Malcolm Phillips was born and raised in De Pere Wisconsin, together with nine brothers and two sisters. During his schooldays, Malcolm attended Erwin School in his hometown De Pere.

Before he signed up for service, Malcolm was engaged to be married. Sadly Malcolm never had the chance to fulfill this commitment ... He was assigned to the 333rd Infantry Regiment of the 84th Infantry Division. Before he entered the Army, Malcolm worked at the Sturgeon Bay Ship Yards in Wisconsin. In his spare time he loved to fish and to hunt.

"In January 1945, during the Battle of the Bulge, in the first Army's sector, four divisions were involved - the 84th and 83rd Infantry Divisions and the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions. In its conception, the action was an armor-infantry job - the 84th Infantry Division was teamed with the 2nd Armored, the 83rd with the 3rd Armored. But the main effort was assigned to the 2nd Armored and 84th Infantry Divisions - both La Roche and Houffalize were in their zone of advance (see map). This offensive from the north was launched between two rivers, the Ourthe and the Salm. By retaking the ground between these two rivers as far as Houffalize, a huge wedge word be hammered through two-thirds of the Bulge." *

The terrible circumstances of the battle taking place that early January can be seen in another passage of a report by Sergeant Theodore Drapper ... "The weather continued to get colder and colder until it went well below freezing and stayed there. This meant there was only one thing worse than not sleeping - and that was sleeping. The quickest way to freeze is to lie still. Men went to sleep in overcoats - when they had them - and woke up encased in icy boards. It was practically impossible to bring up supplies and rations in anything but half-tracks. Water congealed in canteens. Frostbite was as dangerous as all the Krauts and their guns put together." *

It was under these circumstances, on 6 January 1945, that Private Malcolm Phillips' life from De Pere Wisconsin, ended. Thousands of miles away from home, only 20 years he paid the ultimate price for regaining our freedom ... Besides the Awards named on top of the story, Malcolm was awarded the WWII Victory Medal, the Service Lapel Button WWII and the European African Middle Eastern Medal with one Bronze Service Star ..

These days Malcolm Phillips rests in the beautiful American Military Cemetery at Henri-Chapelle ... He's remembered by his relatives, but especially by his nephew Bob Heagle and Bob's wife Karon. Malcolm's final resting place is visited regularly by the webmaster of the In Honored Glory website and is situated at the far end of the cemetery in Plot G.

Special thanks to Malcolm's family. Especially to his nephew Bob and Bob's wife Karon Heagle ! Additional thanks to CRIBA and Sgt Theodore Drapper.

* from the report of Sergeant Theodore Drapper ©