The Holliday Cabin

This is a story of rediscovery . . .

As Bob Holliday and a tight group of friends & family visited the “Cabin” his father built (dug & covered) in early 1945.

The Men

The story of the Cabin involved were these four men:

Jim Regnier, Aurora, Illinois
Charlie Turner, Russellville, Arkansas
Karl “Hap” Holliday, Promise City, Iowa
Chuck Stegner, Grangeville, Idaho

~ The Story ~

The 561st FABn moved into that area on December 3, 1944 and stayed until the Battle of the Bulge started on December 16, 1944. As you know, by that time in the War, the Germans had been pushed back into their own country. The high command of the American Army told it’s Army to stay put, dig in for the winter, with the hard fight to be picked up in the spring following the passage of the winter weather. Thus, many American troops commencing building shelters and etc. to withstand the oncoming winter weather. As we all know, that winter turned out to be one of the most severe winters in the history of that part of the world. Thus the Bulge deserved its identity as Hitler’s surprise attack, taking on its title: “Hitler’s Last Gamble-The Battle of The Bulge”.

Those four officers had to cut the trees (no chain saws), find the corrugated tin and a tarp large enough to keep the rain and snow out. Here is another piece to this: As earlier indicated, in 1986, Chuck Stegner recorded his memories of the Battle of the Bulge. I have been extremely fortunate that Chuck did this. Using the tape, and going into great detail, Chuck explained this structure. Saying you had to crawl on your belly to get into it. There was enough room that those four could put out their bedrolls and catch a little sleep in a somewhat safe environment. Chuck also said, that Charlie Tuner had picked up a small china glass kerosene fueled lantern while the 561st was in England. Going on, Chuck said you “could have broken it with a hammer.” Yet, it put out enough heat to keep the inside of that place relatively warm.  

While in that area, the 561st was in support of the 106th ID. But a few days prior to the Bulge starting, the 106th had come on the line, replacing  the American 2nd ID. The 106th had come directly from the United States, had never been in combat. That Division was made of Green American troops, some of which had been in high school the previous spring. It was those young Americans who had to meet that onslaught of German Field Marshall Gerd Von Runstedt’s legions of troops on the Southern Shoulder of the Bulge. In discussing the Bulge, Chuck Stegner told me that 2nd ID, which went into reserve mere days prior to the Bulge, was a “…tough good American outfit. Battle wise and battle tested”. In discussing the 2nd ID, Hoben Rogers told me ”…those boys went lookin for a fight”.

Prior to that action, the 561st had never had to find it’s retrograde position. Yet the Bulge forced the Battalion to retreat down into Luxenbourg. Interestingly, the 561st simply made a circle, moving back North when the Americans began, once again, pushing the Germans back. Returning to their previous spot near Schlierbach, the 561st was able to reuse their original gun pits to reset their guns.

The picture was given to me by Lt. Virgil Donze. Another member of the 561st who befriended me. In those days and in that War, the GIs were to not to have cameras nor to keep diaries. Luckily Virgil disobeyed that order. I have all of his negatives. Furthermore, while the GIs were also not to keep diaries, the Battalion, XO, Maj. Jim Gordon, kept one-daily. Maj. Gordon also befriended me. Many years after the War, one of his two sons typed it up. A copy now rests in the Library of Congress. That diary told me the exact route of travel, how may daily rounds had been fired, and bits of historical 561st facts, and etc. of the 561st. It was using Major Gordon’s Diary, along with Hoben Rogers Forward Observation map, and finally the help of Josef Rauch that our group was able to locate the hole in the ground where the Cabin had rested. All things considered in this, finding that location was an almost surreal experience.

The Rediscovery

This is where we’ll add the story of the bunch of you “finding” the Cabin. If you can direct me to the text description.