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During the recent past, much of our nation's
attention has been on the victims and the heroes in New York and elsewhere.
Once again, a tyrant
has mistaken our in-family squabbles as a a sign of outward weakness
and a lack of backbone. The following story is about a group of citizen-soldiers
who went up against a disciplined, experienced, determined enemy and
utterly
defeated them — just as we are again.
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| McClernand "Mac" Butler during WWII. |
Madge Mattella Grimes, my first cousin once removed and the granddaughter
of Luther Sanford Beasley
and Ruth Matella Claggett,
married McClernand "Mac" Butler (left). In the early 1930s,
McClernand Butler attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for
a time. He returned to Illinois and in 1933 was commissioned a second
lieutenant in the National Guard. For many years, Mac was an office manager
for Illinois Bell in Ottawa, Illinois.
On March 5, 1941, as the United States began to mobilize its forces for
the possibility of war, Butler became a second lieutenant in the Regular
Army. Promoted to lieutenant colonel on March 21, 1944, he would remain
in the Army until January 14, 1946. Lieutenant Colonel McClernand Butler
took command of the 3rd Battalion on February 1, 1944.
Without any combat experience, the 3rd Battalion became the first unit
of the 99th Division to reach the front when it moved to Hofen, Germany,
on November 9, 1944. Hofen was part of Germany's Siegfried Line, or West
Wall. The battalion of about 1000 men held a 6,000-yard front from Monschau
to Hofen toward Alzen. The 38th Cavalry Squadron stood on its left flank,
and the other two battalions of the 395th Infantry held the right flank.
The unit was outmanned by the Germans 6:1.
On December 16, 1944, a tremendous artillery barrage signaled the start
of Adolf Hitler's final offensive. As the Battle of the Bulge continued,
the Germans repeatedly tried to crack Hofen. German artillery rained down
on his postion from a 350 degree angle, as the unit was nearly surrounded.
Several times, Butler had to call in his own artillery fire on his mens'
positions to drive the enemy back.
Read the entire story >>
The Cause of Liberty
 The
millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a
country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our
enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles
alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations,
and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle,
sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the
brave.
(Cousin) Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775
Speech in the Virginia Convention
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