[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 179 (Friday, November 8, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1410-E1411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING GEORGE MERGENTHALER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 8, 2019

  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, as we approach the 75th Anniversary of the 
Battle of the Bulge, I would like to take a moment to honor a true 
American hero, George Mergenthaler.
  George was born on August 5th, 1920 and was the only child of Alice 
and Hermann Mergenthaler of Rye, NY. He grew up in Rye and was later 
accepted into Princeton University in September of 1939.
  A gifted athlete, dedicated student, handsome and charismatic, 
``Merg'' as he was known, was well liked by all who knew him. With 
studies that focused on History and English, George's time at Princeton 
was everything he could have hoped for.
  All that changed on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl 
Harbor. Like many of his generation, George enlisted soon after the 
attack, but his enlistment was deferred until he graduated in January 
1943 in an accelerated program. Just days later he was sent to Camp 
Hood in Texas for basic training. Discovering his fluency with German 
and French, the army assigned George to the 28th Cavalry Reconnaissance 
Troop.
  Following overseas training in Wales, George and the rest of the 
Recon Troop entered the European Theater of Operation in mid-July 1944 
with the 28th Infantry Division and would fight their way through 
France, into Belgium and on to Luxembourg. In mid-November the Troop 
arrived in Eschweiler, Luxembourg, their home for the next month.

[[Page E1411]]

  Because of his ease with language, George more than any of the other 
soldiers, endeared himself to the people of the small farming town. 
Together they shared meals, church services, hopes and dreams. Then on 
December 16th, 1944, the Germans launched a surprise attack in the 
Ardennes Forest. The Battle of the Bulge was underway. By mid-afternoon 
on December 18th, the German attack had pushed deep into Luxembourg, 
and Eschweiler was nearly surrounded. The Recon Troop held the town as 
long as possible before pulling out. Just a mile outside of town, their 
convoy drove into a German ambush. Pinned down on the narrow, treelined 
road, death or capture were their only options. Realizing their 
desperate situation, George sprang to action. Showing no regard for his 
personal safety, George jumped into the back of a jeep, manned a 50-
caliber machine gun and provided enough covering fire for the rest of 
the Recon Troop soldiers to make their escape. Seconds later the 
machine gun jammed. As George tried to clear the breach, German bullets 
cut him down. George's selfless and heroic actions that day allowed the 
rest of the Recon Troop to survive not only that ambush but the war. 
Madam Speaker, George Mergenthaler made the ultimate sacrifice that day 
so that others could live in peace. I would like to thank this body for 
posthumously recognizing George Mergenthaler, a true American hero.

                          ____________________