134th Infantry Regiment Website
35th Infantry Division Research Center
"All Hell Can't Stop Us"
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134th Infantry Regiment Website35th Infantry Division Research Center"All Hell Can't Stop Us" |
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Walter John Heidebrink, son of Jurgen and Minnie (Heuer) Heidebrink, was born February 24, 1915 in Gothenburg, Nebraska. He married Mildred Rine January 1, 1941 and the couple had a son, Roger Lee. He registered for the draft October 16, 1940, was inducted into the Army February 18, 1941, and served in Company F, 320th Infantry Regiment. He landed at Omaha Beach, Normandy France July 6, 1944 and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for heroism July 11, 1944 during the battle for St Lo, France. He was promoted from Staff Sergeant to Tech Sergeant, Platoon Sergeant on August 14, 1944. T/Sgt Walter J Heidebrink was killed in action by shell shrapnel September 15, 1944 in the vicinity of Hudiviller, about 12 - 13 miles Southeast of Nancy, France. He is buried at Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Maxwell, Nebraska.
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Bronze Star Medal Citation |
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Technical Sergeant Walter J Heidebrink, 37034652, Infantry, United States Army, for heroic service in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States in the * * * sector, Normandy, France, on 11 July 1944. Sergeant Heidebrink, accompanied by another enlisted man, crawled into an open field under enemy small arms, machine gun and mortar fire to evacuate the body of a comrade-in-arms who had been killed by enemy fire. The heroic action of Sergeant Heidebrink in undertaking to save a comrade, whom he did not know had been killed, is in accord with the traditions of the military service. Entered military service from Nebraska. General Orders No. 46, Headquarters 35th Infantry Division, 23 October 1944 |
