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Youngstown, Ohio Vindicator - April 22, 1945

Terhanko, Wounded 4 Times, Keeps Away From Hospitals

Wounded four times - three in a three-week period - First Sgt. George Terhanko, aged 32, of 546 Princeton Ave., never saw the inside of a hospital overseas.

"I didn't want to leave my men in the lurch," the sergeant said.  "I was kinda stubborn about it."

He was wounded June 29th in France, shrapnel in hip; July 11 in France, bullet in left shoulder; July 18th in France, bullet in knee, and December 10th in Germany, shrapnel in calf of right leg.

He also has a Bronze Star, Silver Star, Combat Infantryman's Badge and Good Conduct medal.

He got his first wound while delivering hand grenades.  "I was lugging them in one of those double mortar bags.  The Germans threw in some heavy mortar.  Hot shrapnel tore into my hip.  An inch closer and it would have cut my spinal cord.  "Dig that shrapnel out," he ordered one of his men."  "I don't have a knife," the soldier protested.  Terhanko yanked out his own bayonet and his friend dug the shrapnel out.  Terhanko then tried to carry the grenades.  "But I was bleeding too hard," he explains.  "An office was the trail I left and ordered me back to the Aid Station.  I wouldn't leave it for a hospital."  Three days later he was back with his men.

His leg took a long time to heal and became infected several times.  It was still un-healed when he arrived at Santennyu, France.  Terhanko set up an outpost and was just 250 yards from the command post, ready to report in for the night, when he felt a sting in his shoulder.  He shrugged and kept on going.  When he walked in the post, the officers spotted a .30 caliber tracer wedged in his shoulder.

"So it was back to the Aid Station," he grins.  "They said, 'What - again ?' and cut out the bullet."

Somewhere on the other side of Santennyu, Terhanko got orders to lead the company.  "I kept on until we were halfway through an orchard," Terhanko tells it.  "Then a sniper clipped off the ear of the Bazooka man beside me.  He three down his Bazooka and ran.  I yelled at the rest to get back."  "But I felt bad - that Bazooka was a new-style model.  I made up my mind we had to get it.  So I began sneaking up through the orchard again, crawling behind trees, my eyes peeled for the sniper.  I was practically there when the company we were supposed to meet came marching past.  A whole company tramping straight ahead and not a single shot from that sniper.  So I stopped hiding and stepped right out - and a bullet got me through the kneecap.  "I was kinda stubborn about it.  I reached again for the Bazooka.  There was another shot."

That did it.  He went back to his men, got an emergency bandage and walked on to the Aid Station.  His knee making hard going of it.

"What the hell have you been up too ?" yelled a man on duty at the Aid Station.  By this time, they didn't have to question Terhanko.  They knew his name, address and serial number.  He stayed there for a few days, delivering supplies in a jeep, his bad leg stuck out over the hood.

When Terhanko reported back to his unit, the Major told him to take over as First Sergeant.

Late in October, in Luxembourg, he earned the Silver Star.  They were on the outskirts of a small town.  Blistering artillery and tank fire has disorganized the company and they were shot of officers.  Terhanko took over a group of men.  Acting on their own initiative they captured one section of the town.

Terhanko says he was awarded the Bronze Star for a series of actions.  His hast wound was minor.  A piece of shrapnel stuck in his leg during the Battle of Huertgen Forest.

The son of Mr. and Mrs. George Terhanko, Sr., Sergeant Terhanko attend South High School and later worked at an A&P store.  He has been in service two and a half years and overseas since April.

April 2001 - Reminiscences by Mr. George Terhanko

We had just gotten through the hedgerows and had to cross open terrain between Carentan and Periers. As we moved along everything was quiet, then all of a sudden the Germans started to fire at us.

    Six of us ran into a building that looked like a two story house to take cover. It also had a basement or shelter under it which was uncommon for a house in France. Hidden under the first floor were steps leading down to the shelter which was about 10' by 12'.

    The Germans had seen us run into the house and started shelling it.  After a few near misses they scored a direct hit bringing down the building on top of us.

    Captain Mitchell tried to call in to report our position but the radio was knocked out. He finally got the radio operating and reported to the General (Macon?). The General was not pleased with our progress and sent help to get us out.

    It took the outside help about two hours to dig us out while still being shelled. In all we were buried in the rubble for about 5 hours. We rejoined the rest of the company and continued.

    We arrived late in the afternoon at the base of Hill 48 near the town of St. Briauc. We started to set up our night defensive positions. The area contained fox holes and a trench system that the retreating Germans left intact. We were to attack the hill in the morning from the west flank.

    It was decided that this would be a good time to enjoy a hot meal and one was ordered from the rear. It arrived just as it was getting dark.  A chow line was started and about half of the men were served before we started getting shelled by the Germans. They were using mortars and artillery. 

    I was straddling a trench directing the men to the chow line. As the rounds started coming in closer I heard one that sounded like it would be real close. I yelled for everyone to get down and dove into the trench I was standing over. The shell hit where my right foot had been, caving in the trench on top of me. I was completely covered with only my two feet sticking out of the ground.

    The men dug out my head first or I would have suffocated. After they dug me out I went back to the chow truck and used their water to clean up with.  The shelling was over. I was sore but luckily nothing was broken.   

    We were crossing an open area when all of a sudden three German tanks appeared. They started for us. The area was covered with foxholes that the Germans had dug. I dove into one of them.

    One of the tanks headed my way and drove over the foxhole I was in. When it got over top of me it stopped and twisted back and forth trying to cave the hole in on me.  After trying this the tank moved on along with the other two.

    We (the men in the other foxholes and myself) waited a few minutes and got out of the holes and started forwarded again. The tanks continued behind us and we were not bothered by them again.