The course of World War II changed dramatically on D-Day, June 6th, 1944, as tens of thousands of Allied soldiers hit the beaches at Normandy. There they remained tied up for nearly six weeks in the infamous French hedgerows before they were able to break out, and meet the Germans head-on.

At the end of July, General Patton's "Thundering Third" Army knifed through the Nazi defenses on an historic dash towards Paris. Armored divisions led the way. But right behind them were elements of the 514th Quartermaster Group, including some 50 QM truck companies hauling troop replacements, rations, and thousands of jerricans of gasoline – to keep Patton’s army moving.

In the weeks that followed, Quartermaster truckers worked around the clock. They often had to make their long, dangerous supply runs through enemy-infested territory in total darkness, with only a small escort of tanks. They were routinely subjected to enemy air and artillery attacks. Took many casualties. And at times literally had to "dismount" and fight right alongside their Infantry passengers – until the mopping up was complete. Practically all the drivers pointed proudly at bullet holes in the cabs or windshield of their vehicles.

Thus it came as no surprise to learn that a couple of Quartermasters from the 514th managed to liberate a French town along the way. MAJ Charles Ketterman, QMC, and his jeep driver, Tech 5 Ernest Jenkins, both with the 35th Infantry, entered the crossroads town of Chateaudun on the road to Paris. They believed it had already been liberated.

A hail of machine-gun fire told them otherwise. Armed only with a .45 pistol and an 103 rifle, the major and his driver staged an 8-hour "battle" of their own. When it was over, they discovered they had killed three Germans, wounded several more, knocked out a gun position, and had scared the entire garrison except fifteen diehards into evacuating the town. Then they proceeded to capture those fifteen! That day the two Quartermasters were the toast of the 35th Infantry. And General Patton ("Old Blood-and-Guts" himself) thought enough of the two soldiers’ PERSONAL COURAGE and devotion to DUTY that he personally awarded each a Silver Star.

Compiled by the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps Historian Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia