Memorial

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Albert Hassenzahl recalls how he tried to aid Zettwich in Bastogne in December 1944: "Our battalion and the battalion of the 10th Armored Division were completely surrounded at a town called Noville. We attacked up to the high ground, were driven back by tanks, and all we had were light machine guns and a few bazookas and not many rounds for the bazookas to fight these tanks. It was the one point in my life that I thought I had it, we'll never get out of this predicament. We finally got orders to pull back. There was a little crossroads named Foy, and we hit a German strong point there. Punchy was hit at Foy during a firefight we had there. We carried Punchy across the road after the firefight went down a little bit and we loaded Punchy on a half-track, and I told him, "Punchy, you're going to be OK." He looked at me I'll never forget him he said "No, Lieutenant, I don't think so."And he died in the half-track on the way back to the company. Punchy saved my life in Normandy and I tried to save his but I guess I wasn't successful."