Harry J Houldin

From Cobbs Creek to the Rhine Harry J Houldin

For more than fifty years after his death, one man's typewritten account of the dangerous missions and near-death experiences he encountered in World War II remained hidden in a box in the family attic. Born in Philadelphia, Harry J. Houldin enlisted in the Army at the age of 35, served in seven campaigns during the war, and earned seven medals for valor and distinguished service. He died in 1962 at age 54, leaving behind a widow and two children. PFC Harry Houldin served in the Third Army, First Division, First Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop in Europe from 1942-1945, charged with observing enemy locations and guarding division headquarters. His tour of duty traces the route of the war: Africa, Sicily, England, Omaha Beach, Belgium, Holland, the Siegfried Line, Aachen, Hurtgen Forest, the Ardennes, the Battle of the Bulge, crossing the Rhine, Bonn, Hartz Mountains, Czechoslovakia, Paris, Le Havre and Home. What he saw, what he heard and what he remembered are vividly captured in his story, filled with all the struggles, fears, losses and victories that embody war. Harry Houldin's personal story of the war - witnessed through the eyes of an everyday infantryman - From Cobbs Creek to the Rhine - My Struggle in World War II - 1942-1945, was his final gift for his family and is here brought to life in this book published by his daughter, Madeline M. Marr.