Dewayne Hanson Pays Ultimate Sacrifice
Against Hitler and the Nazi Army
[Published September 28, 2009]
Dewayne Charles Hanson, age 25, was killed during military operations against the German Army on January 20th, 1945. He was a Staff Sergeant in 94th Division of the 301st Infantry for the U.S. Army. Dewayne’s sacrifice, along with sacrifices of thousands of other Allied and Russian troops ensured that Adolph Hitler’s xenophobic vision of the world came to an end.
In the last months of 1944 Hitler and leaders of the German military knew that they were losing the war. Allied forces had already recaptured France and Belgium and had begun pushing into Germany. The Third Reich’s goal of dominating Europe and beyond had been reduced to defending the homeland and avoiding surrender. And so the Germans began a new strategy against the Allied Forces. The Nazi's plan was to get the Allies into a non-winnable military position—a stalemate—and then negotiate a peace treaty. They needed to get out of waging a two-front war: Besides fighting the Allies in parts of Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Germany, Hitler's forces were also in a massive battle with the Red Army along the so-called “Eastern” front on the German-Soviet boarder. By gaining a stalemate and subsequent peace on the “Western” front, the Germans could apply all of their resources against the Russians in the east. A one-front war would also help Hitler by giving his engineering teams additional time to design and build more advanced weapons, including completion of an atomic bomb.
Sgt. Hanson's career with the U.S. Army began on December 12, 1942. He trained at Camp Phillips in Kansas and then at Camp McCain in Mississippi. After completing training he was transferred to England in August of 1944 where he spent two weeks. About mid-August his infantry company arrived on the eastern shores of France, near St. Nazaire. This was about two months after D-Day, when the first wave of Allied Forces attacked the Germans on Utah beach. Sgt. Hanson's company moved across France pushing any German pockets of resistant east. In three months time they had entered western Germany. This occurred about January 1st, 1945.
Adolph Hitler
Source: Wikipedia Commons
The implementation of the Nazi’s new stalemate strategy resulted in what is widely known as the “Battle of the Bulge.” This battle was the last major offensive by the Germans. It began in mid-December of 1944 and continued over Christmas and for most of January 1945. The name “Battle of the Bulge” was coined by newspapers accounts of the battles and the position of the front line. At this point in the war, maps showing the location of the front was more-or-less a north-south line, except where the Germans had launched this new offensive. The newly drawn maps showed a “bulge” of German controlled territory towards the west.
The goal of the German offensive was to divide the Allies’ front line and then out-flank them. Hitler believed that if the front were split the Allied commanders would realize that the war would become protracted and they would then move towards negotiating a peace treaty. War analysts say that Hitler’s plan was flawed and his own military leaders thought this plan dubious, but Hitler demanded it be carried-out. The initial surprise attack by the Nazi Army occurred December 16th in the steep slopes of the Ardennes forests in Belgium and Luxembourg. This military operation was one of the largest and bloodiest battles of World War II: Germany counted over 91,000 men killed, wounded, or captured. Allied Forces, mostly Americans, reported 19,246 men killed; 47,500 men wounded, and 23,000 men captured or missing.
On January 7th, Sgt. Dewayne Hanson and all of the 94th Infantry Division, was positioned in an area called Saar-Moselle Triangle. This is a mountainous area in far western Germany not far from the French-German-Beligum boarder. Their infantry company was able to stop the Germans from advancing and began having success in forcing units into retreat. Between January 7th and January 20th, there were numerous battles in this area with heavy causalities by both sides, but the Germans continued to be pushed further eastward. Then on January 20th Dewayne’s unit engaged in an attack on the Nazi Army in the City of Orscholz. During this battle, the Americans incurred very heavy casualties. A loss of nearly two companies of men (200-500 soldiers) was reported in just one day. This battle was likely were Dewayne’s sacrifice to our country was made.
So many American soldiers died in 1944 and early 1945 that it was impossible for all the bodies to be returned to the United States for burial. To accommodate the dead, several American Cemeteries were established in Western Europe, including one in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. A cemetery of 50 acres became the final resting place for 5,076 American service members, including General George Patton and our cousin, Sgt. Dewayne Charles Hanson.
Dewayne was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously. This battle ribbon is given in the name of the President of the United States to members of the military who were wounded or killed or died after being wounded while serving our nation.
Purple Heart Ribbon: George Washington Profile inside
By the first of February of 1945 the Western front was roughly in the position it was before the start of the Battle of the Bulge. The German’s plan of breaking through and dividing the Allies failed. And with that failure came the failure of the entire strategy of gaining a peace-treaty with the Allies. During the months of February, March and April most of the German Army had been killed, captured or surrendered. On April 30, 1945 a desperate and resigned Hitler committed suicide. A week later, on May 8th, , the entire world celebrated VE Day—Victory in Europe.
May we always remember those who served and gave their lives defending our freedoms.
❧
Dewayne was the son of Charles and Emma Hanson and the grandson of John and Elizabeth Ducklow Hanson.
Sources:
(1) Memorial Services for Sgt Dewayne Hanson, Barron County News, February 9, 1945
(2) World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas – Ancestry.com
(3) American Battle Monuments Commission http://www.abmc.gov/search/wwii_list.php
U.S. Army Military History http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/094id.htm
(4) Battle of the Bulge - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge
(5) World War II in Europe - http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/ww2time.htm
Footnote: Dewayne was survived by his wife Muriel Bussewitz. They apparently had no children. Prior to joining the Army he was a milk tester for the Turtle Lake Cooperative Creamery.
