Memorial

More information

Pvt Charles Heck was an automobile serviceman.

He enlisted in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on 5 July 1944.

On 5 March 1945 a task force was formed under the command of (then) Captain John E Muir. This task force was formed to spearhead a fast-moving attack. Consisting of Company A, 345th; the 87th Division's Reconnaissance Troop; Company C, 735th Tank Battalion; two tank destroyers and a pioneer platoon from the 607th Tank Destroyer Battalion; and an amublance, they formed during the night and set out at 6.30 AM from Neureuth on the morning of 6 March 1945. The small force was named after it's commanding officer, John E Muir.

Together with the rest of Company A's men, Charles rode one of the tanks, tankdestroyers or a reconnaissance car. Following the excellent road net, they rolled over the hills and valleys between twenty-five and thirty miles an hour. After breaking a roadblock in Steffeln, Task Force Muir continued it's way. By 10.15 AM the leading echelon was moving through Lissendorf, headed for Kyll River bridge at the easternmost end of town. As the leading vehicle moved up to the ramp the bridge was blown to pieces. The retreating Germans had succesfully thrown a water barrier in the path of the 345th Infantry Regiment. Platoon Sergeant Earle Hart and his men slogged across the river by foot. One of the soldiers next to him was Pvt Charles Heck. They started looking for Germans in the woods. By that time enemy fire from a small village North East of Lissendorf, Birgel was guided upon the task force. An American scout was wounded by enemy fire as he ran across a clearing. Soon afterwards, the life of the 19 year old Charles came to an abrupt end. He was killed by a sniper.