John Gutshall

ASN:O-1174877

John David Gutshall registered for the draft on October 16, 1940. Born February 25, 1914, he was from Huntingdon, Pennsylvania where he worked for the Fred Bayer Company. This twenty-six-year-old was 5-11, 185 pounds with a ruddy complexion, gray eyes, and brown hair and no other obvious physical characteristics.

He enlisted in the US Army on March 17, 1942, at New Cumberland, Pennsylvania.

Achieving the rank of 2nd Lt., John Gutshall shipped out to the European Theater of Operations arriving in England on March 18, 1944.

On April 8, 1944, he was assigned and joined as the Assistant RO, B-Battery of the 319th Glider Field Artillery, 82nd Airborne. The 319th was then stationed at Papillon Hall, Market Harborough, England.

He fought in the major campaigns of Normandy, Holland, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe. His service was awarded with the Good Conduct Medal, Distinguished Merit Badge with Oak Leaf Cluster, European/African Middle Eastern Service Medal, 6 bronze service stars, one bronze service arrowhead, Purple Heart, Silver Star Medal and the Dutch Bronze Lion Medal.

Company Morning Reports

Company Morning Reports were produced every morning by the individual Army units to record personnel matters. The following events for John Gutshall were reported:

• Assigned and joined B-Battery, 319th Glider Field Artillery from the replacement depot, at 2200 duty Assistant RO, April 8, 1944. Station: Papillon Hall, 4 miles west of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England WF 1406.

• July 13, 1944, relieved from assignment and joined A-Battery (from B-Battery) duty Recon Officer. Station: 1-1/2 miles east of La Cotellerie, France. 

• Duty to leave for 5 days to Glasgow, Scotland, July 19, 1944. Station: Papillon Hall, 4 miles west of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England WF 1406.

• Returned from leave 5 days to duty, July 24, 1944. Papillon Hall, 4 miles west of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England WF 1406.

• October 10, 1944, wounded in combat (head) but remained on duty. Station: 1-1/2 miles west of Groesbeek, Holland.

• Promoted to 1st Lieutenant on October 26, 1944. Station: 2 miles north of Nijmegen, Holland.

• November 16, 1944, transferred to B-Battery, duty Ex, MOS - 1195. (Unit Commander) Station: Camp Suippes, France

• January 5, 1945, awarded the Silver Star.

• Lt. Gutshall is mentioned numerous times in the Normandy Campaign Unit Journal and Holland Campaign Unit Journal.

During both the Normandy and Holland campaigns Lt. Gutshall was commended for his bravery and actions as both a liaison officer and forward observer.

In Normandy, Lt. Gutshall was embedded with the 508th’s 2nd Battalion as a forward observer. In the late afternoon of June 13, 1944, the 508th’s 2nd Battalion approached the village of Baupte. The northern edge of Baupte held a well positioned defensive perimeter supported by enemy tanks and artillery. The 2nd Battalion attacked. Lt. Gutshall’s unit found themselves right in the thick of it, as paratroopers and Germans fought their way door to door through the streets of Baupte. By the end of the day the 82nd Airborne was in control of Baupte.

Regarding the fierce combat in Baupte Chaplain Reid recalled, “Lt. Gutshall told of paratroopers activities near Baupte which are a match for anything thus far which we have heard of Germans. Wonder what they will be like when they get back to America. You’ve got to be combat minded, still lingers in my mind.”

On September 18, 1944, Lt. Gutshall was part of the advance party of the battalion departing with the battalion headquarters at the Balderton airport as the first wave of gliders for the invasion of Holland. He, along with Colonel Todd, Major Wimberley, Lieutenants Peters, Procopio, and Kondradick, as well as Sgt. Brown from HQ-Battery, were to glide in to Holland simultaneously with the parachute drop of the 508th. Their mission was to receive the battalion with prepared surveyed gun positions when it glided in the next day. Flak greeted this first wave of gliders as they crossed the coastline of Holland.

