The Death of a War Hero
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, ., ,. ." .. , .. ,' " ...~- ... ---.-------------- L- ~j) .:r; <A. fl-}J A- ,j r (J / q '1)' The Death Of A War Hero The death earlier this week or out and getting started to get to Jackson resident Lyle Pittenger work on our project when we marked more than the passing or begin to see Germany artillery a resident, family man, co-work· nre. The second round that came er and friend and neighbor. It over landed right about the mid· marked the death of a true war die of the concentration of my rior - a man who was surely one platoon. Of course, every man in of the county's most decorated that situation is a man for him veterans of World War II. self. He dives and goes for cover Pittenger's courageous exploits or whatever protection they can and heroic service in the war get. At this time I looked back earned for him the Purple Heart, and saw one of my men out in the the Silver Star and the Bronze center of an open area. He hod Star cluster. panicked, and he had his rine in Pittenger, a combat engineer, one hand and wasjuat running in earned his Purple Heart in Italy like a thirty·foot circle, scream when n German mine exploded a mg. passing Jeep, sending shrapnel "Well, my first thought., if he into his hand, face, ear, neck, stayed out. there he would more neck, chest, side and knee. The than likely get hit if they threw Jeep, which W8Sjust 30 feet away another round in right away. The from it at the time or explosion, next thought that come to my was destroyed and the driver was mind, that I wanted to get him to killPd. safety. So I ran out !.here, and as "AU that I can remember was J got near him f grabbed him by just a huge orange ball," he the lert ann and threw him off recalled in an interview. '" was balance and put my right arm lookin' at ihatjeep and all at once around his neck and directed him there wns nothing but a big over an embankment to where orange bull.- we had cover and safety. Pittenger was very lucky. He ~Over that bank Sergeant Fr.ed bled some, was in shock and Theiss, Sergeant Thomas Small became very very sore, but he were nearby. They at once gave was able to recover in 7-10 days. me assistnnce to try to put him at .Jackson County resident Lyle Pittenger (left) ts pictured Pittenger's Bronze Star was ease and get him back to reality, being awarded the Bronze Star for heroic achievement in awarded, also in Italy, for his you might say. Which was a great action on July 8, 1944 in the vicinity of Pomerance, Italy. work in getting a minefield help to me. After we got him Making the presentntion i8 Major General Geoffrey Keyes, opened in I'Ipite or the presence of calmed down he was very ncr· Pittenger, one or the county's most decorated World War II Germans in a nearby bUilding. vous and just completely not. at veterans, die-d earlier this week. himselr. We had to keep someone He added the cluster to the Captain Pohlman and Private commander, WllB there afLer this Bronze Sta.r, also in in Italy, al't.er with him the rest of the time we were there. We went ahead and ft~irst. Class Wherle wasn't had happened. In the conrusion 8 Gennan bomb set a truck aftre. started to do our work and the injured. They dove out of the at that time he didn't really know Pittenger's quick action to douse command car and got to cover what had happened to Private the blaze saved valuable equip shelling increased. '"'['he lieutenant and the driver and waited till the shelling was Lawson or how near he might menL and supplies which were in over. But it dId destroy the have been killed there. But I an attached trailer. came in our Jeep just before t.he sccond shelling started. They Company F commund car. reported this t them and Pittenger's Silver Star was very near come getting hit with "We 8tayed under cover the Sergeant Theiss and Sergeant earned in the spring of 1944, also the second round of artillery that re5t or the afternoon until dark Small came with me and verified in Italy. Pittenger's brave Bction, came in. Just about that time our ness settled in. We knew we were what happened. They send in the face of artillery enemy fire, company commander came in in perfect ohflervntion by the Private Lawson that following may have saved the life of a ter· with his driver. They was in what enemy, so we figured since they day back to our battalion head· ror-stricken comrade. was known as a command cor, a had us 7.eroed in we'd just discon quarters medica. They sent him Here's Pittenger's own account vehicle that's heavier and larger tinue the work project and wait on to regimental for further tests, of the incident, 88 told to Jackson than ajeep. It has no doors, but it ror another lime. We come out of and apparenLiy he was classed County reflident Bill Martin in an has two seat and a compartment there in lotal darkness, without not able for frontline duty. He edited interview: in the back to corry tools and furtht'r incidl'nt. never retumed to the company. I "This is the 30th April, 1944, supplies. It was completely '" reported to the company don't know whether he was put "We had unloaded rrom the destroyed. By some miracle commander, and of course in a rear area or work or where lruclul and was geLting our tools Lieutenant Berry, our plutoon he really did end up." .