While traveling through the province of Alsace in France during the summer of 2003, I learned about Lt. John Grant Rahill, who had briefly served in 1944 as the company commander of B Company in the 179th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Infantry Division and who was killed in action near the small village of Engwiller on December 2, 1944. To learn more about Lt. Rahill and his military service, I immediately began researching the history of B Company of the 179th Infantry Regiment.

I plan to conclude my research very soon. This site has thus been created in a final effort to locate anyone with information concerning B Company of the 179th Infantry Regiment in 1944. Anyone with any information whatsoever about this unit in 1944 is asked to contact me directly. In addition to speaking with any veterans of this company in 1944, I am also interested in seeing photographs or reading diaries, letters, or memoirs that contain information about this company in 1944. Since I want to learn more about the general experiences of the men who served with B Company in 1944, it is not necessary that veterans who contact me knew Lt. Rahill personally.

To assist the visitor of this site, the history of B Company and the 179th Infantry Regiment during the months of February 1944 to December 1944 is presented here. Each month can be examined on this site to learn more about the daily events of the company and the regiment as well as the officers who served in 1944. The visitor will also find information on this site about the men of B Company who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Europe in 1944.

Most of the research presented here was taken from the 1944 Morning Reports of B Company and the 1944 War Journals of the 179th Infantry Regiment.

Thanks for visiting this site.

Frank A. Anselmo
Associate Professor
Department of French Studies
416 Hodges Hall
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
225-578-6627
Bcompany1944@gmail.com