Waal River Crossing Memorial - 82nd Airborne Division
Details:
On the north side river flats just off the road and trail.
Monument
The memorial consists of two sets of etched granite monuments. The first set, upright stones, remembers the crossing vital to Operation Market Garden. The second monument remembers the 48 soldiers killed during the crossing.
The General James Gavin Bridge, next to the memorial, has 48 sets of lights which turn on at sunset every night to remember the fallen.
Units of the 82nd Airborne Division made this cross the night of September 20, 1944. The 504th Parachute Infantry, along with the 376th Field Artillery and the 307th Engineers supported by 505th Parachute Infantry and the British Guards Armored Divsion successfully crossed at this location.
Monument Text:
The upright granite stones are inscribed in English and Dutch. The English reads:
WAALCROSSING BRIDGEHEAD · KILLED IN ACTION · DIED OF WOUNDS · SEPTEMBER 1944
1st Column:
ADAMS Dale F ALLEN Jr James BEI Anthony BUSBY Harry F CAMPBELL Dale E CASE Norris B CLEMONS Cainie J COLISHION Peter L CURRIER Robert S DIXON Wilford N DOWNS Francis L ESPOSITO Nicholas G GENTILE Louis F GONDELA Thadeus S GRUMMER Raymond H HALL Jr John W HARTMAN William S |
CPL SSG PVT 1LT PVT PVT PFC PVT 1LT T/5 PVT PFC CPL PFC PFC PVT CPL |
504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 307 ENG 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR |
HQ/3 Co H Co I Co I Co I Co D Co I Co I Co A Co H HQ/3 HQ/3 Co C HQ/3 Co I Co I Co I |
PA KY N. Y. N. Y. MICH IND VA PA DELA MO MD N. Y. MASS MASS PA CAL VA |
2nd Column:
HENSCHLER Edward V HEREFORD Jr Gerald P HOLT Louis P HOWARD Jack D JACOBS James A JENKINS Willard JOHNSON Harold R JOHNSTON Warren R KATONIK Paul J KERO William E KOELLE Robert T MULLEN John T MUSZYNSKI Walter J OPACICH Robert S PAPALE Emilio J RIGAPOULOS John ROBBINS Grady L |
PFC PFC PVT SGT CPL PFC SGT PVT PVT SGT PVT PVT PVT PFC PFC PFC SGT |
307 ENG 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 307 ENG 307 ENG 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 307 ENG 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 307 ENG 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR |
Co C Co D Co H Co G Co C Co C Co I HQ/3 HQ/3 Co C Co H HQ/1 Co I Co C Co B Co H HQ/3 |
ILL MO TEX GA S.C. PA WASH MICH PA WISC PA N.J. WISC MONT CONN MASS OKLA |
3rd Column:
SCHULTZ Harvey W SCOTT Robert M SEITZINGER Jack M SEYEBE Steve SHELDEN Harold R SMITH Winfred K TOWLE John R WASHKO Robert WENDLAND Herbert R WILLIAMS Curtiss A WILSON Robert L WISNIEWSKI Edward T WOODLAND Bernard T WOODS James F ZENTGRAF Frederick L |
PVT PFC PVT 1LT PFC T/5 PVT PVT PVT CPL PFC 1LT CPL PFC PVT |
504 PIR 376 PFB 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 307 ENG 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 504 PIR 307 ENG 504 PIR |
HQ/3 HQBy Co I Co G Co H Co l Co C Co A Co C Co H Co G Co D Co C Co C HQ/3 |
WISC WYOM IND N.J. WYOM KANS OHIO CMH PA MICH VA FLA N.Y. MD W.VA PA |
Commemorates:
People:
James William “Jimmy” Jr Allen
Peter Leslie “Crash” Colishion
Units:
307th Airborne Engineer Battalion
376th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion
504th Parachute Infantry Regiment
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne
82nd Airborne Division
United States Army
Wars:
WWII
Battles:
Operation Market Garden
Other images :