- Lawrence Roy Krenek
2nd Lieutenant, 411th Infantry Regiment, Company K
Born July 19, 1922 Texas Died Jan 23, 1994
War Experience: Active front-line experience from December 23, 1944- January 6, 1945 in the area of
- Forbach, France. He was a platoon leader. His responsibilities included night patrols to check out the
- latest German movements. On one of his first patrols, he reported back that the main German Army had pulled
- out of the local area. A part of his team included a French spy or guide. He remembers the bitter cold and snow
- of Dec.44-January '45. One of his duties included rationing coal to French villagers from a German coal train that
- had been derailed. On the last night patrol before he was injured, his mission was to deliver the French spy to a
- specific area where the spy would make notes of the German positions. As they went through the countryside,
- a flare went up, and German machine gun raked their unit. Unfortunately one of his men was killed and others
- injured. They dove into trenches that were filled with snow, ice, and water. They were pinned down for 40-50
- minutes. One of his men , a truck driver before the war, started making lots of noise and would not be quiet.
- Soon, another German flare went up and it was time to run (mortar or artillery shells would be coming soon).
- They made it back to camp but never knew what happened to the French spy. My dad was injured with
- frostbitten feet, dislocated shoulder, and some eye injuries. He was sent back behind the lines, to Paris hospital,
- then to Torquay, England. When he got out the war had ended.
Family Member information - Ron G. Krenek, Son. I would like to hear from anyone that may have known or
- fought with my Dad, or was in Company K, 411th.
Contact me at garwood57a@yahoo.com
. I am also interested in the Colonel that he reported to in the 411th during this time -
- he has an interesting story after he returned from the last patrol.
