Surnames: Short, Spiegel, Allen, Matousek, Irish, Stevens, Schultz, Reinart, Kopps, Kopp, Volz

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 04/12/1945

Washburn - by Mrs. Ralph Short

Sgt. Bruce Spiegel, who is a mechanic with the Twelfth armored division on the western front, recently sent his parents a copy of the Stars and Stripes, in which was an article telling of some of the part his division played in the war last December, as follows:

"Men of the Twelfth Armored division, combat virgins only last December, feel they won both their battle spurs and the right to their nickname of ‘Hellcats.’ It’s all the result of the part they played in sewing up the Colmar pocket. Driving in from north, the ‘Hellcats’ joined up with the Fourth Moroccon Mountain division of the First French corps in the town of Rouffack to force the Nazis out of another west front stronghold. The Twelfth Armored division was particularly outstanding in these operations. The First French army issued an order of the day, praising the ‘offensive spirit’ of the ‘Hellcats’ and presented the commanding officer, Maj. Gen. R. R. Allen with the Croix de Guerre with palms and the Legion of Honor. Earlier the division had engaged in a bloody battle against superior forces in the Herrlisheim-Gambsheim riverhead. Their actions won commendations from both the French and American commands.

Sgt. Spiegel received a bronze star sometime ago. His job is to keep tanks in running order.

Cpl. Kenneth Short arrived home from Boca Raton, Fla., last Wednesday morning for a two-week furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Short. He is being transferred to another camp.

Mr. and Mrs. Louie Matousek and family, Sturgeon Bay, and Miss Marie Short, Minneapolis, spent the week-end with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Short, and to visit their brother Kenneth while he is home on furlough.

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Irish were visitors at the Irvin Stevens home Sunday afternoon.

Mr. and Mrs. Albert Schultz spent Sunday afternoon at the Clarence Reinart home.

Mr. and Mrs. William Kopps and daughters came down from Menomonie Friday night and visited his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ferdinand Kopp, Sunday morning. They spent Sunday with Mrs. Kopp’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Volz. Harry Volz was also *** Note: The remainder of this article was missing.