Enemy pressure mounted on the St. Vith horseshoe, and the perimeter during the six-day defense shrank to what historians would call a fortified goose egg. Montgomery, commander of the northern sector of the Bulge, countermanded the First Army’s order that the defenders of St. Vith hold their line and await resupply by air. His message to the 7th Armored read: “You have accomplished your mission–a mission well done. It is time to withdraw.”

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A hard freeze on the night of December 22 made withdrawal possible, since the tanks were able to pull out of the mud and snow. By dusk on December 23, most of the 7th Armored had passed over the Salm River and through the lines of the 82nd Airborne Division. Task Force Jones, commanded by the 814th’s Colonel Jones, fought the rear-guard action that had allowed the successful daylight withdrawal.

As Task Force Jones prepared for withdrawal, reconnaissance platoons maintained defensive roadblocks. An article in the Kansas City Star of January 2, 1945, reported: “Will Rogers Jr.–found his reconnaissance platoon engulfed in Germans December 23 and had to retreat. But he left the enemy a warning in red letters. [He] obtained a 4-foot sheet of wrapping paper, nailed it to a big tree in the middle of the road and printed with a red grease pencil: ‘Beware! We will be back in two weeks with our new secret weapon.’”

The loss of Task Force Jones’ four M36 tank destroyers at the rear of the column increased pressure for the remainder of the force to speed up movement along the Salm River and through Vielsalm, the only escape route. At Vielsalm, two of the column’s leading light tanks were hit with anti-tank fire, setting them ablaze. Enemy fire on the front and rear of the column created havoc. Some vehicles plowed ahead; others turned around and moved to the rear. Most of the vehicles pulled off the road and into narrow clearings in the forest. Dismounting, some of the trapped troops planned an escape, while those still in their M8 armored cars heard the voice of Colonel Jones blaring over their radios, “Burn your vehicles and get out of there on foot!”

Rogers later jotted down a few cryptic notes about Task Force Jones’ withdrawal: “[We] joined a column going down to the Salm River, and went into a deep canyon. Road block ahead [the burning light tanks], and being shot at in the rear. Beautiful moonlight night. Took out a patrol to find out what the roadblock was, and a trigger-happy G.I. shot Sgt. Simmons; however [he] didn’t flinch, and merely yelled to have the shooting stopped. Also ran across a German SS soldier leaning up against a tree, and took him prisoner. Finally got back to vehicles after finding out the roadblock couldn’t be passed, and took winding ‘glorified cowpath’ out of the valley. Then came up to a quiet small stream, but only tanks could make it across. Lost all [my] vehicles, and destroyed them with grenades….After crossing the stream jumped on a tank and hung on like a bunch of monkeys while the tank rolled towards and through the 82nd Airborne lines, and that was a very great relief.”

Lieutenant Rogers received a Bronze Star for this action, and his citation reads in part, “…for heroism in leading his patrol against an enemy force threatening to cut off part of an armored column retreating from St. Vith.” During this withdrawal, 20 men of Task Force Jones went missing and were later reported captured.

Within two days, portions of the 814th rumbled back into action at Manhay, and on January 23, a month to the day after the 7th Armored’s withdrawal, General Clarke led the force in taking back St. Vith. The 814th engaged in small-unit actions with the 75th and 99th Infantry divisions before reaching the Rhine River at Remagen, and on March 12, 1945, its 90mm guns began indirect firing missions at targets across the Rhine. From March 23 until the 25th, the 814th and the 7th Armored crossed the Rhine and then began pushing from the bridgehead toward the Ruhr and the industrial heart of Germany. The Ruhr Pocket action consisted mainly of taking prisoners, and the 7th Armored captured more than 45,000. This action resulted in casualties among the attacking troops, however, and one of these was Lieutenant Will Rogers, Jr., who had recently been given command of a tank destroyer platoon. He wrote about the shrapnel wound to his hip: “Wounded in the Ruhr Pocket…and evacuated to England…never did get north to meet the Russians. Bounced around in hospitals and replacement depots until war’s end, then discharged (third and final?) at Ft. MacArthur January 1946.” Rogers also reported his reconnaissance platoon’s total combat casualties: “Of the 21-man 1st Platoon, four were killed; seven, including myself, wounded.”

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