The Untold Story of Thier du Mont: A Forgotten Battle of Heroism and Sacrifice

Quick answer: What happened at Thier du Mont in the Battle of the Bulge?

On January 7, 1945, the 82nd Airborne's 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, led by Lt. Col. Louis Mendez's 3rd Battalion, attacked through deep snow and heavy shelling to retake the Thier du Mont ridge in Belgium. They captured German guns, tanks, and prisoners, and General James Gavin called it the best job ever done for him.

The twin dark hills of Thier du Mont in Belgium's Ardennes are a little-known Battle of the Bulge battlefield. John learned more about them when Willem "Sean" van der Vlies, a board director of The World War II Foundation, shared photos from his property with the ridge in the background, along with artifacts recovered nearby. The 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne arrived on December 19, 1944, dug in on the hill, and held it in freezing cold until Christmas Eve, when the division was ordered back to a shorter defensive line. On January 7, 1945, the regiment attacked to take it back. Lieutenant Colonel Louis Mendez's 3rd Battalion crossed a saddle under German observation, with artillery falling on every man who moved, then rushed the crest. The Germans broke, leaving behind artillery, tanks, and more than a hundred prisoners. The cost was heavy. A plaque at the site quotes General James Gavin's words to Mendez that day: "This is the best job I have ever had done for me." On the 80th anniversary, John asks that this hill and the men who took it be remembered.

Why it matters for leaders: Units carry their hardest missions on the strength of leaders who adjust under fire and keep their people moving together.

Q: Who led the assault on Thier du Mont?

A: Lt. Col. Louis G. Mendez Jr., commanding the 3rd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry, which led the regimental attack on January 7, 1945.

Q: What did General Gavin say about it?

Read the full article on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/untold-story-thier-du-mont-forgotten-battle-heroism-sacrifice-fenzel-uc5df

By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation