Brett Gunnink wrote on December 13, 2013

HENRY KATHREIN’S WWII STORY

In 1943, a young man from Glendive, Montana (Henry Richard Kathrein) responded to the call to defend his country. He trained stateside with the 99th infantry division but was transferred shortly before it left the US for Great Britain. This is significant because the 99th was decimated in December of 1944 during a German counteroffensive called the battle of the Bulge. Hank later went to Great Britain himself, traveling across the pond on the Queen Mary. Now part of the US 9th Army, Hank crossed the channel and entered Europe across the Normandy beaches a few weeks after D-day. Hank was a medic and his war journey took him through France, into Holland and eventually Germany. The 9th Army held the north flank of the Allied line during the winter of 44-45 during the battle of the bulge. Hank acquired a Walther P-38 from a surrendering German officer near the end of the war. The war end found Hank among the troops liberating and giving aid to those suffering in concentrations camps in Northern Germany. Hank's memories of the war are rather dim now and some of this account is based on my knowledge of the events of WWII as well as conversations with Hank."

HENRY RICHARD KATHREIN

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