World War II Honoree

Curtiss Lynn Evans

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Minerva, Ohio

Honored By

R. Scott Evans

Relationship

Grandson

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS. SERVED WITH THE 78TH INFANTRY (LIGHTNING) DIVISION, 309TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, COMPANY C, FROM 1943 TO 1946. EMBARKED FOR THE EUROPEAN THEATERS OF OPERATION FROM NEW YORK; 14 OCTOBER 1944 FOR ENGLAND, ARRIVING 26 OCTOBER 1944 AND CROSSED TO FRANCE 22 NOVEMBER 1944. AFTER LANDING IN FRANCE, THE DIVISION QUICKLY BECAME DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE BATTLES OF THE HURTGEN FOREST AND THE BULGE; MOVING TO TONGEREN, BELGIUM ON 27 NOVEMBER 1944, AND TO ROETGEN, GERMANY ON 7 DECEMBER 1944, TO PREPARE FOR COMBAT. THE 309TH REGIMENT RELIEVED ELEMENTS OF THE 1ST DIVISION IN THE LINE IN THE VICINITY OF ENTENPFUHL, 1-12 DECEMBER 1944. ON THE 13TH, IT SMASHED INTO SIMMERATH, WITZERATH, AND BICKERATH AND WERE FIGHTING FOR KESTERNICH WHEN GERMANY LAUNCHED ITS COUNTEROFFENSIVE IN THE MONSCHAU AREA, ON 18 DECEMBER 1944. THE 78TH HELD THE AREA IT HAD TAKEN FROM THE SEIGFRIED LINE AGAINST THE VIOLENT GERMAN ATTACKS THROUGHOUT THE WINTER. THE DIVISION ATTACKED, 30 JANUARY 1945, AND TOOK KESTERNICH, 2 FEBRUARY 1945, THE TOWN OF SCHMIDT ON THE 8TH, AND CAPTURED INTACT THE VITAL SCHWAMMANAUEL DAM THE NEXT DAY. IN THE ADVANCE, THE ROER RIVER WAS CROSSED, 28 FEBRUARY 1945, AND THE DIVISION JOINED THE OFFENSIVE OF THE FIRST AND NINTH ARMIES TOWARD THE RHINE. THE 78TH EXPANDED THE BRIDGEHEAD, TAKING HONEF AND CUTTING PART OF THE AUTOBAHMN, 16 MARCH 1945. FROM 2 APRIL TO 8 MAY 1945 THE DIVISION WAS ACTIVE IN THE REDUCTION OF THE RUHR POCKET AND AT V-E DAY WAS STATIONED NEAR MARBURG. THE DIVISION REMAINED ON OCCUPATION DUTY IN GERMANY UNTIL 22 MAY 1946. IN ALL, THE 78TH DIVISION EXPERIENCED 125 DAYS OF HARD COMBAT. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 3 STARS FOR THE RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL. ALSO RECEIVED THE CARBINE EXPERT BADGE AND 'RUPTURED DUCK' LAPEL BUTTON FOR HONORABLE SERVICE.