Memorial

Biography

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Richard Wiegand attended high school for four years and was a sports instructor.

He enlisted in Baltimore, Maryland on 2 April 1943. He had been overseas for six weeks when he was killed.

At Christmas day 1944 the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" advanced on Manhay and Grandmenil. From there, the advance should continue west. Eight German Panther tanks drove from Manhay towards Érezée. After about three kilometers the tanks reached a curve called Trou de Loup, "Wolfs Hole". There were the men of K Company, 289th Infantry Regiment, 75th Infantry Division.
Among them was Cpl Richard F. Wiegand. Wiegand had positioned himself in a wooded area to the right of the curve. He waited until the first panther had passed him and fired his bazooka at the rear of the tank. Cpl Wiegand was able to destroy the tank but paid with his life for it. How Cpl Wiegand died is not exactly known. His corpse was missing arms and legs, so it is assumed that either he was too close to the Panther when it was hit by his bazooka, or one of the other Panther tanks shot Wiegand.
The destroyed Panther blocked the narrow road to Érezée, which stopped the entire attack of the 2nd SS Panzer Division.

For this action Cpl Wiegand was awarded the Silver Star posthumously.
The place where Cpl Wiegand knocked out the Panther is almost unchanged today. A memorial commemorates Cpl Wiegand on the spot where he knocked out the Panther.