Lt. Friedrich Lengfeld: Sacrificed himself to save an American soldier
Lt. Friedrich Lengfeld: Sacrificed himself to save an American soldier:
In the midst of the Hurtgen Forest battle, an American soldier was
gravely injured by a land mine. Moved by his agonizing screams, Lt. Friedrich Lengfeld instructed his troops to cease fire on any medics attempting to assist him. As the wounded American's cries persisted and no aid arrived, Lengfeld, determined to help, ventured into the minefield with a group of medics waving Red Cross flags.
Tragically, he triggered a rifle mine and sustained fatal injuries. His squad evacuated him and expedited his transport to a hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. The fate of the American soldier remains unknown; when the Germans revisited the site, they found no trace of him. In a unique act of remembrance, the 22nd US Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, later erected the sole WWII monument dedicated to a German soldier, commemorating Lengfeld’s selfless act. This tribute stands in the Hurtgen Cemetery of Honor.
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