4 Bronze Stars

Company B, 738th Tank Battalion

The 738th Tank Battalion was consitituted on 5 February 1943 in the Army of the United States and activated on 1 March 1943 at Fort Benning, Georgia under the command of Lt Col Charles B. Davidson, Jr. The company commnders were: Captain Alexander Sharp, Headquarters Company; Captain John C. Shelley, Company A; lst Lieutenant John Brier, Company B; Captain William L. Jennings, Company C; Captain Roger Bigham, Service Company. These officers all served from time of activation until deactivation. Training took place at Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Knox, Kentucky and Camp Bouse, Arizona. Redesignated 738th Medium Tank Battalion (Special), on 19 November 1943. Further redesignated 738th Medium Tank Battalion, Special, on 4 December 1943. Departed the New York Port of Embarkation on 22 April 1944 on the British ship Mauretania. Arrived in Liverpool, England on 30 April 1944 then transported to its camp and training site at Leeds. Committed to combat in the European Theater of Operations and landed at La Harve, France on 10 November 1944. Moved to Tongeren, Belgium in December 1944 and took an active part in the Battle of the Bulge, suffering many casualties both Killed In Action and Wounded in Action. Company B was cited for bravery by the Belgium Government for its part in this battle. After taking part in the Battle for Aachen, Germny, the unit returned to Belgium and spent the next months in mopping-up operations and refitting. The unit then moved into Germany proper on 11 July 1945. At the conclusion of hostilities the unit became part of the Army of Occupation from 2 May - 4 July 1945. The unit was redesignated 738th Amphibian Tractor Battalion on 16 July 1945 at Jesberb, Germany. Returned to the United States for dulty in the Pacific Theater of Operations aboard the SS Lyman Abbott (Shipment #10447) when the war ended on 15 August 1945. Landed at the Boston Port of Embarkation on 18 August 1945. Inactivated 20 November 1945 at Fort Ord, California. Redesignated 738th Tank Battalion, allotted to the Regular Army and assinged to the 13th Armored Division on 25 February 1953. CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDTS: Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe. DECORATIONS: Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at St. Vith (Co B cited for pd 20-29 Jan 44 per DA GO 43, 1950). BADGE: On a white disc bordered green (bearing the labels "738th Medium Tank Battalon (Special)" over "The Great Speckled Bird") a caricatured light blue speckled bird with multicolor tail and the armor triangle between its running legs.

Ivan M Hance