Memorial

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Vincent Dalrymple was a clerk before he joined the National Guard in New York City, New York on 16 September 1940.

On 24-25 November, while all the 3rd Battalion Company commanders were in Rauwiller, the Germans launced a major counter attack with elements of the 130 Panzer Division supported heavily by infantry. The German plan was to cut through Rauwiller and recapture Sarrabourg, thus cutting off the Allied supply route through the Saverne corridor. German tanks roamed the streets of Rauwiller, causing many men of the 3rd Battalion to surrender and others to take to the cellars of the houses in the village. The outposts positioned to the east of Rauwiller slowly collapsed when I Company could no longer hold the right flank. This in turn caused elements of L Company to retreat into the village and either be captured or take cover in the basements of the village. Eventually, casualties in L Company became so great they were infiltrated out of the surrounded village and replaced by 2nd Battalion. 26-27 November 1944, with the assistance of a regiment from the 45th Division, the 106th Cavalry Group and the 4th Armored Division, Rauwiller was regained and the German plan to retake Sarrabourg defeated, but it was a bloody battle for the 71st Infantry. Even though they were outnumbered by a German force sufficiently for reinforcements to arrive. The 3rd Battalion was especially effective on the 24-25 November, as they never truly evacuated Rauwiller. Some groups led by common soldiers and NCOs fought from house to house, cellar to sellar and never gave up.

T/Sgt Dalrymple's remains, together with those of a second American soldier, were found by civilian laborers while clearing the ruins of a house in Rauwiller, on 4 April 1946. The remains were put into wood caskets and buried under the supervision of the Mayor in a common grave in the communal cemetery on 5 April 1946, from which they were exhumed on 23 December 1946 and evacuated to the Central Identification Point in Strassbourg, France.

His remains were then transported to Ardennes Cemetery and initially buried in a temporary grave on 27 Febraury 1947. T/Sgt Dalrymple was given his finale resting place on 15 April 1949.