LugerForum Discussion Forums - View Single Post - The story behind your most unusual Luger acquisition? (long post)

G.T. · 03-16-2001, 09:55 AM

I am writing this from memory so please bear with me as to some of the facts may be in err, but this is a true story as related to me by the late Lt. Col. Lyle Kennedy who was a battalion comander in the lightning division (I think it was the 78th?) His battalion was call up late at night to secure the German side of the Ludendorf (Remagan) bridge, and the little towns on that side of the river, Erpel & Honnoff seem to come to mind, shortly after it was taken by an armour unit. At that time the Americans held less then 300 yards of the east side, and the Germans were massing for a counter attack. Col. Kennedy told me that the next two days consisted of a combination rocket/tank battle, where the Germans would probe at night and much of the fighting was house to house and hand to hand...of particular trouble to the allies were German 88's on the heights or hills surrounding the valley, the Germans would shoot antiaircraft shells down into the trees, where they would detonate above ground and shower a spray of shrapnal down on the soldiers below, it was the capture of one of these anticraft implacements that yeilded a luger rig that he aquired, it was a D.W.M. 1915 simpson rework, in a nice brown holster, with a spare Mauser mag. I documented it's aqusition, and the events that led to it's capture, and was able to purchase it from Col. Kennedy before he died. It has since become a present to my best friend, also a student of history.....Lt. Col. Kennedy received the Legion of Merit, Silver Star, and Bronze Star with three awards, this man was an American Hero! I asked him if it some times bothered him to talk about the stories he had related to me over the short time I got to know him, he replied, that he had never talked about them to anyone during the previous fifty years! I think the one thing that struck me the most, was after fifty years he was still receiving mail from men in his command, thanking him for the decisions he made that saved their lives.... when I first saw the show "Saving Private Ryan" all I could think about during the whole show was this man.....his experience was probably the same,....several times...till...later...G.T.

03-16-2001, 09:55 AM	#9
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,541 Thanks: 1,342 Thanked 3,742 Times in 1,020 Posts	Remagen Bridge........... I am writing this from memory so please bear with me as to some of the facts may be in err, but this is a true story as related to me by the late Lt. Col. Lyle Kennedy who was a battalion comander in the lightning division (I think it was the 78th?) His battalion was call up late at night to secure the German side of the Ludendorf (Remagan) bridge, and the little towns on that side of the river, Erpel & Honnoff seem to come to mind, shortly after it was taken by an armour unit. At that time the Americans held less then 300 yards of the east side, and the Germans were massing for a counter attack. Col. Kennedy told me that the next two days consisted of a combination rocket/tank battle, where the Germans would probe at night and much of the fighting was house to house and hand to hand...of particular trouble to the allies were German 88's on the heights or hills surrounding the valley, the Germans would shoot antiaircraft shells down into the trees, where they would detonate above ground and shower a spray of shrapnal down on the soldiers below, it was the capture of one of these anticraft implacements that yeilded a luger rig that he aquired, it was a D.W.M. 1915 simpson rework, in a nice brown holster, with a spare Mauser mag. I documented it's aqusition, and the events that led to it's capture, and was able to purchase it from Col. Kennedy before he died. It has since become a present to my best friend, also a student of history.....Lt. Col. Kennedy received the Legion of Merit, Silver Star, and Bronze Star with three awards, this man was an American Hero! I asked him if it some times bothered him to talk about the stories he had related to me over the short time I got to know him, he replied, that he had never talked about them to anyone during the previous fifty years! I think the one thing that struck me the most, was after fifty years he was still receiving mail from men in his command, thanking him for the decisions he made that saved their lives.... when I first saw the show "Saving Private Ryan" all I could think about during the whole show was this man.....his experience was probably the same,....several times...till...later...G.T.