Iowa Public Television

• 

  Collection: Iowa's WWII Stories

• Visit the Web Site
• Tell Us What You Think
• E-mail a Friend

By mid-summer 1944, members of Company "I" were attacking German troops somewhere north of Rome, Italy. "Bill" Smith was returning to the battlefield after requesting an artillery barrage, when he came upon a small patrol of five German soldiers that had made it behind the American lines. As the Germans prepared to shoot at the backs of Company "I" soldiers, Smith, took his captured German Luger out of its holster.

(Russell "Bill" Smith) I seen 'em there, so that's when I stopped, and that's when I realized I didn't have a shell in the barrel of my Luger. Well, I got my Luger, and just pull up, like this, and that clicked and that's when that German heard me, when that clicked. I had a shell in the barrel then, and I had it on him just like that, you know, and he decided that was a good time to quit being a soldier, I guess. He looked around, of course I had it right on him, then he hollered at the rest of them and they all threw up their hands and dropped their weapons and I marched them back.

For saving the men in Company "I" Smith was awarded the Silver Star.

Tags:

• World War II
• veterans
• soldiers
• military
• Europe
• Italy

Post Date: April 12, 2007