The Baby Patrol Rescue of 81 Children From a Chateau in Han, France on September 29, 1944

1. The Baby Patrol Rescue of 81 Children From a Chateau in Han, France on September 29, 1944

2. By Soldiers of the134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division World War II

3. Speakers Shirley Ricker Theis Daughter of Cpl. Homer D. Ricker, Jr. Paula Evans Baker Daughter of Pvt. Richard H. Evans Ben Weber Nephew of Gen. Edmund Sebree

4. The Discovery of the Forgotten Story By Shirley Ricker Theis

5. The First Clue Letter to Ethel Ricker From Virgil Socin Dear Ethel . . . “The Han Incident was another, our job as machine gunners was to give the rifle squad that went after the children supporting fire. I saw “Rick” give his gun to another man and take off to the flank, moments later he returned with three children . . .”

6. Homer D. Ricker, Jr. (Rick) Homer D. Ricker, Jr. was born April 29, 1913 in Lynn, Massachusetts. “He was a husband, father of two, banker, air raid patrol volunteer, and a man of faith. He loved family life, picnics, clamming in the cold northeastern waters and black raspberry ice cream. He could wiggle the knot of his tie with his Adam’s apple. He could make me laugh. 1944 fell like a dark shade over the window of my memories of life with him.”

7. Cpl. Homer D. Ricker, Jr.The SoldierCompany H - 134Participated in the Rescue

8. Homer D. Ricker, Jr. With Wife and Daughter

9. Cpl Homer D. Ricker, Jr. (Rick)The Unsung Hero “. . . Moments later he returned with three children carrying one in each arm, the other pig-aback, and believe me none of them even whimpered. The children were bundled up by him in partial blankets, field jackets and just about anything he could find, and sent back to the battalion. When I asked him to account for himself sticking his head out unnecessarily, his answer was relief of human suffering.” Letter from Virgil Socin to Ricker’s wife.

10. Cpl. Homer D. Ricker, Jr.Killed in Action 12/31/44

11. Shirley and Her Daughters Memorial Plaque At Lutrebois, Belgium Henri-Chapelle Belgium Plot F, Row 15, Grave 8.

12. The Forgotten Story Uncovered By Paula Evans Baker

13. Haunted by Dates of September 29-30, 1944 V Mail dated Sept 30, 1944 To Pvt. Evans’ Wife “ . . . I am so dirty and my hands are so sore, I doubt that you would know me. . . . I had some hot chow and hot coffee today. Keep this letter and when I get home I’ll tell you how I got it. . . .”

14. The Search Begins • No Record of the Baby Patrol Rescue in the History of the 35th Division. • However, 35th Division Participation in the Baby Patrol Recorded in Associated Press Articles and in Time Magazine.

15. 10 Yanks Rescue 81 Tots in Battle Boston Record, 10/19/44 With the 35th Division in France (AP) “ ‘I’ll go. I have three kids at home myself,’ the Sergeant said. There was a murmur among the enlisted men and nine others stopped forward as volunteers.”

16. French Children Saved in Heroic Yank Rescue Reported by Wes Gallagher (AP) Oregonian 10/19/44 Party Returns Unhurt “Despite the wet, cold ground and their lack of shoes, to say nothing of their fright at being with strange men and the blasting artillery shells, not one of the children so much as cried.” “By some miracle not one child nor one volunteer was hurt.” “Today the Captain and ten enlisted men were awarded the bronze Star—but only five were on hand to receive it.”

17. Baby Patrol: On the Third Army Front“There were children in the house--81 of them by best reports--and they had to be taken out.”Oct. 30, 1944

18. The Search Continues • Time Article is Reprinted in the May 1945 Special Edition of the Santa Fe Express. • Paula Baker Goes to Han, France, in 2006 & 2012. • Roberta Russo, Daughter of Pvt. Harry Krantz, Aid Man with the 134th, and Webmaster of the 134th Web Site, Uncovers GO # 44 Listing Names of Company A Baby Patrol Soldiers.

19. Search in France • No Records Found in the Han Chateau Being Used as a School. • Official Records of World War II Time Period Still Closed in France. • Edict for Evacuation by Mayor Found in Newspaper Archives. • Appeal Issued in L’Est Republicain Newspaper. “Babies” Respond!

20. Confirmation of Date Mme Denise Benda’s Ration Card

21. Visit to Han--The Countryside

22. The Courtyard at Chateau

23. Inside the Tunnel at the Chateau

24. The Escape Door

25. Route to the River Crossing

26. The Seille River Crossing

27. Rescued Babies: Gilberte (11), Jacqueline (3), Marguerite (14), Nicole (4) - 1944

28. 2006 Reunion ofRescued Babies

29. Gilberte Remembers “I see it as if it were yesterday. That night, we all hid in the cellar. We were afraid. The bombs fell. The Americans came to get us. We couldn’t make any noise . . . We walked out and the soldiers carried the little ones. . . .” L’Est Republicain, June 17, 2006

30. Christian Remembers With sobs in his throat, Christian said, “I only remember that night where we were saved. It was terrible. A cellar door fell just beside me after an explosion. Everyone was saved, thanks to the Americans. . . .” L’Est Republicain, June 17, 2006

31. Shirley Theis and Marcel IungSon of the Chateau Warden

32. The Church & Evidence of the War

33. Baby Patrol Day 2006 Became a Teachable Moment

34. Reception in Arraye-et-HanPaula Introduced byJerome Leclerc

35. Describing the Rescue to School Children Marcel Describes The Fear He Experienced! Paula was asked “How Did You Feel When your Father Died?”

36. Pvt. Richard H. EvansThe SoldierCompany F – 134Participated in the Liberation of Han on September 29, 1944

37. Pvt. Richard H. EvansWith his Wife and Daughter

38. Memorial to Pvt. EvansKilled in Action One Day Later Sept. 30 Rescued “babies” at Armaucourt Memorial Paula Evans Baker at Armaucourt , France

39. To Pvt Evans and His Comrades . . . And to Their Orphans

40. The Division Marches On

41. Men Who Did the Impossible: The Baby Patrol By Ben Weber

42. Maj. Gen. Troy Middleton • Letter to men of VIII Corps: “As we review the picture since Bastogne, we see performance of feats by officers and men of the Corps which, in normal times, one would have believed to be impossible of execution.” “It is, however, doing the impossible which marks the leader and returns the winner in war.”

43. Soldiers of the 134th Infantry • We Honor Them Today • Willingly Risked Their Lives • Friday, September 29, 1944 • Under Violent Artillery and Mortar fire. • Rescued 81 Defenseless Children from Certain Death

44. Soldiers of the 134th in CombatSeptember 10-29, 1944 • Company A Defeats Germans at Fort de Pont St. Vincent • Sept. 15 – Liberation of Nancy in Task Force Sebree • Attack North and East against Heavy Opposition

45. The Situation September 10-21, 1944

46. Attack of September 22, 1944

47. The Situation at Han September 29, 1944 There was a heavy firefight at Ajoncourt “. . . and then the center of activity seemed to shift to the right—toward Han. This village of Han, in enemy hands, was developing into a cancer for the regimental defenses . . .” Maj. Gen. Butler Miltonberger, commander,134th Infantry

48. The Situation at HanSeptember 29, 1944 • At 5:00 p.m., after 3-Hour Battle, Company F Controlled Han • German Forces in Vicinity, Preparing to Counterattack

49. The Situation September 27-30, 1944

50. The Dramatic Rescue Organized by: • Capt. Paul Orban, Civil Affairs, Free French Forces • Capt. George Schneider, Civil Affairs Officer, 134th Infantry Regiment