Divisions could evade the overwhelming German forces. The corridor was an eight-mile salient stretching from the Salm River through the town of Vielsalm and into the Corps rear areas. In the next 24 hours hundreds of vehicles (tanks, trucks) and desperate troops raced through the 508^th PIR corridor to safety.

The 508^th PIR, however, was in a perilous position, stretched out like a finger for eight miles, and at the risk of being cutoff and destroyed at any moment. Therefore, on a bitter cold Christmas Eve night, the 508^th PIR was ordered to break contact with the Germans and withdraw to a defensive position along the Corps line.

In executing the order, the 508^th PIR spent Christmas Eve continuously harassed by German combat patrols, as it traversed snow covered roads and trails and densely forested areas.

On Christmas morning, anticipating a massive German attack, the regiment established a defensive position along a steep ridge. We dug holes cleared fire lanes and set up outposts. Our efforts paid off.

Over the next couple of days, we successfully fought off several large German combat formations, killing countless Germans. 

Our morale rose on January 7, 1945 when the allied forces started a counterattack to destroy the German penetration. The 508^th PIR launched an assault to retake the Their-du-Mont Ridge [the 508^th PIR had surrendered the ridge the night of December 24] overlooking the Salm River.

Following a bloody battle, in which 508^th PIR troops struggled in deep snow, across open terrain, into the direct fire from anti-aircraft guns, the ridge was taken and organized before dark. [The grateful Belgian people have erected a monument at the Their-du-Mont Ridge commemorating the heroic attack by the 508^th PIR.] 

During the following weeks, we fought a desperate German Army in bitter cold weather and deep snows through the thickly wooded Ardennes forests and the Siegfried Line, all the way to the Roer River. 

To our surprise, on February 16, 1945, we were ordered to break contact with the German forces and prepare to return to Sissonne, France.

At the time, we did not know that our combat days were over or that our reasonably comfortable quarters in the Artillery Post had been occupied by a hospital. Following a long uncomfortable train ride in World War I 40 and eight boxcars (40 men and 8 horses), Hq1 was back in Sissonne.