AWARD OF AIR MEDAL. Under the provisions of AR 600-45, 22 September 1943, as amended, the Air Medal is awarded to:

First Lieutenant Donald G. Carrell, 0550048, Field Artillery United States Army, for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight in military operations against the enemy in France, Holland and Germany during the period 23 January 1945 to 11 March 1945. Entered Military Service from Texas.

First Lieutenant Carl A. Colozzi (then second Lieutenant) 01181844, Field Artillery, United States Army, for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight in military operations against the enemy in France, Holland and Germany during the period 23 January 1945 to 12 March 1945. Entered Military Service from Rhode Island.

First Lieutenant Edward S. Klaniecki, 01177874, Field Artillery United States Army, for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight in Military operations against the enemy in France, Holland, and Germany during the period 23 January 1945 to 12 March 1945. Entered Military Serice from Pennsylvania.

March order caught the unit with considerable laundry farmed out the next afternoon, and it departed from Eggenstedt at 191605 April marching generally southwest to Athenstedt at the eastern fringe of the Harz Mountains. The route of march went east through Seehausen. This point represented the Battalion's most easterly penetration of Germany. Seehausen is about 15 miles west of the Elbe River and about 85 miles southwest of Berlin. Closing in at Athenstedt at 2100, later in the evening, the Battalion learned that CC "A"'s mission was to clean out the enemy from the woods east as well as from the town of Blankenburg by a wide envelopment from the west, relieving the 330th Regiment of the 83rd Infantry Division.

At 200730 the Battalion displaced to Silstedt where it occupied firing positions at 0845. Weather conditions were excellent for air observation, and the pilots and observations had a field day, conducting most of the observed missions. During the last operation, recorded destruction attributable to the Battalion included the following: one staff car destroyed, one house being used as an enemy CP destroyed by fire with lead and wounded undetermined, 18 vehicles and trailer destroyed, 10 wagons and 2 horses put out of action, one ammunition dump blown up and one water tower destroyed. Total enemy killed and wounded was undetermined.

By 210900 April 1945 CC 'C' had taken its final objective, and the remainder of the day was spent in preparing for another march. Between midnight and 0600 the Battalion fired H & I missions with A, B, and C Batteries expending 16, 25, and 25 rounds respectively finishing the unit's combat firing for the time being at least in the ETO, and raising ammunition expenditure on the continent to a total of 23,774 rounds.

After all this firing, moreover, an average of 1,321 rounds per piece, ordnance inspection conducted several days later revealed that the tubes were excellent condition, much to the credit of the chiefs of section and the cannoneers.

Details of the impending move indicated that the Division had been assigned at least a temporary roll as occupational troops. 'D' Battery of the 473rd AAA Battalion which had been attached to the unit since prior to the Roer crossing had been assigned another area in the occupational zone and was scheduled to part company with us on the following morning. The Battalion was to take over an area northwest of Gottingen, Germany which was to be Division Artillery Headquarters.

At 220720 April, the unit departed from Silstedt and marched a distance of 85 miles to the new area with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery arriving at Adlebsen located about 12 miles northwest of Gottingen at 1600. The batteries occupational task required the billeting of each battery in a different town with a sphere of influence extending into the surrounding countryside. Adlebsen was roughly the center of the area. 'A' Battery was billeted at Hardegson to the north 'C' Battery at Schoningen to the northwest, Service Battery at Lenglern to the east and 'B' Battery east of Service at Bovenden along the north-south road between Northeim and Gottingen Obviously, the unit was well spread out. At the extremes 'C' and 'B' Batteries were separated by approximately 16 road miles.

Each town was untouched by bombing and artillery fire, and each afforded excellent billets for the officers and men. All had inside messes, for example, Battalion Headquarters was located high on a hill on the northwest edge of Adlebsen in a chateau or castle, parts of which antedated the Norman Conquest. Headquarters Battery had equally as comfortable quarters, and the terrain situated in the Harz Mountains in what was formerly the Duchy of Hanover, was exceedingly scenic, with rolling hills verging on mountains, woodlands, and well kept farms. All were glad to resume the comforts of 'garrison life' for a short while.

The period from 22 to 30 April was one of getting adjusted to the task of running civil affairs, a new assignment for all, involving the problems of displaced peoples, rounding up and evacuating prisoners of war, and accustoming the populace to Military Government and a breaking away from the concepts of Hitlerism. It was a chore which could not be accomplished right away, and it involved establishing patrols, stopping migration, acquiring acceptable burgomeisters, and all the multitudes of details attendant to getting business functioning.

At a dinner given by CC 'A's General Colson, Col Dawson was awarded the Bronze Star.

Lieutenant Colonel ROBERT H. DAWSON, 0269466, Field Artillery, United States Army, for meritorious service in connection with military operations against the enemy in Germany during the period 2 March 1945 to 12 April l945. Colonel Dawson was artillery officer of a combat command, in addition to his duty as a Battalion Commander. During this period battle conditions required constant and foresighted planning to keep the artillery within supporting distance. Colonel Dawson did this in an unusually competent manner. In addition, he helped to plan artillery concentrations on important enemy strongpoints which required expert adjustments and timing. Throughout the entire period Colonel Dawson carried out his duties in a meritorious manner, assisting greatly in the successful operations of the combat command. His actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of the Armed Forces of the United States Entered Military Service from Mississippi.

Starting a reinstitution of passes to various high spots in Europe, Col Dawson departed on a seven-day leave to the Riviera on 25 April. Major Molchan, Battalion executive officer, assumed command of the Battalion in his absence. On the same date, S/Sgt George R. Hawley, Jr., Battalion Reconnaissance and survey sergeant was commissioned 2d Lt FA. He was the first enlisted man in the Battalion or in Division Artillery to win a Battle Field Commission.

VOCG ordering the following named 2d Lts, AUS, now at Orgn & Sta indicated to EAD, DP, effective on the dates specified, are made of record the urgency having been such as to prevent the issuance of orders in advance. Auth: Cir 10, Hq European Theater of Operations, 27 January 1945.

GEORGE RICHMOND HAWLEY JR, 09012195, 398th Armd F A Bn 8th Armd Div, APO 258, U.S. Army. (Some text is missing here.)