. Winchester		 Pfc. Walter Lindewall		 Capt. David Doer
 1st Sgt. Mike Lewka			 Pfc. Samuel Kurtz		 2nd Lt. Robert J. Joyce
 Sgt. George H. Fieldhouse		 Pfc. James E. Smith		 2nd Lt. Craig L. Vinson
 Sgt. Donald T. Hayward			 Pfc. Frank G. Lynn		*S/Sgt. Charles C. Freeman
 Sgt. Chester E. Kapica			 Pfc. Teddy Ozana		 S/Sgt. Arthur P. Puffer
 Sgt. Emil I. Locateili			*Pfc. Alfred B. Ames		 Sgt. Dudley W. Carter
 Sgt. Franci Scanton							 T/5 Harold J. Ashby
 T/4 Ettore DiSarro							 T/5 William J. Boyer
 T/4 William D. Wendelken		   "C" Company		 	 Pfc. Kenneth C. Bishop
 Cpl. Anthony D. Condelmo						 Pfc. Albert H. Greh
*Cpl. Peter Jacquinto			 1st Lt. Seymour Feldman	 Pfc. Charles W. Lamoreaux
*Cpl. Pete Kanischok			 1st Lt. Carl A. Forslund	 Pfc. Kenneth Stephey
 Cpl. George Kee			 1st Lt. Herbert A. Pratte	 Pfc. Anthony B. Zakares
 Cpl. Bishop R. Love, Jr.		 T/Sgt. Joseph S. Drost		 Pvt. Bernie O. Garrison
 Cpl. George T. O'Brien			*S/Sgt. Carl Gutterman		 Pvt. Guy W. Johnson
 Cpl. Frank J. Tartaglia		 S/Sgt. Charles Howlett Jr.	 Pvt. Miles C. Kent
 Cpl. Jesse G. Hunter			 S/Sgt. Daniel D. Scanton	 Pvt. Robert D. Prichard
 T/5 Nunzio J. Rappa			 Sgt. Frank R. Balogh		 Pvt. Marvin T. Rogers
 Pfc. William H. Austin			 Sgt. Stanley Z. Basak		 Pvt. Morris Weinstein
 Pfc. Donald M. Ryder			 Sgt. Robert Fritz
 Pfc Donald H. Schacht			 Sgt. William J. Kane		  Medical Detachment
 Pfc. Luther E. Sells			 Sgt. Joseph J. Riley		
 Pfc. Benny M Youzopovitch		 Sgt. Ursin Trahan		 Capt. Francis T. England
 Pvt. Woard C. Brown 			*Sgt. Edwin Van Vliet 		 T/4 Allie R. Claycomb
					 T/4 Arthur A. Lenlinger	*T/4 Floyd Davidson
  "B" Company			 	 T/4 Elmer H. Knopf	 	 Cpl. Cyrus C. Kauffman
					*T/4 Joseph J. Malvestuto	*T/5 Paul W. Barnes
 1st Lt. Roland A. Eubank		 T/4 Charles E. Morgan		*T/5Sam F. Coschignano
 S/Sgt. Marvin R. Phillips		*T/4 Oscar J. Schneider		 T/5 Thomas J. McCan, Jr.
*S/Sgt. Willie M. Stephens		 T/4 Stoy M. Smith		 Pfc. Kenneth O. Youngs
 Sgt. Freeman P.  Caretti		 Cpl. Upton S. Apling
 Sgt. Lawrence w. Elmore		*Cpl. Victor Gamma
 Sgt. Anthony M. Marrapese		 Cpl. Ashbey C. Long
 Sgt. Louis P. Matchinski		 Cpl. Steve Tepkowski
 Sgt. Patrick P. Pennetti		 Cpl. Charles J. Sarneski
 Sgt. Herbert A. West			 Cpl. Chester B. Singleton
 Sgt. Edward W. Barth			**T/5 Ordell C. Haedrich
 Sgt. Michael A. Kull, Jr.		*T/5 Arthur B. Stancil
 Cpl. Adam S. Kiwior			 T/5 George W. Yusko
 Cpl. Joseph P. Louisa			 Pfc. Lloyd J. Hale
 Cpl. Richard Meehan			 Pfc. Robert W. Herman
 T/5 William Ayers			 Pfc. Walter Kieler


