Richard Poles

The following story of valor was submitted by Jonathan Richter, the grandson of U.S. Army PFC. Richard Poles. PFC Poles served in Company F, 407th Infantry Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division "OZARKS" - He was wounded on April 11, 1945.

I was wounded in combat on April 11, 1945 while routing German troops in the vicinity of Hannover, Germany, it resulted in a back injury which remains with me to this day.

I was an Infantry soldier with the 102nd Ozark Infantry Division, 407th Regiment. I completed my training with them at Camp Swift in Austin, Texas and we arrived in Cherbour, France in September 1944.

We started combat in September 1944 on the German-Holland border, fighting one battle after another in central Europe, crossing over the Roer River, then clearing the way to the Rhine, and then finally working our way towards the River Elbe to meet up with the Russian Army.

My last day in combat with the 102nd Ozark Division was on April 11, 1945, a mild and sunny day. We were making our way through the wooded forest with valleys and ridges flushing out German troops who were still putting up a massive resistance.

We were ordered to get on top of the armored tanks of the 701st Tank Battalion so we could advance faster. There must have been 6-8 of us on the top of the armored tank. When all of a sudden a loud explosion came in and the tank came to a sudden halt. I was blown off the tank and landed on my back, on the ground in shock, machine gun fire from the Germans coming in rapidly. My back felt like it had been hit with the butt of an M-1 rifle. I had shrapnel wounds on my face, arms, and chest and was transported to an Army Field Hospital for surgery and recovery.

After spending about two weeks in the hospital I returned to the 102nd Division and I was informed of the details of the April 11th combat incident:

1. The armored tank was hit by a German Panzerfaust.
2. Sgt. Leonard Acker and PFC. Martin Mulloy who were on either side of me were killed in action. I trained with these two comrades at Camp Swift and they made two of the five soldiers in our Mortar Squad.
3. Two soldiers inside the tank were also killed in action.

Richard Poles passed away on March 10, 2021.