http://www.historynet.com/firsthand-account-4th-armored-division-spearhead-at-bastogne-november-99-world-war-ii-feature.htm From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:31:52 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.historynet.com/firsthand-account-4th-armored-division-spearhead-at-bastogne-november-99-world-war-ii-feature.htm/comment-page-1#comment-99051 William Nichols Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:23:44 +0000 #comment-99051 My father, William S. Nichols was a sergeant in Patton's 3rd Army, 4th Armored Division, 8th Tank Battalion, A Company. He drove a sherman tank. He did not arrive in Europe until late January, 1945. So he did not participate in the 8th Tank Battalion's heroic exploits described in this account. It was fascinating to read and I beleive my father was fortunate to have entered the war after the Battle of the Bulge. I read a book entitled, the Siege of Bastogne, the untold story of the units to bore the brunt of the initial attack by the Germans on Dec 16, 1944. To be sure my father saw his share of front line combat and he saw Buchenwald Concentration Camp, and he was with the occupation forces in Prague and in southern Germany for one year after the war ended. I did not know that the 8th Tank Battalion was the spearhead of Patton's dramatic 90 degree turn to save Bastogne. Thanks for your accurate recount of the important and critical time in history. regards, Willam K Nichols B.A. History, Sonoma State University. My father, William S. Nichols was a sergeant in Patton’s 3rd Army, 4th Armored Division, 8th Tank Battalion, A Company. He drove a sherman tank. He did not arrive in Europe until late January, 1945. So he did not participate in the 8th Tank Battalion’s heroic exploits described in this account. It was fascinating to read and I beleive my father was fortunate to have entered the war after the Battle of the Bulge. I read a book entitled, the Siege of Bastogne, the untold story of the units to bore the brunt of the initial attack by the Germans on Dec 16, 1944. To be sure my father saw his share of front line combat and he saw Buchenwald Concentration Camp, and he was with the occupation forces in Prague and in southern Germany for one year after the war ended. I did not know that the 8th Tank Battalion was the spearhead of Patton’s dramatic 90 degree turn to save Bastogne. Thanks for your accurate recount of the important and critical time in history.
regards, Willam K Nichols B.A. History, Sonoma State University.

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