11 February

2Lt  EDWARD C. DAHLGREN
E, 142d Infantry, 36th ID
Oberhoffen, France
11 February 1945

A platoon from E Co. ended up surrounded and cut off from the main body of US forces near Oberhoffen, France.

2Lt Dahlgreen, (Sgt at the time) mustered his platoon and set out to rescue the surrounded Americans, As his men were advanced along a street, toward the American position, Dahlgreen spotted several Germans crossing a field about 100 yards away.

He dashed into a nearby barn with a good vantage point and took up a position in a window and set up a firing position.  As the Germans approached, Dalgren swept the formation with is sub-machinegun, dispatching 6 enemy soldiers to their god and wounding several others.

He moved his platoon forward in spite of Sniper and other small arms fire linking up with the surrounded Americans. Dahlgren reorganized the two platoons into one fighting force and continued to engage the enemy.

Sgt Dahlgren charged a building housing an enemy machinegun emplacement burling a hand grenade through the door, then charging inside finish the job.  His attack was so aggressive that it rattled the enemy soldiers inside. All 8 enemy soldiers immediately surrendered to Sgt Dahlgren.

Sg. Dahlgren secured his prisoners and started toward the next house, where he was met with heavy machinegun fire, forcing him to take cover. Dahlgren gathered up rifle-grenades from other nearby soldiers, then jumped up into an exposed position and fired 2 Rifle grenades at an almost impossible angle but hit his mark with both. Dahlgren continued to calmly deliver Ribfle grenades to German positions destroying an additional heavy machinegun and killing its crew.

Sgt. Dahlgren was looking for concealed enemy positons when he again came under heavy Machinegun fire. He rushed the enemy machinegun located in a nearby barn, shooting his carbine from the hip then destroying it with hand grenades, taking an additional 5 enemy prisoners.

After securing his new prisoners, Dahlgren reorganized his men in his immediate area then lead them back to the unit leading them back to the same building where he just destroyed the machinegun. He climbed in a window trapping the Germans in a cellar then chucking grenades down the stairs. This convinced the survivors to surrender – Dahlgren took an additional 10 Prisoners.

After securing his newest batch of German prisoners, Dahlgren lead a team to reconnoiter an adjacent street. He heard German voices inside one house and responded with rifle fire and hand grenades.

Again, the Germans retreated to the cellar. Dahlgren kicked the cellar door open, fired a couple of short bursts then shouted – “Hande Hoch.” 16 more Germans chose to surrender to Sgt Dahlgren.

Sgt. Dahlgren’s heroic actions were in large measure, responsible for repulsing an enemy attack and saving an American platoon from great danger, and routing German troops from the village while personally taking 37 enemy prisoners.

Sgt Dahlgren was promoted to the ranl of 2Lt. His other awards include the Silver Star, three Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and the French Croix de Guerre. He was awarded the French Legion of Honor in a ceremony in April 2006.

2Lt Dahlgren passed on 31, May 2006 at the age of 90.