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DANIEL STRICKLER
1897: born in Columbia (USA)
1942: commander of a regiment of the 28th Infantry Division
Oct. 1944 - Nov. 1944: bloody operation in Hürtgenwald (D), then transfer to Luxembourg to rest and replace losses
Dec. 1944: commander in the fierce defensive battles of his regiment against the Germans; adventurous escape through enemy lines
Dec. 1944 - Jan. 1945: participation in the Battle of Bastogne (B)
A monument erected to Daniel Strickler and his men in gratitude for their efforts in defending Consthum against the Germans in 1944
Work
After the outbreak of the Second World War, Daniel Strickler quickly rose to the rank of regimental commander. His unit liberated the north of Luxembourg in September 1944. Later on it suffered heavy losses during the Battle of Hürtgenwald (D) and had to return to Luxembourg for rest and replenishment. On 10 December Daniel Strickler took command of his still weakened regiment in the Hosingen-Vianden area. At the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge, the unit tried to repel the German advance. On 19 December Strickler took over command of the defences of Wiltz, which was in danger of being completely surrounded. Between 20 and 23 December 1944, he managed to escape through enemy lines via Tarchamps and Hollange and meet up with American units near Bastogne, where he took part in the defence of the city.
Daniel Strickler’s personal uniform and the helmet he wore during his deployment in Luxembourg
In a few minutes we could hear the rumble of tanks and like a flash, a German tank column dashed down the road in front of us. We hugged the ground. On they went by the hundreds, with German soldiers riding the tanks, sprawling all over them, shouting, yelling, and acting like drunken men. We saw many of our American jeeps and vehicles which the Germans had captured and were using in the column. We were afraid the Germans might any moment, send a patrol into the woods, so we back-crawled out of the woods to a little stream line, and headed South parallel to the tank column until we got opposite a big woods to our rear. Then we infiltrated into the woods in full view of the enemy. They were so unaware of the presence of Americans that they just didn’t see us.
Daniel Strickler, report on the German Ardennes offensive, 16 Dec. 1944
A US helmet from the 28th Infantry Division, Strickler’s unit
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