I was born and grew up in Pasadena, California, a wonderful place to grow up. There were beaches and mountains- all within an hour or less from my home. In high school I ran the 660 and played end in football. On October 15th, 1942 I enlisted in the Army - 11 days after my eighteenth birthday and was called to active service March 31, 1943. I requested to be in the Cavalry and was sent to Ft. Riley, Kansas for basic training. After finishing basic training I reported to Fort Lewis, Washington and was assigned to the 18th Mech Cav Recon Squadron which along with the 32nd Cav comprised the 14th Cavalry group. We were sent to Camp White, Oregon for advanced training then to Camp Maxey, Texas. In August 1943 we shipped out of New York for Europe (aboard the Queen Elizabeth) and were assigned to give the Russians the chance to get into Berlin before the Americans. Instead of being attached to Patton, we were sent to the Siegfried Line to hold and defend a 3 mile line. Sixty of us held the village of Kobscheid from October to the 16th of December, 1944 - the commencement of the Battle of the Bulge. On that day we were attacked and were out numbered ten to one by German infantry. We held them off until we ran out of ammo. (On my last day in Kobschied I was promoted to sergeant and in command of an outpost consisting of two 30 cal light machine guns and two 60 mm mortars). During the fighting we were cut off and ordered to leave Kobscheid and try to connect with other American forces. I, along with others, was wounded and we left as a separate group. We were jammed in a jeep and trailer and though showing a Red Cross flag were fired on and sustained additional casualties. We were unarmed and forced to surrender. I spent the rest of the war a POW.