HomeMy WebLinkAboutAtterbury--6-04-06to members
of "The
Generation" who served our country during World War 11
At just about any Texas A&M athletic function, chances are
you will see John Afterbury and his wife, Josie. There aren't many
Aggles as loyal or supportive as Atterbury. He will be the first to tell
you that A&M affected his fife in a significant way, but he will also
tell you that his experiences during World War II did as well.
"I was bom in 1923 in Knox City, Texas, but our family lived
in nearby Benjamin, Texas. I attended and graduated from Knox
City High in 1941 and entered A&M that fall. I remember sitting at
my desk over my drawing board in Mitchell Hall when I heard the
news of Pead Harbor. I remember thinking that this would have an
effect on the rest of my life. And it did.
"My class signed ROTC contracts and we became enlisted
reserves In December 1942. In March of 1943, we were called
to active duty, but they allowed us to return to school to finish the
semester. I was sent to Camp Roberts in California for infantry
basic and then back to A&M under the ASTIR program to re-enter
school and await an OCS opening."
Afterbury was sent to Ft. Banning, Georgia, for infantry OCS
and was awarded his commission as a Second Lieutenant in June
1944. After commissioning he and Josie were married.
"I was assigned as a rifle platoon leader to Company A, 5th
Infantry Regiment, 71st Infantry Division. One of the lieutenants in
Company B was a southern boy from Mississippi and he gat into
an argument with his men, who were mostly from the Northeast,
overthe Civil War. He was reassigned and I took over his platoon in
Company B. Those men would become like pan of my family."
Afterbury and his men sailed for Europe out of New York Harbor
In January 1945.
"We sailed on this old Liberty ship and the water was really
rough. My commander said that the officers weren't allowed to
0 seasick. I disobeyed orders right away. I was so sick I couldn't
eat anything until we were near France.
"We were sent to relieve the 100th Division of the 7th Army
near Bitche, France, which was near the Italian border. The first
contact and action our division had with the Germans was by my
platoon. My platoon was selected to seize a German emplacement
600 yards in front of our lines - at nigh. I and all of my men had
never been in combat before. To say we were a little nervous is
an understatement.
"The first thing we ran imo was a dead soldier from the
100th Division that was hung up in the wire. That didn't help our
nerves. We were fortunate that the Germans decided, after some
resistance, to leave the area. That is how my platoon earned our
combat infantryman's badge."
Afterbury and his platoon received a commendation from the
commanding officer of the battalion for their action that night.
"Some of the other companies lost a lot of men in the
minefields, but we were fortunate. After we took the knoll and dug
in, the next day we discovered that we had been left by the rest of
our company and battalion. Finding ourselves all alone was about
as unsettling as our first mission the night before.
"After this we wars assigned to Paden'sArmy and headed over
the Siegfried Line into Germany and on to Austria. We had the
Germans on the run and had mostly skirmishes. We crossed the
Danube and at a small town named Augburg, Germany, we ran
into German troops that were dug in. They had mortars located
in the neighboring town and most of the casualties came from
the mortars. We had raptured eight Germans and had them in the
street in a group when one of their mortars hit in the middle of
them. it killed all of them."
Atterbury and his platoon led the attack on Augberg. For his
pbrsonal actions, Atterbury was awarded the Bronze Star and
promoted to first lieutenant.
"We hatted at the Steyr River in Anstria. An SS officer came
across the river and volunteered his men to join with us to fight
the Russians. We declined his offer. Over 50,000 Germans and
Hungarians came across the river and surrendered to us to avoid
the Russians.•'
The war ended on May 8, 1945, in Europe, and Afterbury and
his men began to train for Japan.
"Before we were to leave for Japan, General Patton reviewed
the troops andsaid his goodbyes to his army. We thought it was
because a lot of us wouldn't be coming back, but I guess it was for
him, because he was killed shortly thereafter in an auto accident.
"I came home in June 1946 and returned to A&M, getting my
degree in mechanical engineering in May 1947.1 went to work for
Humble Oil and Refining Company and, except for a period of fime
in school at A&M to get my master's degree, I stayed with Humble,
and later Exxon, until I retired in 1986. We moved to College
Station and we have been attending Aggie games since.
"Looking back on that time, I think of my platoon. We developed
a real close relationship. With a few exceptions in my mind, I can
still see all their faces just as we were back then. There are Trot
many left now."
If you know of a World War II veteran whose story needs to
be told, contact Bill Youngkin at (979) 260 -7030. H you would
like to add someone's name to the Brazos Valley Veterans
Memorial, names must be submitted by August 15, 2006 in
order to be engraved on the memorial by this year's Veterans Day
observance. -
The Eagle
Here when you need us.
World War II Vet Glenn Morgan will be the guest on
"Veterans of the Valley" this week on KAMU -TV ;
Veterans of the Valley, hosted by WTAW's Tom Turbiville, can be
seen Fridays at 8:30 o.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 6:30 o.m. chanrM s 1'om:e °S
One in a series of tributes