*Indicates Oak Leaf Clusters

EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATION
U.S. ARMY

CERTIFICATE OF MERIT

CITATION


   Headquarters Company			"B" Company				"C" Company

 1st Sgt. Claide L. Wielenga		1st Sgt. Daniel A. Lawlor		Pfc. George P. Hassen
 T/Sgt. Gregor J. Feibel		S/Sgt. Joseph Darrah			Pfc. John W. Majors
 T/Sgt. Roy Haupt			S/Sgt. Marvin P. Phillips		Pfc. David Romig
 T/Sgt. Willis D. Meranda		S/Sgt. Walter Kohlage			Pfc. Ame R. Pena
 T/Sgt. Harry P. Wentworth		Sgt. Edward N. Francht			Pfc. Julian Zatate
 S/Sgt. Nicholas Buchko			Sgt. Mike Gazdayka			Pvt. Dan Helton
 S/Sgt. Anthony J. Kapitan		Sgt. Joseph P. Louisa			Pvt. Joseph Kustos
 S/Sgt. Merle Mountz			Sgt. Edward G. David
 S/Sgt. Daniel Wagner, Jr. 		Sgt. Freeman P. Caetti			Reconnaissance Company
 Sgt. Lassie Moore			Sgt. Charles A. Mead
 Sgt. Harry H. Tobin			Sgt. Herbert A. West			1st Sgt. A. P. Puffer, Jr.
 T/4 Howard J. Fraunpreis		Sgt. John R. Ross			S/Sgt. John Asti
 T/4 Wayne M. Lowery			T/4 Richard M. Culp			S/Sgt. Edward R. Cooper
 T/4 Donald Vazakes			T/4 Edward T. Hyatt			S/Sgt. Alfred Cumer
 T/4 Frank Vervaet, Jr. 		T/4 Robert H. Bratton			S/Sgt. William C. Davis
 t/4 Charles M. Westphal		T/5 Frank A. Hackimer			S/Sgt. Charles C. Freeman
 T/5 Sylvester Karwowski							S/Sgt. John J. Jacobs
 T/5 Walter W. Petrick			"C" Company				S/Sgt. Albert L. Closewicz
 T/5 Richard E. Williams							S/Sgt. Wilbur R. Lowe
 T/5 Anthony Zanis			1st Sgt. Isaac H. Luckey		Sgt. Warren F. Bidwel	
 Pfc. Henry H. Baylor			S/Sgt. LeRoy J. Mercier			Sgt. William J. Boyer 
 Pfc. Paul W. Tibbetts, Jr.		Sgt. Robert Fritz			Sgt. Dudley W. Carter
 Pfc. Howard G. Mailliard		Sgt. Nelson W. Galle			Sgt. Ermand Desiderio
					Sgt. Vincent P. Meecham			Sgt. George A. Fladd
					Sgt. Chester B. Singleton		Sgt. Stephen J. Levandoski
   "A" Company				Sgt. Edward Van Vliet, Jr.		Sgt. FrankW. Satchall
					Sgt. Luther W. Womach			Sgt. John F. Shovlin
 1st Sgt. Mike Lewka			T/4 Arthur A. Denlinger			T/4 Mario A. Del Costello
 T/Sgt. Conrad T. Daily			T/4 Stewart C. Williams			T/4 Franklin T. Wilson
 S/Sgt. James P. Deeb			Cpl. Jack A. Crawford			Cpl. Henry J. Katula, Jr.
 S/Sgt. Francis Kilroy			Cpl. Curtis W. Griffith			T/5 Harold R. Austin, Jr.
 Sgt. Lewis D. Cinkovich		Cpl. Steve Lepkowski			T/5 Edward V. Weselinski
 Sgt. Jacob A. Koetje			Cpl. Charles J. Sarnecki		T/5 Clarence E. Wolte
 T/4 Arnold C. Anderson			T/5 James W. Carrol
 T/4 Leonard R. Brill			T/5 Clayton C. Rondo			Medical Detachment
 T/4 Charles H. Hunter			T/5 Harold W. Taylor
 T/4 Demont H. Roller			Pfc. Raymond C. Fields			T/3 Joseph J. Difibaugh
 T/4 Harvey H. Sharpe			Pfc. Ordell C. Haedrick			Cpl. Cyrus C. Kauffman
 Cpl. Finley J. McGimpsey							T/5 Thomas J. McCann, Jr. 
 T/5 James E. Tinker

