A Soldier’s Chronicle: New York to Birnberg: Walter Hannig (1917-1945)

Born and raised in Waldenburg Germany till the age of 4, Walter immigrated to the United States with his parents and brothers William and Eric. The Hannig family started a new life in Auburn, New York. Walter attended local schools only to complete 2 years of high school. He dropped out to work as a gardener and eventually became a machinist at a local business in Central New York. Walter married Ruth Bahr in April of 1940. Walter registered for the draft months later. The United States went to war when the Japanese bombed the American fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. Young men were headed to Europe and the Pacific. Walter was granted a deferment in 1942 because his occupation was critical to the war effort. Ruth and Walter had twin boys born May 12, 1943. What happened next altered the lives of the Hannig family forever. In April of 1944, Walter was inducted into the US Army. Walter was heading to Europe with the 63rd Infantry Division to liberate France and eventually cross the Saar River into Germany. This is a recount of Walter Hannig from his birth in Waldenburg, Germany in 1917, his immigration to the United States, and to his death during World War II in Germany in 1945. The chronicle is derived from actual World War II morning reports, unit histories, Soldier memoirs, and documents from the National Archives. Travel with Walter as he journeys through war torn France from Marseilles and eventually into Bubingen, Germany. Walter’s steps from New York to France to Germany are visualized through maps, pictures, and diagrams. The saga of the 63rd Infantry Division, 253rd Infantry Regiment, Operation Dragoon, The Welferding ＂Sag＂, and the Birnberg Quarry Offensive led to the ultimate victory of the Allied Forces in World War II.