Memorial

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John Eisenhauer graduated from Richmond Hill High School in 1935.

John Eisenhauer enlisted on 16 January 1941. He was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was sent overseas in 1942 and fought in Operation Torch, in Sicily, France, Belgium and Germany.

John Eisenhauer received his commission as Lieutenant while serving overseas.

His daughter was born a day after he landed in North Africa.

During the first attack of the 9th Infantry Division towards the road networks and the villages of Germeter and Vossenack, some heavy fighting ensued in an area known as “Raffelsbrand / Todtenbruch (Deadman’s Moor)”. The men of the 9th Infantry Division had to fight against enemy fire from these fortifications while receiving heavily concentrated mortar fire. Several pillboxes were taken, but some of them were more difficult to take. From 25 September 1944, attacks were made towards the pillboxes situated in their line of advance in the area near the crossroads situated in the south east. The crossroads were an important objective for the men of K Company. It controled the road from Monschau in the south towards the city of Duren in the north as well. K Company worked down the west side of the main road, and found out that the pillbox was situated on the left of the main road. The pillbox held up the attack for nearly 2 days. On the morning of 27 September 1944, another attempt was made, now with the main objective the bend in the road to the south west. This attack did not succeed. On the same day, at 12:00 hours, the enemy counterattacked, but was repulsed again at 12:45. Another attack that came at 15:00 was pushed back by 15:30. The day was filled with fire fights from both sides. It was during one of these attacks that 2nd Lt. John Eisenhauer got hit. There was so much fighting going on that day that the other men were unable to get him right away. When they went back the next day they weren’t able to find him. He was declared Missing In Action for 3,5 years.

In 1948, his body was found in the area he had been fighting in on that fateful September day to overtake the German pillbox. He then was buried at the Ardennes Cemetery in Neupre, Belgium on May 1948. A memorial in the form of an iron cross and plaque was erected as a tribute to 2nd LT. John Eisenhauer, and can be seen today near the Ringstrasse in the Raffelsbrand area.