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On September 6, 1944, the 702nd Tank Battalion, now finished with refitting its vehicles, after the long march from Argentan, left Chalons-Sur-Marne and rejoined the 80th Infantry Division to which it was attached.  "A" Company left St. Etienne Au Temple at 1:40 in the morning, and arrived at Flirey at 11:00 that same morning.  "B" Company left Chalons at 1:30 in the afternoon on the 5th, and drove all night to the town of Giles situated on the high ground approaching the Moselle River.  "B" Company arrived at 10:00 in the morning of the 6th.  Leaving the town of Giles, "B" Company bivouacked in a wooded area along the road east of Rossiers from which they were to attack on the following morning.

The "C" Company diary of Ed Wizda states:

"Most of the day was spent on the road and the remainder in the briefing of tomorrow's attack.  We were now on the front lines."  "A" Company left Flirey at 3:00 in the afternoon on September 7th and arrived at Gezoncourt three hours later. 

The Hendricks diary of "B" Company states:

"Giles - We arise early at 6:00 A.M. We moved out from our position in the woods and went into the attack position.  In the attack, which was a success, we lost as casualties S/Sgt. Hibbs, Sgt. Riley, Pvt’s. Devins and Yard and S/Sgt. Ream.  . . . it was very stiff resistance.  The Germans were protecting the Moselle River, a position of great military importance to both the Allies and Germany.  Prisoners were few, but there were plenty of German dead.  After our battle, we withdrew to a bivouac area and so ends another day."

Captured German Photo

Of the attack by "B" Company to the Foret de L'Avant Garde, Retired Col. William B. "Bull" Miller, after the war, described to me:

". . . this turned out to be a typical  armored/infantry support action with the Germans put up in the woods, a woods that ran from our attack position to the top of the hill to the reverse slope running down to the Moselle River.  While the attack was a success, it was devastating to us in loss of personnel.  The Germans were protecting this Moselle salient into the American position, very, very stiffly.  They had a bridge supporting them across the Moselle that we had not knocked out and they were bringing stuff across."

Sergeant Ream never failed to carry out any order or hesitated.  If he had questions, didn't quite understand or something, that was quite different.  But when he received an order that he understood, he never failed to carry it out, which is an attribute of a good soldier.  We had that day started out with the infantry across an open field.  The German infantry was on the edge of the woods, and we moved out in platoon formation in support of the infantry, firing into the edge of the woods with both light automatic fire and 75 mm and 50 caliber from the turrets.  We were very successful in driving them back.

Supposedly, was our report that the infantry had swept the woods, they had secured it and it was necessary for us to remain in position, while they were securing it.  So my section and my tank backed off and turned around and came back to just about where we had started earlier in the morning and the gasoline tank was there and the ammo tank was there, so we filled up with gas and ammunition, with the idea that while Sgt. Ream was there, we'd fill up with gas and ammunition and then go back to relieve him and he could go back and fill up. 

During that period of time while we were back, was the period of time that Sgt. Ream was wounded.  We cut short the time that he was evacuated; I saw him being evacuated.  But that was the only thing I saw, I was in the tank and I felt that I had to get back to the position, because there was only one tank up there in support."