Memorial

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Pvt James O. Durkee enlisted at Fort Devens, Massachusetts on 7 April 1944.

On 19 February 1945, Col Mc Cormick, commander of the 271st Infantry Regiment, called for volunteers to mount a patrol to proceed to a specific point before Büschem, Germany and then return. A patrol of 13 men was formed under the command of 2nd Lt Bill Ricker. It moved out across a small stream and up a long gradual hill to the south of Buschem and then disappeared from sight. Shortly thereafter, the sound of gunfire and mortars penetrated the mid-afternoon quiet. Within minutes, the remains of Ricker's patrol came running back to the 271st lines.
Ricker's patrol had mistakenly gone beyond the point specified by Col McCormick and had actually gone beyond Buschem and nearly into the next town. The patrol had reversed direction and within minutes entered Buschem from the southwest. There remains some controversy about the fact that Ricker's captain may never have passed along Col McCormick's orders not to proceed beyond a specific point.
Several young German soldiers of the 277th Division had watched the progress of Ricker's patrol almost from the moment they first stepped out of American lines. (Buschem sits at the high point of the land and even today is completely
surrounded by large open fields. The Germans watched the approach of Ricker's patrol through open farm fields. Quietly, each enemy soldier prepared for the impending chance to spring an ambush.
Ricker's patrol stopped at the first house on the right, the home of Joseph Metz. The civilians inside told Ricker that German soldiers were in the town. The patrol then entered a second house which was found to be empty. A flag appeared
from a third house but was followed immediately by machine gun, rifle and mortar fire. It was a classic ambush.
Four members of the patrol had been killed outright in the ambush. S/Sgt David H. Hyde, Pvt Milton J. Ulfeng, Pv. Glenn T. Burton and Pvt James O. Durkee.