HEROES AND PATRIOTS REMEMBERED
Submitted by RWB Wesley F RevelsPast Masters Of St. Joseph Lodge No.78
As new members of the fraternity we come to a meal and sit in fellowship, greeting each other with open hands of friendship. A new member may not know anyone else in the Lodge except maybe a relative or close friend. As we grow in Freemasonry we also become friends with long time members many who have contributed greatly to the fabric of our neighborhoods, communities and country. With this article I am writing about one such person who many call a true
friend within the fraternity. His name is Rupert Patterson. Lodge records show Brother Rupert B Patterson, was Initiated as a Freemason September 3rd 1957, Passed to the degree of Fellow Craft November 5th of the same year, Raised to the sublime degree of MasterMason February 4th 1958 and Worshipful Master of St. Joseph Lodge No.78 in 1975. WB Patterson, received his 50 year certification February 4th 2008.Worshipful Brother B Patterson served in the 2nd World War, landing on Omaha Beach in July 1944 in the Normandy Invasion and witnessed the liberation of Germany during Nazi occupation in 1945. It has always been a great honor and pleasure to sit in Lodge with Rupert. Words can not express the thanks I feel when ever I am in his presence.
During the Central Europe Campaign from April 2nd - May 8th 1945, a local newspaper reported that as the allied forces pushed into Germany, 18 young infantrymen using small arms fire and two heavy mortars including Pfc. Patterson, from the 320th Regiment of the 35th "Yoo-Hoo" Santa-Fe Division, broke up a determined German counterattack at Trabitz, near the Elbe river. It was WB Patterson, who alerted the Regiment and countered a German offensive on their position. "Having set up a defensive position at the edge of town, shortly after dawn, they saw an outnumbering force of Germans approaching. Waiting until the Germans were about 450 yards from their position, the 18 infantrymen created tremendous fire power with their rifles, automatic weapons and mortars. The enemy continued to advance slowly under the heavy fire, but after several mortar shells were laid in on them, with many casualties and fatalities on both sides, the remaining Germans withdrew."
Top: The 35th Division, crossing the Saar river at the Elbe.Below: A captured Vengeance-2 Rocket, originally being transported for launch from Northern France toward England.
After successfully overcoming the enemy across France through Orleans and Sens, the 35th Division attacked across the Mosseile. September 13th - 15th captured Nancy and by October secured Chambray driving the Nazi Germans to their border. After some rest and rehabilitation , the 35th Division moved to Arlon in Belgium and in December 25 - 26th took part in the fighting to relieve Bastone by eliminating four German divisions. By early 1945 after successfully engaging in many more battles traveling South from Belgium, reached the Rhine at Wesel, and smashed across the Herne Canal, reaching the Ruhr river in early April and was ordered to cross the Elbe. The 35th continued occupation until VE-day and arrived in New York City , September 10th 1945.
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| Map showing the theater tour of the 320th Infantry Division. |
In his official report, Maj. Norman C. Carey reported that on April 12th, Gen. Baade received orders for the 35th Division to join the assault on the Elbe river, disengaging along the Rhine-Herne Canal, and turning over its sector to the 75th and 79th Divisions and pulling out units as soon as they could be released. Gen. Baade ordered the Division to move by combat teams as soon as they were able to do so, beginning with Combat team 137 on April 12th, followed by Combat team 320 on the 13th and Combat team 134 on the 14th, accompanied by attached tanks, tank destroyers. engineers, and anti-aircraft units, the 35th G.I.'s loaded into 2 & 1/2 ton trucks, 1/2 ton trucks and jeeps and barreled along the Autobahn through farmland, timber and scattered towns along the way. The 137th Combat team met no serious organized resistance as it closed into positions along the West bank of the Elbe. But the 320th Division was not so fortunate. After reaching the Elbe river South of Magdeburg and near Barby they were joined with the 83rd Division and on arrival ordered to attack at their position immediately across the Saale river where it joined the Elbe river and drive the Nazi Germans from the West bank of the Elbe. This action helped secure the bridgehead and permit the engineers to put up a second pontoon bridge across the Elbe without being under fire and supplementing the Harry Truman Bridge built in the initial crossing. This became the last coordinated major attack for the 35th Division and the last river crossing for the war.
Credits:
Click herefor more in formation
about the 35th Infantry Division.
War Photographs: From the 35th Infantry Division website, "The Campaign For Central Europe". Portrait from Rupert Patterson
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