It was in Behren in March. The 274th ammunition dump had just been moved there and the Germans were periodically shelling the village. Col. "Shooting Sam" Conley wanted to decorate his men who had distinguished themselves in the 70th Division's earliest engagements.

The ceremony was photographed by Chester Garstki, then the "TB's" chief photographer.

There were two medal presentations at Behren. Col. Conley and his adjutant, then-Capt. B. A. Nurre were at both. Gen. Barnett was at the second ceremony. The regimental band was on hand for that second formation and is shown on the church steps in the wide photo. The picture showing the church steeple apparently was at the first ceremony as no bandsmen can be discerned even with a magnifying glass.

It is impossible to tell which ceremony was pictured in the photo shooting over the shoulders of the decorated men.

Col. Bob Cheves, then 2nd Bn. commander, recalled, before his death last year, "I was rather apprehensive about having the ceremony so close to the front lines. But Conley didn't want to make the men walk too far from the foxholes. My primary concern was that we had just moved the ammunition supply dump to Behren, which was still being shelled by the Germans. One shell in the right place would have caused some fireworks."

An eyewitness testifies

Bernard Nurre saw himself in the awards-presentation photo that ran in the last issue. "If you'll look over the helmet of the third awardee from your left, you see a helmeted head; that's mine," he writes.

"As S-1, adjutant and odd-jobs man, I was reading the citations for Col. Sam G. Donley.