Sgt. Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Stillwell
United States Army Company M. 291st Infantry Regiment
from:Belmont, NC
Woodrow W. Stillwell was inducted on the 17th of March 1943 at Camp Croft SC, and honorably discharged on 30th of November 1945 at Ft. Bragg NC. Awards included American Theater Campaign Medal, Bronze Star Medal, 75th Div EAMET Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Service Stars, Good Conduct Medal, Victory Medal. His campaign history reads: Ardennes, Rhineland, Central Europe. Expert Infantry Badge, Expert .30 Cal Rifle M1. Military Occupational Speciality (MOS) Heavy Machine Gunner (605).
Text according to a statement to the VA in a benefits application letter: "In January and February of 1945 my regiment was fighting in the Battle of The Bulge in the Ardennes Forest. The regiment was the 75th Division - 291st Infantry. We were then sent to Calmar, France; a 200 mile journey at night under black-out conditions. There were no windshields or tops on the jeeps and trucks, and it was snowing real hard. I was riding as .50 calibre machine gun operator in the back seat of jeep. Pfc. Ruppe was driver of the jeep. The jeep left the road and went down an embankment. My neck and shoulders were pinned between the tripod on my gun and the seat. I was knocked out for a while. I was taken from under the tripod by men following us, and sent forward to a dispensary. I was looked at by a Dr. and immediately sent back to a field hospital after being tagged and receiving morphine. I lay on the ground 2 days on the stretchers continually receiving shots for pain. From there I was sent to a general hospital, not knowing name of town or hospital but I think it was near St. Dye, France. On arriving there I was placed in a long hall on the stretcher with many other wounded men. Some time later, two doctors came through looking at the wounded and tags. At this time I was picked up by 2 medics and taken for x-rays. From there I was taken to another long hall and put to bed. When I woke up my x-rays were hanging on a wire at the end of my bed. I was given a sedative and sometime during the night was moved to a ward. When I woke up this time, I was taped all the way around my body from my hips to my armpits. I don't remember how long I stayed here. Finally a doctor came by about 0900 one morning and asked how I felt. I told him a little better. About (two hours later) the ward nurse, a captain brought my personal belongings and told me to report to the Quartermasters and draw full battle gear, and that I was going back to the line in about twenty minutes in a truck with the others. At this time I was still taped but every time the truck hit a bump I was in severe pain. They took us to a 2nd depot. A 1st Sergeant asked several combat men to shadow replacements coming through a guard duty (sic). I told the Sergeant I was very sick. He took me to the dispensary at 2nd depot. On arrival I was examined by a doctor who was a Major and asked why they sent me back to 2nd depot, because my temperature was 103. He had 3 beds and put me in one of them until my temperature was back to normal. Still tapedk, he gave me light duty waiting on two officers' tables three times a day. After several days of this, I was put on a truck with others. I was still in pain, but they sent us to a chateau where Air force personnel were. At this point, I was told by a Major that my regiment was on a secret move, but not plotted on a map. After several days here, I was again taken by truck to Holland and stayed with a Canadian Army (unit) stationed near the Holland Tunnel, and was picked up here three days later by a 75th Division Company truck and taken to my (unit) 291st Infantry which was engaged in combat. At this time, I was still taped and hurting. Captain Creel put me with Headquarters, with Liason Officer Lt. Munch. I stayed there until we crossed the Rhine River into Germany. At this time, two medics cut the tape off of me. The pain had lessened until I could stay on light duty with Headquarters. While looking for gun positions with Lt. Munch, my nerves gave completely away. He talked to me quite a long time laying in a ditch under heavy fire. He told me to go back to the dispensary and see a doctor. I told him all they would do was give me three A.P.C.'s and send me back and that I would just go forward with him. I went on until the war ended."
