Page 20 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2019- Online Magazine
P. 20
Lon Colvin Patton’s Failed Mission -
Liberators Taken Prisoner
Respectfully submitted by Larry A. Williams
Veterans Liaison Co-Chair
Texas South Plains Honor Flight
on February 28, 1945, and he wanted no more than 300
arriving on March 9th. or so men to participate in the
The 4th Armored had mission.
been in combat since
landing in Normandy The mission got off to a rocky
in July 1944, one month start when, on March 26, an
after D-Day. attack was led by Creighton
Abrams and Hal Cohen to
Lon was not in Europe prepare and secure a route
very long when he for the task force, clear any
was assigned to the obstacles and station a tank at
so-called “Task Force every intersection to protect
Baum.” General the task force’s flanks so they
George S. Patton could get through with as little
authorized the highly resistance as possible. However,
secretive mission 50 as one of the soldiers noted,
miles behind enemy “Old ladies dropped grenades
lines. Patton had two from rooftops, and young boys
reasons for doing so: and old men manned machine
1. His son-in-law, Lt. guns like experienced killers.”
Colonel John K. Waters Many soldiers were killed, but
and other POW’s were the task force continued to push
located in a camp through toward Hammelburg
near Hammelburg, Lager, where the POW camp was
Germany and 2. He located.
wanted to prove to
on Colvin of Lockney, General MacArthur Corporal Colvin, a Sherman tank
Texas was close to finishing that he could also liberate POW machine gunner, and his unit
Lhigh school in April 1943 camps. Lon recalls General Patton eventually broke through the
when he was drafted into the telling the troops that “If you get barbed wire and into the prison
Army. Born to James and Sally killed, there’s another one to take where, instead of being greeted
Colvin on April 28, 1926, he your place.” Captain Abe Baum by 300 prisoners, there were
was one of four siblings – three commanded the ill-fated mission. nearly 1500. Not all prisoners
brothers and one sister. Lon Patton was told that about 300 could be taken out and, to
was active in football, basketball POW’s were imprisoned there, make matters worse, Patton’s
and baseball in high school and son-in-law, whom
enjoyed living the small-town they were sent to
life. He helped out around the liberate, was seriously
farm like all of his siblings. One injured and couldn’t
brother also served during WWII. return with the task
Lon took his basic training in force. Although
Mineral Wells, Texas and was the Germans had
assigned to the 4th Armored initially surrendered,
Division, 10th Armored Infantry, they soon returned
Company A. Colvin and his with reinforcements
outfit shipped out for Europe to take back the
POW camp. The
20 Lubbock Senior Link
