134th Infantry Regiment Website
"All Hell Can't Stop Us"
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134th Infantry Regiment Website"All Hell Can't Stop Us" |
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Marion C Heifner, son of Elbert and Susan Heifner, was born in Colorado on May 3, 1912. He married Winifred Louise Banner in 1938. The couple had 2 children. He moved to Palo Alto, California sometime during the late 1930's - early 1940's. He was inducted into the Army on March 22, 1944 at the Presidio of Monterey, California. He joined Company A, 134th Infantry Regiment as a Rifleman on September 20, 1944. Nine days later, when his unit received information that a group of children were trapped in a chateau at Han, France surrounded by enemy forces, he volunteered to help rescue them. He was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for heroic action during that rescue mission known as the "Han Baby Patrol".
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Bronze Star Medal (posthumous) Citation |
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Private Marion C. Heifner, 39048894, Infantry, United States Army, for heroic service in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States in the vicinity of Han, France, on 29 September 1944. When the civil affairs officer received information that eighty-one small children, evacuees from Paris, were in a chateau in the village of Han, France, Private Heifner immediately volunteered to assist in a rescue despite the fact that the village and all roads leading into it were being subjected to heavy concentrations of enemy artillery and mortar fire. The rescue party moved four trucks to a point within one thousand yards of the village, there leaving the vehicles because of the enemy fire and observation hazard. The rescue group then made a number of trips to the chateau, carried the smaller children and led the others to the assembly point, and evacuated all the children to a place of safety without a single casualty. The courageous and unhesitating actions of Private Heifner undoubtedly saved the lives of a considerable number of helpless children. Entered military service from Colorado. General Orders No. 44, Headquarters 35th Infantry Division, 16 October 1944 |
Pvt Marion C Heifner was Killed in Action on October 9, 1944 near Fossieux, northeast of Nancy, France. He is buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, California.
