European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A amps Randy Pruitt Alex Drabik left was the first american to Cross the Bridge at Remagen heading for the germans holed up in the train Tunnel at the right. A amps Rondy Pruitt 44 the impossible Bridge . Vets return to Remage by Randy Pruitt staff writer eighty year old Alex Drabik is something of a celebrity when he visits the German villages of Remagen or Erpel. Residents warmly clasp his hand. They hug him and utter his name with affection. During speeches he is showered with applause. To Many Drabik a . Veteran of world War ii symbolizes the beginning of the end of that War. Drabik was the first american Soldier to Cross the Ludendorff Bridge the last Bridge spanning the Rhine River that crossing on March 7, 1945, Many believe shortened the War by months and saved untold lives. Drabik and 139 other veterans who took part in the Remagen Campaign were honoured by the two towns on oct 12. The tour was organized by Battlefield Tours .a. Of Slidell la. From Switzerland to the North sea Hitler s badly battered and desperate troops had virtually sealed themselves off by blowing up the other 22 Bridges that stretched across the fabled River. Only the Ludendorff remained linking Remagen on the West to Erpel on the East. It too was slated for destruction but not before being spotted by Karl Heinz Timmermann a German born american lieutenant with the 27th army inf in. Discovering the Railroad Bridge was an unexpected Surprise to the americans. Some Call it a Miracle. Before then an assault across the Rhine via one of its Bridges had been ruled out. Suddenly a new Factor entered the Battlefield equation. Weary soldiers on the scene Many of them veterans of the Battle of the bulge were issued a fresh order seize the Bridge. No one needed to Tell them that stepping out onto the 1,069-foot expanse would be no cakewalk. They fully expected the germans to try to blow the Bridge before. Or during their crossing. They had already seen the enemy set off a charge that lifted the steel Bridge off its foundations. The men knew they would be on dangerous footing. But there was More to worry about. Even if the weakened Bridge did t collapse into the icy Rhine the americans knew they could be easy pickings for the germans dug in on the East Side. The Odds on that Gray overcast Day were not Good. Quot looking Back i think of what a Damn fool i was leading the outfit Quot said Drabik a Toledo Ohio Butcher under Timmermann s command Quot i never realized it was so far across Quot he said As he stood near the Railroad Tunnel and Stone Bridge towers where heavy machine gun fire had greeted him and the other americans Over 46 years ago. In the mad dash scramble across Drabik had somehow gotten ahead of Timmermann and reached the other Side first. M-1 in hand he found the muzzle of a German Rifle aimed at his gut. Quot he had a dead Bead on me Quot Drabik recalled. But the German did no to shoot. Drabik then took a wild Gamble. He shifted his own Rifle to his hip and yelled. A the Man quietly surrendered. Drabik and his unit dug in and waited for reinforcements. Drabik received the distinguished service Cross for his valor. Donald r. Brown of Madera calif., a Pilot with the 3rd army Field arty in remembers the Early hours of the Battle which he spent on the seat of his observation plane. A amps Randy Prull Donald Brown watched the taking of the Bridge from his l 4 spotter aircraft. . Army Dndr i German col. Jurgen Raths remembers the bravery of the american soldiers. A amps Randy Spruil Quot i was the Only plane up there for the first few hours Quot he said. Quot when i spotted the Bridge still up i reported Back to the colonel that germans Are coming out onto the Bridge. He ordered me to direct fire to keep the German engineers from blowing it up Quot meanwhile several gis had managed to locate and Cut Loose the packages of int wired to the Bridge decking. Brown 24 at the time said he had no Contact with the enemy on that Day but two weeks later was shot Down by an me-109. The German Pilot in turn was knocked Down by american anti aircraft fire. Quot we Brown and the German Pilot Rode to the Hospital together Quot Brown said laughing. Quot we could t speak each other s language so we just Shook our fists at each  pfc. Thomas Hood was a machine gunner moving across the Cologne Plain toward the Rhine with the 78th inf div when he got the news that a Bridge had been taken. Quot i was just an 18-year-old kid from Florida. I hardly knew what country i was in Quot he recalled. Suddenly he found himself travelling toward Remagen. Quot we happened to be the closest infantry outfit Quot he said. Quot we were about 30 Miles West at the time and Rode ail night to get  germans were tilt shelling the Bridge when he arrived shortly before Daybreak. Quot when we got ready to Cross it seemed like the shelling ceased. I done to think a Shell fell on that Bridge while we were crossing Quot he said. A we did no to lose a  Hood saw plenty of action though. Quot i had always said that if there had to be an air Battle id like to see it. Well we had it there. The germans tried to destroy that Bridge by Stuka dive bombers heavy artillery and floating mines. They never had a direct hit on it but they had a lot of near  Hood received shrapnel wounds in the Back and legs but he stayed with his unit. Quot the Battle was very fluid. It moved fast Quot he said. Johnny Goldston with the 552nd aaa in also was on hand the morning of March 8. The unit was in the Vicinity of Aachen Germany shooting Down v-1 s Buzz bombs. Quot we could put 152,000 rounds a minute into the air a he said. Quot it was apparent that with our tremendous firepower we could be better utilized. Anyway we were running out of German planes to shoot  the 20-year-old sergeant from Sherman Texas stayed in the Remagen area about 10 Days. A i saw my first me-262 Messerchmidt Jet there Quot he said Quot it came Over so fast the Guys could t track it so we took to pattern firing. They just fired in front of it and it the Jet ran into  it Wasny to until after the War that he Learned that some american military leaders opposed the Bridge crossing because it detracted from the plan to push South and Hook up with Patton s army before crossing the Rhine. Quot it the taking of the Bridge was a psychological Victory Quot Goldston said. Quot we caught him Hitler with his trousers Down and he retaliated against his own  four Germany army officers were executed because they lost the Bridge. Quot the Remagen crossing amounted to an amphibious invasion Quot said Bill Meyer now a newspaper publisher in Marion Kan. Quot in some ways it was More scary than the bulge because we were tunnelled Down to that one narrow spot we were extremely vulnerable. At the bulge we were spread  Meyer was an 18-year-old private with the 99th inf div when he was sent into the pandemonium on March 10. Quot i continued on Page 16 the Bridge at Remagen shortly after a capture in March 1945, but before it collapsed into the Rhine River. Erpel is on the left Bank Remagen the right. . Army Page 14 b the stars and stripes monday. October 21, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 15