Dawn was only just breaking when, at 0600 hours, 1st Lieutenant Gutshall called in A-Battery’s first fire-mission for September 19th. The target was infantry, probably German paratroopers, seen around a road intersection about three quarters of a mile northeast of Groesbeek.

A-Battery fired 27 rounds and the Germans were forced to disperse. Exactly two minutes after this first barrage, Gutshall called in another. This time, 45 rounds were directed against a machine gun which had opened up on Hill 75.9, located between Beek and Wyler. The hill, which commanded Highway K and provided an excellent view of the ground around Beek, had been occupied by a platoon of “G” Company from Col. Louis Mendez’ 3rd Battalion, 508th, on the previous night. Before the day was over it would come to be known as “Devil’s Hill.”

Battalion records do not indicate who the other men on Gutshall’s FO team were, but they would normally have included an assisting sergeant, a radio or telephone operator, and an extra man or two. Nor do records explicitly state where the Lieutenant and his team were located. Gutshall could, for example, have placed his OP with the troopers on Hill 75.9. This would not have been unusual, since being embedded in the advanced positions or on high ground was the way the FOs did their work. The FO team could have also been in Beek, though the village was itself not situated on elevated terrain. Alternately, the Lieutenant’s OP could have been on the heights of Berg en Dal where any number of buildings could have served as convenient OP locations.  In fact, the roof and upper story of the Hotel Groot Berg en Dal would be used for just this purpose over the coming days. 

Wherever Gutshall and his team were only thirty minutes passed, when the Lieutenant observed more Germans approaching from the south. Over the next hour, four fire-missions were called in succession. As one barrage would break up the enemy’s formation, they would reappear somewhere else, evidently attempting to encircle Beek, Hill 75.9, or both.

Gutshall called in supporting artillery fire with such accuracy that two armored personnel carriers, with all occupants, were destroyed and the enemy attack became disorganized. While at his OP Lt. Gutshall was wounded in the head by shrapnel but remained at his post until forced to return to his battalion when all communications with his OP were destroyed by enemy artillery. He replaced this equipment and received first aid for his wound, returning immediately to the 2nd Battalion, where he continued to observe supporting fire. 

Whether Gutshall’s head wound resulted from artillery fire or some other source depends on who is recalling the incident. Back at the A-Battery gun position, Lieutenant Ragland remembered him coming back for replacement radio equipment. “That was some go round I tell you,” said Ragland. “The story I got about Gutshall was that he was FO and this German come up and fired at him. The bullet went through the top of his helmet. The German thought he’d killed him, but Gutshall pulled out his pistol and captured the German. Gutshall showed us the helmet. The bullet went right through the top of the helmet, and it might have skinned his scalp but it didn’t kill him. If it’d been a little lower it would have.”

On January 1, 1945, word came down to battalion headquarters that battery commanders and field officers should be present for an expected visit from General Gavin, General March, and their chiefs of staff. With everyone standing outdoors at the battalion CP, Gavin and March first spoke with approbation of the battalion’s conduct during the prior two week’s fighting in the Ardennes. Then the campaign in Holland was raised. Captain Sartain later recalled, “I had no idea of a Silver Star until Manning and I, and Gutshall were called front and center. Gavin pinned it on us, saluted us, and stepped back. It was a fancy deal, but it was quick.”

1st LT Gutshall was personally presented the Silver Star, General Order 66:

“John E. Gutshall 0-1174877, 2nd Lieutenant, 319 Glider Field Artillery Battalion, for gallantry in action 1st and 2nd October, 1944 near Holland. 2nd Lieutenant Gutshall, Battery “A”, 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, was acting as a battalion forward observer and was working with the 2nd battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry. He conducted himself in such exemplary manner that he was able to observe effective supporting artillery fire which assisted in breaking a German attack against the 2nd battalion sector of the regimental MLR. On the night of the 1st of October the Germans placed heavy artillery fire upon the position occupied by the 2nd battalion in the regimental MLR near Holland. In the fierce attack that followed the enemy penetrated the forward positions of the 2nd battalion. 2nd Lieutenant Gutshall moved to a position from which he could better observe the artillery fire of his battalion and remained in this fire swept position placing supporting artillery fire with such accuracy that two armored personnel carriers, with all occupants, were destroyed and the enemy attack became disorganized. While at his OP 2nd Lt. Gutshall was wounded in the head by shrapnel but remained at his post until forced to return to his battalion when all communications with his OP were destroyed by enemy artillery. He replaced this equipment and received first aid for his wound, returning immediately to the 2nd battalion, where he continued to observe supporting fire. The determined actions of Lt. Gutshall contributed much to the destruction of the enemy attack and assisted in the defense of the regimental MLR. Entered military service from Mississippi.”  

