103rd division

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Mr. McGregor volunteered and was assigned to the 103rd as a machine gunner and sent to Europe via Southern France. He was engaged in the battles of the Voges Mountains during the bitter cold months of November and December 1944. A new lieutenant, against the plan of attack, had them occupy houses in Selestadt the night before the planned American attack that was to involve 3 divisions. They were not in a house long before German tanks arrived and parked right along the curb in front of the house. The tank began to shoot at the house at point-blank range with its 88. Mr. McGregor was wounded and taken prisoner. He was sent to Czechoslovakia as a POW, forced to work hard labor with almost no food. It is a miracle that he survived at all. He was Company D of the 409th Regiment. He still remembers his serial number, which was 18 214 573.

He was the assistant bazooka gunner at the age of 18. He was in the 3rd Squad of HQ Co. 411 Regiment, Anti-tank platoon. Serial # 18243163 (amazing how he still rattles it off after so many years.) These men arrived via southern France and went into the line in the Voges mountains where they saw some very tough fighting in the dead of winter. One engagement that he still talks about....he was the first to see 4 Germans tanks and reported to his men....they waited and allowed the Germans to drive on thus exposing their flank. The 57mm anti-tank gun, bazooka, and Sherman tank knocked out the 4 German tanks before they could traverse their turrets. One of the prisoners that emerged from a tank was 14 years old.