World War II Honoree

Marvin Malcolm Aldridge

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Burlington, North Carolina

Honored By

Angela Aldridge Hinton

Relationship

Daughter

AFTER BASIC AND ADVANCED TANK TRAINING IN FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, ARRIVED IN CHERBOURG, FRANCE IN JANUARY 1945. ASSIGNED TO COMPANY 'C', 41ST TANK BATTALION, 11TH ARMORED DIVISION, THIRD ARMY. THE THIRD ARMY WAS COMMANDED BY GENERAL GEORGE PATTON. HE AND OTHER REPLACEMENT TROOPS ARRIVED IN BASTOGNE, BELGIUM JUST BEFORE HIS 19TH BIRTHDAY AND PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. AFTERWARDS, HIS COMPANY HEADED TO GERMANY. HE WAS THE TANK CREWMAN ON THE 'FLAT FOOT FLOOGIE', WHICH WAS THE FIRST TANK TO REACH THE RHINE RIVER IN GERMANY. THEY CROSSED THE RHINE ON MARCH 9, 1945 NEAR OPPENHEIM. AFTER GERMANY SURRENDERED, HE STAYED AS AN OCCUPATIONAL TROOP IN EUROPE UNTIL HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON APRIL 21, 1946.