Veterans Day 2016
8 Nov. 9, 2016
www.LakeNewsOnline.com
VETERAN VOICES
Local veteran at Battle of the Bulge, liberation
of Mauthausen-Gusen Concentration Camp
The barracks were so
crowded with men and
women together, people so
thin that one could almost
see through them. The
smell was horrible, and it
was so hot that they were
all naked and sweaty. Out-
side of the barracks there
were big piles of dead bod-
ies waiting to be thrown
into the ditch and covered.
Bill Bassett vividly re-
calls that moment at the
German Mauthausen-
Gusen Concentration
Camp in Upper Austria af-
ter his discharge from a
Paris hospital. He had been
injured when a German
grenade exploded near him
in the Ardennes Forest
during the infamous Battle
of the Bulge.
The camp held Jews who
had been imprisoned by
the Germans, and the
Americans were liberating
them just days after World
War II had ended.
"We all had to stand
guard duty at the barracks
because we had to keep
the Jews inside. Had they
been released they would
have foraged for food and
foundered," Bassett re-
membered.
Bassett, 92, now of Lake
Ozark, recently shared his
war memories with his
wife, Carol, who typed his
narrative to preserve a
snapshot of history.
A 17-year-old high
school graduate in Des
Moines, Iowa, Bassett
wanted to enlist in the
Army. It was 1942, and the
war was building on all
fronts. But because he was-
n't of legal age to join, he
worked at an Ames, Iowa,
sanitation plant managed
by his father until he was
18.
Bassett wanted to learn
In Honor Of All Who Serve
We are inviting
Veterans,
Active Military,
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Policemen to join
us for Lunch.
Where: Open Door Christian
Fellowship
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By Dan Field
World War II Army veteran Bill Bassett recently participated in the Soaring Valor
program, billed as a hero's journey to the National WWII Museum in New Or-
leans. PHOTO PROVIDED
to fly, so he enlisted in the
Army Air Corps in Febru-
ary 1943. His fate was
sealed, however, when he
was ordered to the U.S.
Army's 8th Armored In-
fantry Battalion for in-
fantry training. He protest-
ed to his superiors and was
transferred to pilot train-
ing in Shreveport, La., and
later to Kansas State Col-
lege for academic and pilot
training. But halfway
through the training
which he says he was en-
joying the Germans be-
gan their push through
Belgium to Amsterdam to
a fuel station where they
could get supplies shipped
in by sea.
In November 1944, the
101st Airborne was called
to action again in the Bat-
tle of the Bulge. While de-
fending the critical trans-
portation hub of Bastogne,
Belgium, the 101st was sur-
rounded by advancing en-
emy forces.
"The U.S. had to stop
the Germans' big push
through Ardennes Forest
or they (Germans) would
573-365-BANK
have had free run to the
Amsterdam Coast," Bas-
sett said.
In consequence, Bassett
and others were sent to
England as replacement
troops with the 11th Ar-
mored Division at Cod-
ford, England. They de-
ported from Liverpool,
England, for Cherbourg,
France, "where we were
ordered to push across
France and into Belgium
and the Ardennes Forest as
quick as we could make
it," Bassett recalled. snow-packed tank tracks.
As they moved north,
the weather worsened. On
the second night out the
snow was nearly a foot
deep and still snowing.
"We took our boots off
and slept with them in our
bedrolls so they would be
warm and dry to put on in
the morning," he said.
The snow continued all
night and tanks and half-
tracks were used to pull
their jeeps and 4x4 trucks
free the next day.
"I don't know when I've
ever seen it so cold," Bas-
sett said.
And then the fighting
began as heavy artillery
began to fall around them,
including hitting a half-
track. One of the soldiers
who survived the half-track
attack "began screaming
and yelling and running
around and climbed up on
a haymow and wouldn't
come down," Bassett said.
"I think this scared me
more than anything in the
war."
The soldiers decided it
was safer to walk in the
killed, and Bassett was ap-
Lake West
Ambulance
ank You!
Th
From the Helens Sellin Team
(573) 374-2555
www.helenissellin.com
helen@helenissellin.com
SOARING VALOR
Bill Bassett was among World War II veterans chosen to
participate in the Soaring Valor program, billed as a
hero's journey to the National WWII Museum in New Or-
leans. The program is part of actor Gary Sinise's effort to
focus on the sacrifices and contributions of men and
women in service, particularly World War II. More than
480 veterans have participated, and 130 have visited the
museum, including Bassett. He is among only 265 that
have provided an oral history of his service. Bassett was
accompanied by his grandson, Jeremy Bechtold, on the
trip to New Orleans after Bassett was selected. His
daughter, Kim, submitted Bassett's name and informa-
tion. The two men flew to New Orleans where they were
met by a personal guide who escorted them during the
two-day event. Bill and Jeremy were hosted at the Hyatt
Regency in downtown New Orleans, and spent their time
at the World War II Museum, went to the U.S. Freedom
Pavilion, visited the Campaigns of Courage Pavilion and
recorded his oral history at the museum. Bassett said
they were treated like royalty.
They reached the Ar- pointed in the absence of
dennes in about 10 days any volunteers. On point
and deployed for combat. and after a brief scare by
On Christmas Eve Day, the movement that turned out
Americans and the Ger- to be a restless chicken,
mans were engaged in Bassett's life took a turn
huge tank battle. German from which it would never
tanks would push through come back.
and then American tanks "About that time, there
would push back. Because was a German tank going
the snow was so deep, by with a tank command-
troops were using the same er standing up in the port
tank tracks to find a hold- hole. When he saw me ly-
ing position. ing there with a rifle, he
A lead scout and then a grabbed a grenade and
second lead scout were _______________________
See BASSETT, page 11
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Craig Morrison | Norma Morrison | Phyllis Flinn
We Honor Those
Who Serve and
Have Served!