Pfc. John ‘Bill’ Kongable, U.S. Army, World War II

John “Bill” Kongable was drafted into the U.S. Army just a couple of days after graduating from high school in 1944. From there it was on to basic training and eventually being trained as a gunman for an anti-tank copmany attached to the Army’s 89th Infantry Division. He would first see combat in March 1945.

In this edition of “Veterans Chronicles,” Kongable describes the guns he used and how his team operated. He also offers a great amount of detail about the fiercest fight he was part of – crossing the Rhine River. He tells us about the devastating strategy the German gunners used to attack Americans trying to get across the Rhine and how the American guns ultimately prevailed.

Finally, Kongable takes us to early April 1945 when his unit was part of the liberation of the Ohrdruf concentration camp in Germany. While only there for a short time, he offers a vivid recollection of the horrors he saw there and the memories that stay with him to this day. 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Click here to read the full article

---

Veterans Chronicles