World War II Honoree

Bruce E. White

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Honored By

Bellevue Veterans Club

157TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 45TH INFANTRY DIVISION. DIED: MAY 29TH, 1944. THE REGIMENT WAS IN THE FOREFRONT OF THE KICKOFF FOR ROME, WITH 1ST AND 3RD BATTALIONS IN THE ATTACK. ONE PLATOON OF B COMPANY, TRAPPED IN A DITCH, WAS VIRTUALLY WIPED OUT BY GERMAN TANKS. THE ATTACK CONTINUED DOWN THE CISTERNA-CAMPOLEONE ROAD, AND ON 27 MAY 1944 A GERMAN COUNTERATTACK AGAIN DECIMATED THE RECONSTITUTED E COMPANY, DRIVING THE MEN INTO A MINEFIELD, WHERE THE COMMANDER AND ALL BUT ONE OF THE OFFICER AND NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER IV LEADERS BECAME CASUALTIES. THE NEXT DAY I COMPANY WAS HIT AND OVERRUN; TWO PLATOONS AND THE COMMANDER WERE LOST. WHEN THE REGIMENT WAS RELIEVED ON MAY 29, MANY OF THE STRAGGLERS SHELTERED UNDER A LARGE LEDGE, WHICH WAS TOPPLED BY ARTILLERY FIRE AND MANY MEN WERE KILLED AND WOUNDED, 160 WERE EVACUATED AND SEVERAL WERE LEFT BURIED UNDER THE COLLAPSED LEDGE.