Disclaimer
H. Swonger, (now deceased) provided these pages mostly as a service. His sons now are maintaining this site. Only information that has been properly reviewed and cleared for dissemination will be presented on this 2nd Armored Division web site. We are an independent site, and an official one. We are responsible only for content recognized to be written by us. This is not a production of the United States Government, or associated with any other military service organization.
Designees who maintain the flow of information to this site, whomever's name appears at the bottom of the page, is ultimately responsible.
Information:
We cannot warrant that all information we print is correct, we stand to be corrected when we do print misinformation . Most facts have been verified by the World War 2 Archives. We make every attempt to work from authoritative sources. Some information shown on this site was personally witnessed by the site builder, Howard Swonger, who was a member of the Co. "A", 82nd Reconnaissance Battalion throughout the European Campaign, and participated in all of the combat action of the 82nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Armored Division, Normandy through to Berlin. (June 44 to Aug 1945) Was member of the scout section, in the front of the column. (weapon BAR) either on foot or in a peep. This unit moved behind the enemy much of the time, sometimes trapped by the enemy for short periods of time, sometimes attacking head on to meet far superior forces. Sometimes holding a line and living in foxholes. No shower or hot bath here for the first 3 months, we had to do helmet washing. (use the steel part of the helmet and heat water and wash down, if you had time.) Hot prepared meals were almost non-existent, the kitchen truck was very scarce in this period of time, we were hard to find, we generally operated as a platoon, and assigned different missions. The weather sometimes was very severe, rain, mud,. and lots of snow and cold weather. Ice and snow covered roads in the Ardennes, could not keep the vehicles on the paved roads when freezing, tanks especially, Germans had same trouble. it was a living hell there. Always on the move to the next town over, or advancing slowly to the summit of a hill or around the next curve, (sometimes cross country) no Allied troop had been were we were heading. Over the next hill always on the alert for a sign that we were going to be attacked by an enemy force, artillery, mortar fire or a German sniper, or head on into a German tank. From June 1944 until the war was over in early May 1945 we were the enemy. The German forces were out to get rid of us any way they could, we could be hit with deadly force at anytime during this period of time. This is what we call stress. It is a miracle to be among the living.
This site is dedicated to all the men of the 2nd Armored, especially to the ones that made the "supreme sacrifice" (look for "TAPS" section) and to the ones that have passed on after the war. For us, the ones that are still living, we are older now, but the memories are still with us and the hurt will never end for some. We sincerely hope that this site will tell what few historians have been able to accomplish in all the books that have been written about World War 2. This is such an accounting of the great 2nd Armored Division and the men who were members throughout the life of the division. This is a special "in depth" look at the World War 2 action of the division. We view this as an official site as it is about the 2nd Armored Division, by people who served as a part of this division. We consider all the contents of this site to be factual and true, and part of the history of the 2nd Armored Division. Look for future pages on this site, one detailing the losses sustained in World War 2, by the division. Another detailing information concerning the 2nd Armored Division in other conflicts up to the time of the official deflagging in Dec. 1996.
Accuracy of Information:
There will be errors, we will correct them on notice and verification by us or a reliable source.
Professionalism:
Finally, these pages are expected to represent the site builders professional manner in accordance with the highest morale standards as to content. We are open to constructive criticism. We pledge this to all.