Curley Ausmer fought with the 784th Tank Battalion. The Battalion trained at Camp Claiborne in Louisiana before joining the war in April 1943 as the 5th Tank Group. Even during their training, the African American soldiers were discriminated against by the white police officers and bus drivers. They were often beaten or even murdered in Alexandria, the town in which the camp was located. After Camp Claiborne, the troop moved to Fort Hood, Texas to train in the tanks before finally being shipped to Europe in October 1944. Between October and Christmas, the Battalion had moved multiple times before being relocated to the front lines in Aachen, Germany.
Despite the racial discrimination from other Americans, the African American troop was welcomed by the 104th Infantry Division to which they were attached. The two groups worked together to prepare the tankers for combat during the grueling winter months. It was so cold inside of the metal tanks, at the time compared to refrigerators, many soldiers experienced severe frostbite.
While preforming maintenance checks in Eschweiler, Germany on January 1, 1945, twelve bombers flew over the troop. They were flown over many times before being bombed themselves at about 2:30 pm. It was at this time that Corporal Curley Ausmer was reloading the gun attached to the company commander’s jeep. He was shot with multiple bullets from a .30- caliber gun. From this incident, two lives were lost, but no one was allowed to see the bodies. Though the incident happened on January 1, Curley did not die until January 10.
Sergeant Bill Hughes, also of the 784th Tank Battalion, gave a recount of the incident on January 1, 1945 and stated that “To this very day [he wonders] where they are buried, if their loved ones were properly notified, and if they were told the truth that they were killed by our own American bombers.” Hughes goes on to mention that the bomber pilots were told to drop the bombs on any signs of enemy activity, but that the troop had “fluorescent air ID panels” all around their area and that the weather conditions were perfect for the panels to have been visible.
By February 1945, the 784th was attached to the 35th Infantry Division and sent to Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Later, that division reported that the 784th was “an effective, courageous, and dependable unit which earned the respect and admiration of the infantrymen who worked together well with the tankers.”
At the beginning of March 1945, the troops were able to move out of Gelsenkirchen and began liberating the Dutch town of Venlo. They were welcomed by the Dutch citizens and some formed relationships with the locals. Moving quickly through the town, the Battalion moved back into Germany where the enemy began fighting harder than before. Many of the tanks were destroyed with German weapons and minefields. One German attempt to wipe out the American troops was to blow up a bridge, destroying all hope of getting off an active battlefield. According to Sergeant Bill Hughes, the blast made the Battalion’s motto “It will be done” imminently clear.
During the spring and summer of that year, the Battalion stayed in Germany. Soon, though, they were to be shipped to Asia for the Japanese Invasion. After hearing about the end of the war, the 784th was sent back home to the United States and their families.
By the end of the war, the 784th Battalion had lost, in total, 23 tanks, one officer, and 30 men. Two officers and three men went missing in action and 13 officers plus another 75 men were wounded. Together, they earned eight silver and 51 bronze stars.
Despite the racial discrimination from other Americans, the African American troop was welcomed by the 104th Infantry Division to which they were attached. The two groups worked together to prepare the tankers for combat during the grueling winter months. It was so cold inside of the metal tanks, at the time compared to refrigerators, many soldiers experienced severe frostbite.
While preforming maintenance checks in Eschweiler, Germany on January 1, 1945, twelve bombers flew over the troop. They were flown over many times before being bombed themselves at about 2:30 pm. It was at this time that Corporal Curley Ausmer was reloading the gun attached to the company commander’s jeep. He was shot with multiple bullets from a .30- caliber gun. From this incident, two lives were lost, but no one was allowed to see the bodies. Though the incident happened on January 1, Curley did not die until January 10.
Sergeant Bill Hughes, also of the 784th Tank Battalion, gave a recount of the incident on January 1, 1945 and stated that “To this very day [he wonders] where they are buried, if their loved ones were properly notified, and if they were told the truth that they were killed by our own American bombers.” Hughes goes on to mention that the bomber pilots were told to drop the bombs on any signs of enemy activity, but that the troop had “fluorescent air ID panels” all around their area and that the weather conditions were perfect for the panels to have been visible.
By February 1945, the 784th was attached to the 35th Infantry Division and sent to Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Later, that division reported that the 784th was “an effective, courageous, and dependable unit which earned the respect and admiration of the infantrymen who worked together well with the tankers.”
At the beginning of March 1945, the troops were able to move out of Gelsenkirchen and began liberating the Dutch town of Venlo. They were welcomed by the Dutch citizens and some formed relationships with the locals. Moving quickly through the town, the Battalion moved back into Germany where the enemy began fighting harder than before. Many of the tanks were destroyed with German weapons and minefields. One German attempt to wipe out the American troops was to blow up a bridge, destroying all hope of getting off an active battlefield. According to Sergeant Bill Hughes, the blast made the Battalion’s motto “It will be done” imminently clear.
During the spring and summer of that year, the Battalion stayed in Germany. Soon, though, they were to be shipped to Asia for the Japanese Invasion. After hearing about the end of the war, the 784th was sent back home to the United States and their families.
By the end of the war, the 784th Battalion had lost, in total, 23 tanks, one officer, and 30 men. Two officers and three men went missing in action and 13 officers plus another 75 men were wounded. Together, they earned eight silver and 51 bronze stars.