18 March

Capt. Jack L. Treadwell
Commanding Co. F, 180th Infantry
45th Infantry Div.
Nieder-Wurzbach, Germany
18 March 1945

As commanding officer of Company F, Capt Treadwell was in a pickle, enemy automatic and rifle fire with intermittent artillery bombardments had been pinning his company down for several hours. Halted at the base of a hill defended by concrete fortifications and interlocking trenches, the young Captain had to figure out a way to get his men out of there

The eight men he sent to attack the weakest point in the enemy bunker were all now casualties trapped on the steep slope.  Capt. Treadwell, armed himself with a submachine gun and as many hand grenades as he could carry then went forward alone to engage the enemy.

Facing terrain devoid of cover and swept by enemy automatic weapons fire, Treadwell fearlessly advanced, concentrating his fire the aperture of the closest pill box. As soon as he was close enough, he chucked a hand grenade into the opening, then thrust the muzzle of his weapon through the gun port driving  4 Germans out with their hands in the air. A fifth was found dead inside.

After sending his prisoners back to the American line, Treadwell continued to move forward under concentrated fire to the next pillbox taking it in the same manner as the first. Again, he sent his prisoners to the rear.

Treadwell then ran in full view of hostile machine gunners and snipers, to a third pillbox. Destroying the gun position and taking prisoners. He again eliminated the enemy position taking prisoners. Three more enemy pill boxes fell at the hands of the young officer including capturing the enemy Commander.

Captain Treadwell led the men of Fox Company to a overwhelming victory taking the entire bunker complex ridden hill, this driving a wedge into the Siegfried line and making it possible for the Americans continue into NAZI Germany.

Capt. Treadwell single-handedly captured 6 pillboxes and 18 prisoners.

Treadwell remained in the Army and served as Chief of Staff of the Americal Division in Vietnam from October 1968 to March 1969, and then as commander of the 11th Infantry Brigade in Vietnam from March to September 1969. He served in Vietnam where he made over 100 parachute jumps. He participated in three campaigns in Vietnam: the Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase 5, Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase 6 and the Tet Offensive.
His combat awards include: Medal of Honor, Croix De Guerre (French MOH), Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit (4^th award), Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldier’s Medal, Bronze Star Medal (3^rd award),Purple Heart (4^th award), Combat Infantryman Badge (2nd award), Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal (13^th award), and Master Parachutist Wings w/1Combat Star (and over 100 jumps).

Col.  Jack L. Treadwell retired at the rank of Colonel (O-6) in 1974. He passed after complications from by-pass surgery on 12 Dec. 1977.  It is hard to believe complications from surgery killed Superman.