Monument Details

551st Parachute Battalion Combat Team Plaque

Details:

This plaque is located in the center of the park that constitutes the Rochelinval site. It it located on the stone immediately in from of the three flagpoles. Plaque This bronze plaque is attached to a rough gray field stone and depicts the insignia of the 551st Parachute Battalion Combat Team as well as its "GOYA" slogan. The plaque's bilingual French and English inscriptions describe the extreme sacrifices of the unit during the fighting at Rochelinval. The main plaque is located just above a smaller dark metal plaque recognizing the unit's Presidential Unit Citation. There is a small picture of Lt. Col. Joerg at the top of the field stone.

The 551st's assault of Rochelinval began on the morning of January 7, 1945, after it had already captured the towns of Dairomont and Quartiers. The German forces which occupied the town were well supplied and had had time to fortify their defenses. On the contrary, the soldiers of the 551st slept in the snow in preparation of the attack. By the time the fighting in Rochelinval ended, the unit had lost over 70% of its soldiers. One telling example of the crushing losses which the 551st suffered is that, of the 60 or so soldiers of Company A at the beginning of the assault, only four or five remained after the fighting was over. The capture of Rochelinval deprived German forces of any bridge in a 10 mile radius and Hitler ordered the first withdrawal of German forces from the Bulge the next day, January 8th. The bravery and persistence of the 551st earned them a Presidential Unit Citation.

Monument Text:

551ST AMERICAN PARACHUTE

BATTALION COMBAT TEAM

ROCHELINVAL

LE 7 JANVIER 1945

110 PARACHUTISTES

LIBERERENT CE VILLAGE

LE 3-1-45 ILS ETAIENT 790

EN 4 JOURS DE COMBATS

LEUR COMMANDANT LE

LT COL WOOD G JOERG

ET 680 DES LEURS ETAIENT

TOMBES POUR LA PAIX

ET NOTRE LIBERTE

ON JANUARY 7TH 1945

110 PARATROOPERS

RETOOK THIS TOWN

ON 3-1-1945 THERE WERE 790

IN 4 DAYS OF FIGHTING 680

INCLUDING THEIR COMMANDER

LT COL WOOD G JOERG

FELL ON THE BATTLEFIELD

FOR PEACE AND

OUR LIBERTY

____________________________________________

PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION

ROCHELINVAL, BELGIUM. JANUARY 7, 1945

Commemorates:

People:

Wood Guice Joerg

Units:

551st Parachute Infantry Regiment

United States Army

Wars:

WWII

Battles:

Battle of the Bulge

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