Memorial

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Sgt Zimmerman was in charge of a machine gun squad and was killed during the initial German shelling on 16 December 1944. His water cooled machine gun was covering the left flank of E Company along the road going to Udenbreth Germany. First wounded by the blast of a shell, he left his foxhole, trying to reach a forward aid station a few hundreds yards behind the line but he only made a few steps when another shell claimed his life.

As of that moment, Sgt Zimmerman was reported missing in action and his name was mentioned on the Tablets of the Missing at Ardennes American Cemetery, until his remains were recovered on 1 June 2001 by two Belgians who were part of a MIA project. They were found in a foxhole right next to the trench of the forward aid station.

On 22 June 2002 he was finally put to rest at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery at the request of his family.

From W.B. Williams, Company H veteran: “Fred [Zimmerman] was squad leader and I first gunner on a water-cooled .30 cal. We were two men short, so we were on gun duty for extremely long hours. Fred and I went on gun duty at 0200 on Dec 16, and everybody knows about the artillery barrage that hit us at 0515. Our gun pit for the heavy .30 was not really deep, but the logs kept us from harm for 40-45 minutes. Apparently a shell hit behind us and the blast came in our direction. I was hit in the right arm and Fred was caught in the right side. Before I could react, he jumped up and started running toward the aid station. The shelling finally stopped, and 10-15 minutes later medics began searching the area. I heard one say these terrible words: Here’s one. He’s dead. This was Fred.”