Monument Details

2nd Armored Division 'Hell on Wheels' Memorial

Details:

At the interstation of Van Banninglaan and Rennebeek streets.

Monument

The monument is a large “H” for the 2^nd Armored Division motto, “Hell on Wheels” and is about 2 meters high; the stone was quarried from a the Ardennes in Belgium.

The memorial remembers the 65 soldiers of the 2nd Armored Division (or attached units) that were killed while liberating the Limburg region of the Netherlands and Belgium from 15-20 September 1944. The back of the memorial includes a battle map of the liberation of the Limburg area.

The towns liberated in this battle include: Dilsen-Stokkem, Lanaken, Maasmechelen, Beek, Brunssum, Meerssen, Nuth, Schinnen, Sittard-Geleen, Stein, Valkenburg, Gangelt en Selfkant.

Special thanks to the "Hell-on-Wheels, the US 2nd Armored Division in WWII" Facebook Page for assistance.

Monument Text:

The text on the pedestal reads in Dutch:

‘GEVALLEN VAN 15 TOT 20 SEPTEMBER 1944.’

Translated:

“THE FALLEN FROM SEPTEMBER 15 TO 20, 1944.”

On the front of the memorial are the name, rank, unit of the 65 American soldiers who fell during the liberation of South Limburg.

The units included of the 2nd Armored Division or attached units include:

41 Armored Infantry Battalion

48th Armored Medical Battalion

62nd Armored Field Artillery Battalion

66th Armored Regiment

67th Armored Regiment

99th Infantry Battalion (Separate)

609th Medical Clearing Company

702nd Tank Destroyer Battalion

17th Armored Engineer Battalion

368th Fighter Squadron

The 65 names on the memorial in alphabetical order include:

Arne Andersen, Ingebrigt A. Apold, Lawrence Behr,

Edwin D. Best, Joseph Blum, Alfred Borucki, Jerry Bove, Clifton B. Brickson,

Edmund L. Brown, Manuel R. Castillo Jr, John E. Cave, Francis Crimmins, Earl A.

Deal, Wallace E. Doss, Gordon F. Fischer, Robert H. Folliard, Toel G. Gambrel,

William C. George, O. D. Hamby, Chester F. Harrington, Karl J. Heimark, D. Henry, Philip R. Holcomb, Anthony J. Ivone, Leonard F. Johnson, Warren R. Kappen, Tom T. Katsilometes, Frank W. Kmak, Bruno A. Koditek, John Kopie Jr, Joseph M.

Lally, Archie P. Layton, George Ligeros, John Lubich,William T. Mashburn, Frank

E. Manis, Henry J. Michalski, Sydney R. Miller, Joseph G. Mokszycki, William H.

Money, Glenn W. Moors, Hans A. Movik, Sylvester E. Mudloff, Chester Mulacheski,Laudies I. Nelson Jr, Karl E. Oppen, Laval M. Parham, Arthur W. Pflugh, Jack, Philipow, Robert A. Phillips, Arthur D. Prosser, Darrell D. Richards, Robert A. Rogers, Jesse F. Rouintree, Floyd L. Settles, Osmund C. Skarning, Sidney E. Stearns, Therrell L. Surtees, Paul P. Thomle, Thelmer A. Thompson, Theodore

Wallizer, Anton O. Wilberg, Francis M. Wilson, Harry Winer and

Theodore J. Wisnefski.

The text on the back of the sculpture reads in Dutch and English:

‘TUSSEN 15 EN 19 SEPTEMBER 1944

BESTONDEN DE OPERATIES VAN DE

2ND ARMORED DIVISION UIT

DE ZUIVERING VAN HET GEBIED

TUSSEN ZUID-WILLEMSVAART EN MAAS,

GEVOLGD DOOR DE AANVAL IN

ZUID LIMBURG OP DUITSLAND.

THE 2ND ARMORED DIVISION

BETWEEN 15 TO 19 SEPTEMBER 1944