F Co/253rd Infantry Regiment Memorial, Buchhof, Germany
L-R Rear: Frank Schasfsma, Richard Holmes, John R Crews, and Al Fernow. Kneeling front L-R: Max Holtsclaw, William Smith and Joe Falkenstein. All are from F.Company 253rd except Falkenstein who was from H Co.
Names of the men of F Company, 253rd who honored their fallen comrades are: Frank Schasfsma(CO), Walter Dilbeck Jr (DSC), Albert Fernow, John Crews (CMH), Del Conroy, Phil Lachance, Charles Cherry, Richard E. Woodhams, Pete M. Finnie, Frank Messick and William G. Smith (lst/Sgt)
Jagst/Kocher River battlefields. The monument was being maintained by a Herr Hermann Belz of Buchhof, Germany for many decades until Mr. Belz death.
Photograph of Memorial taken in 2006.
Photo taken by Alex Stouffer, Iraq war veteran now living in Stuggart Germany. Photo taken in May 2013- Memorial Day
German newspaper article pertaining to the dedication of the memorial. Left photo is Walter Dilbeck’s brother, center photo of the memorial and the right photo L-R: Frau Keller and Mrs Dilbeck. Photo furnished by Herr Rolf Meister, German Historian from the Buchhof area.
The photo above is a composite image of the memorial at Buchhof and was taken by Herr Rolf Meister, German Historian on 12 April 2015 during the 70th Anniversary Memorial of the Battle of Buchhof/Stein.
These next photos came from the Dilbeck family from when Walter Dilbeck took 10 veterans of F Company and their families back to Buchhof.
CO. 1st Lt. – Frank A. Schaafsma – O-1081173 – WIA April 6, 1945
DSC PFC – Walter J. Dilbeck Jr. – 35841476 – WIA April 6, 1945
PFC – Albert Felix Fernow – 35841722 – WIA April 6, 1945
MOH – S/SGT – John R Crews – 38397573 – WIA April 8, 1945
PFC – Delbert L. Conroy – 31402809
PFC – Philip A. LaChance – 31448919 – WIA April 6, 1945
PFC – Charles A. Cherry – 34814628 – WIA April 6, 1945
T/Sgt – Richard E. Woodhams – 42023456
SGT. – Peter M. Finnie – 36329811
PFC – Francis A. Messick – 42105563 – WIA April 5, 1945
1/SGT – William G. Smith Sr. – 35135609 – WIA April 6, 1945