HEADQUARTERS, DIVISION ARTILLERY
FIFTH ARMORED DIVISION
APO 255, U.S. ARMY





								    10 March, 1945






SUBJECT	: Commendation

To	: Captain James H. Lloyd, Company A, 628th T.D. Bn.

THRU	: Commanding General, 5th Armored Divison.

	  Commanding Officer, 628th Tank Destroyer Battalion.


     1. During the period February 8-26, 1945, your company performed the mission of
reinforcing the fires of Division Artillery in a highly commendable manner during the
preparation for the Roer River crossing. During that time the company fired 129 missions,
expending 2840 rounds; of which 80 missions of 1342 rounds were fired for the assault
the morning of February 23.

     2. In the performance of this mission, you, your officers, and men have all 
exhibited an excellent knowledge of Field Artillery and the ability to carry out the
secondary mission of a Tank Destroyer Company.

     3. It is with pleasure that I take this opportunity of commending you and your
officers and men for the excellence of their work during the mission.





									Colonel FA,
									Commanding

HEADQUARTERS, FIRST BATTALION
505th PARACHUTE INFANTRY
APO 469

23 January, 1945

SUBJECT : Letter of Commendation

TO : C.O. Co, B, 628th T.D. Bn. (Through Channels)

1. During the period of 3 January, 1945 to 10 January 1945, Lt. Joyce, Lt. Eubanks
and their men supported this Battalion in its fight against an aggressive enemy. The
presence of Company B, 628th T.D. Bn, was an assurance to the men of this unit that if
enemy armor was encountered, the fighting prowess of this T.D. Company was such, that
the enemy could be efficiently and quickly dealt with. Under severe combat conditions their
alertness and close knit cooperation with this battalion assisted this unit in destroying
a ruthless foe.

2. They are indeed a credit to all T.D. units and it is my desire to commend them
for their fine work.

Major Infantry
Commanding

1st Ind.

HEADQUARTERS, 505YH PARACHUTE INFANTRY, APO 469, U.S. ARMY, 24 Jan, 1945

TO : Commanding Officer, Company "B", 628th T.D. Bn

THRU : Commanding General, 82nd Airborne Division, APO 469, U.S. Army

1. To the above, I would like to add my commendations to the officers and men of
Company "B", 628th T.D. Bn. for a fine performance of duty under the most trying conditions.
At all times, they displayed aggressiveness, morale and cooperation of the highest order.

2. It is the earnest desire of the officers and men of the Regiment that we be
permitted to work together again in the event of future missions.

Colonel, Infantry
Commanding

2nd Ind.

HEADQUARTERS, 82nd AIRBORNE DIVISION, APO 469, U.S. ARMY, 25 JANUARY, 1945

To : Commanding Officer, Company "B", 628th T.D. Battalion

THRU : Commanding Officer, 628th T.D. Battalion

It is gratifying to note the fine cooperation between the branches of the service as
exemplified by the commendation letter submitted herewith.

Major General, U.S. Army
Commanding