Private First Class Theodore H Bachenheimer

Theodore H. Bachenheimer was born in April, 1923 to Braunscweig in Germany. His father being Jewish, the family has avoids the Nazis at first in Vienna then towards the United States in 1934. Ted studied the theater in Los Angeles and when Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, made a commitment in the US ARMY and went volunteer for the paratrooper School. Ted was incorporated into the HQ Company of the 2nd battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne to Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

Ted spoke perfectly English and German what made of him the specialist to return prisoners where simply to disrupt the enemy rear.

That reputation of infiltration became legendary as well in the friendly lines as the enemy lines. He participated in the campaigns of Sicily and in Italy where he was decorated with the Silver Star.

Theodore Bachenheimer was killed in Holland on October 23rd, 1944 during a mission behind the enemy lines. He had been arrested together with two resistant Dutch people by the Gestapo. His body was found the next day, a ball in the head and one in the nape of the neck.

Initially registered officially as "missing", Dutch buried him in the local cemetery in T'Harde. In April, 1946, his body was re buried in the military cemetery of the United States to Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium and in April, 1949, him repatriated and re buried at the request of his widow next to her parents in Chandler Gardens Section of Hollywood Forever Cemetery, falls n°81.

" Ted seemed invulnerable. It was the best soldier of the war. He left often only, but accepted whoever wished to leave patrol with him there. He returned every time prisoners and important information. One day, Ted came back from Nimegue where he had exchanged alone shootings with German which occupied the station. He says to us that he needed two men knowing how to cycle. But because nobody of our platoon knew how to bycicle, it is me, lost guy of the bottom of Kansas that had never risen on a cycle which agreed to follow him. From the first shooting of a sniper, I became the fastest man of the country with cycle. Ted led us up to the PC of the Dutch resistance situated in a factory. Ted behaved as the boss. He organized patrols behind lines with the Resistance fighters to hunt German of the city. It was a magnificent, quiet soldier in any circumstances "

-        Private first class Willard Strunk, 82nd Airborne

" Bachenheimer was in the habit of going hunting behind the German lines, to the point that he knew exactly the places of the enemy CP of company, the infirmary or the reserves, as well as the places of machine guns. He knew even the names of the officers and their reputation among the soldiers. It is impossible to estimate the number of notches which he would have been able to have on his stick; a night, according to his legend, while he patrolled only in the region of Volturno, he fell on a patrol of six German. He liquidated the last man and took his place. One by one, he got rid of German by going back up towards the head of the column. Bachenheimer was so. We considered it as a phenomenon. Its knowledge of German, its sense of the initiative and its cold blood had made of him one sort of leader within the Dutch resistance for Nimegue. Of his headquarters in one under ground of the city, he commanded 300 men, who hampered the German movements of troop and collected of important information for the Allies. It was curious one situation; German held the city, but Bacheheimer managed her. When we finally entered the city, we found Bachenheimer quietly sat in sound under ground, distributing orders to the Resistance fighters. Colonels and generals came to take his advice... "

-        Ross Carter, C Co/504th PIR

" During the fights for the bridgehead of Anzio, a big thin boy with the curly hair of 504 PIR became a real legend. Private Ted Bachenheimer was only 20 years old. He had the face of an altar boy and wished to become an opera singer. Modest, friendly, very appreciated by his companions, Bachenheimer remained however a mystery within the regiment. We knew that he had had to leave Germany at the age of 10 to avoid the Nazi oppression, and that his family had settled down in California. Bachenheimer did not attach great importance to his feelings to the German enemy. At the bottom of him even, he hated the Nazi regime. His speciality was the solo raids behind the German lines and very fast, Wehrmacht knew the name of this American parachutist who represented more that a simple motive for irritation, but a mortal threat.

Lt Col Warren Williams, CO of the battalion, nevertheless experimented soldier, was stunned by the exploits of the young man on the battlefield. Observing one day Bachenheimer disguising the face with some dust and some soot before leaving for mission, William asked him: " Ted, say I the truth; did not ever keep silent about fear of leaving so for mission? " " And indeed " answered the young person to trooper, " I am a little bit nervous when I leave the friendly lines, and I have to piss a little in No. of man land. And then, it does not disturb me any more... "

- In "Agony at Anzio" of William B. Breuer