Memorial

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1st Lt Melvin C. Ullrich graduated from Lancaster (NY) High School in 1938 and attended Missouri University of Science & Technology. He enlisted in New York.

Mines were procured and a barrier plan made for the final division defensive line during Dec 24th. Christmas Eve night was bitterly cold as the engineers proceeded with their blowing of bridges, culverts, cutting abatis, laying antitank and anti-personnel minefields. This was coordinated with the orderly withdrawal of the infantry. Some mines exploded while being carried. An entire squad of Co "C" were casualties; three were killed.

Statement from Cpl Wickersham:
"On Christmas Eve 1944, late evening, my squad was called to take a patrol into enemy territory to lay a roadblock with land mines to halt the German tanks from advancing into our sector. There were eight of us, each carrying two anti-tank mines. After going through our outposts near the village of Bra in Belgium, and upon approaching the crossroad as we were preparing to lay out the mines, there was a bright flash and a huge explosion, which picked me up and hurled me into a nearby ditch.

My platoon leader, Lt Ullrich, lost both legs and later died of shock, but he most likely saved my life because when the mine he was carrying exploded, his body shielded me from most of the shrapnel.

My first thought of what had happened was that a German tank had fired on us, but later we found that an enemy 120mm mortar shell had hit in the midst of us and exploded the anti-tank mine the lieutenant was carrying."