During the Battle of the Bulge, the battalion chaplain in his personal diary recalled the events of December 28, 1944: “Lt’s. Gutshall, Hawkins and others volunteered to assist as forward observation tonight. There is a patrol from 2nd Bn (508th) – whole battalion it was – going out on a mission. I sat up with others at C.P. listening to scattered radio messages which they sent to battalion requesting artillery fire. Not much news coming in so about 2330 I went to bed. Later they returned exhausted and anxious to go home.”

The US Army used the Adjusted Service Rating Score (ASR) at the end of the war to determine when soldiers were eligible for discharge. So called “High Point” soldiers with an ASR score of 85 points or more were the first to return home.

The 319th was then stationed in Epinal, France and photo opportunities were abundant. A group officer photo (see below) was taken June 20, 1945.

In the absence of strenuous military training, athletics and entertainment became the only structured activity to occupy the men’s attention during daylight hours.

Some of the men visited area tourist sights such as the Cathedral at Reims or Joan of Arc’s birthplace. Others visited nearby battlefields of the First World War.  

During many evening hours Chaplain Reid later recalled playing bridge with Captains Connelly, Gutshall and Major Wimberley.

Posing with other officers (see inset R-L) 1st Lt. John Gutshall, Captain Charles Sartain, 1st Sgt. Jesse Johnson, unknown, just prior to the battalion relocating to Berlin, Germany.

By August 1945, 1st Lt. John Gutshall was now stationed in Berlin, Germany for occupational duty with other 319th soldiers having an ASR score of less than 85.

Though being chosen to represent the United States Army at the German capitol most men in the 82nd greeted the news with limited enthusiasm. The “High Point” men just wanted to go home. As far as the “Low Point” men were concerned, it was an honor, but if they were going to Berlin it was probably because the Army needed a tough outfit to keep the Russians in line.

On September 3, 1945, 1st Lt. Gutshall was transferred to the HQ-Battery of the 319th as Assistant S-3, Supply Officer.

By late December 1945, a second group of men from the 82nd Airborne were qualified to go home. In the 319th this group included those soldiers who’d been replacements to the battalion from about the time of the D-Day invasion.

Lt. Gutshall returned to the USA on January 8, 1946. He separated from the service at Indian Town Gap Military Reservation on March 17, 1946.

Returning to civilian life John Gutshall attended Juniata College and dental school at the University of Pittsburgh. He practiced dentistry in his home State of Pennsylvania.

During the following years John Gutshall stayed in touch with his fellow 319th members through correspondence in the 319 News letter.

In March 1966, he wrote to A-Battery veteran Carl Davis, “I have enjoyed both issues of the 319 News very much and this is a wonderful idea of yours. We know it takes a lot of your time and effort to get this material and information together and publish it, only a dedicated person would undertake such as task. In my two years with the 319th I served in both gun batteries and was made supply officer when we were on occupation duty in Berlin. I believe a meeting in connection with the division convention would be best and I would hope that I could attend in the near future. I would like to say hello to all my friends in the 319th and I want to thank you personally for your newsletters. Dr. John D. Gutshall.” (John is a Dentist married and has four children)

John Gutshall, 72, died August 12, 1986. God Bless this hero.

Photos and some content courtesy of Joseph Covais, author of BATTERY, the Andrew Hawkins, John Connelly, William Reid and George Cole families.

STL Archive Records