Metzger, Edward J.

EDWARD JOSEPH METZGER

TECHNICIAN 4th GRADE

U.S. ARMY

Edward "Bud" Joseph Metzger was born July 28th, 1912, in his hometown of Decatur, Indiana. His mother Marie Anderson was a native of Indiana. His father Joseph Metzger on the other hand was a native of Germany. He had 3 stepbrothers, John Anderson, Robert Anderson, and Thomas Anderson. He went to school at The Decatur Catholic High School. He was part of the basketball team; The Commodores and he participated in the Commercial Class in the high school. "Bud" as he was referred to by his friends, worked at the General Electric plant after graduation. His stepbrother, Sgt. John Anderson of the Army Air Corps served in Italy during WWII and his other stepbrother PFC Robert Anderson served in Europe in the Army during the war.

Edward Metzger was drafted into The United States Army on April 4th, 1942, in Toledo, Ohio. His terms of enlistment were to serve for the rest of the war plus six months and subjected to the President of the U.S. He trained at Fort Benning, Knox and Camp Attenbury. Then he was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. Technician 4 Metzger was assigned to the 101st Company, 10th Armored Division in General George Patton's Third Army. The 10th Armored Division was nicknamed the "Tiger Division". It was created on July 5th, 1942 at Fort Benning. The 3rd Army landed in France to liberate it from the Nazi's. It was given the job to "Drive a dagger into the heart of Hitler's Germany". After the liberation of France it made its way into Belgium where it would be engulfed in the Battle of The Bulge. On December 17th, 1944 the division gave artillery support and tanks to combat the Nazi offensive. After pushing 75 miles in one day, the division was the first reinforcements to arrive at Bastogne, Belgium. A soldier named Rufus Lewis Jr. stated that when they arrived American troops were running past them in retreat. In the end, the 101st Airborne & the 10th Armored Division were able to survive for 10 days until reinforcements arrived. The division would continue to go through Belgium and through the Siegfried Line. By the end of the war the division captured roughly 650 towns and 56,000 German prisoners.The 10th Armored Division, received a Presidential Unit Citation for the division's heroic deeds in saving the 101st Airborne at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.

Edward J. Metzger was killed in battle on February 21st, 1945. The 10th Armored Division was attacking the city of Metz and going across the Rhine River when Edward was killed in action (KIA).  

In a letter written by his Squadron Commander, Captain Ketih Anderson; he writes, "Sgt. Metzger was killed while going to the aid of a wounded comrade. He gave his life for another, and there is no way one can express appropriate tribute to men such as that".

Technician Metzger was buried in an American Cemetery in Luxembourg. He is interred in Plot E Row 14 Grave 38 at the Florence American Cemetery in Toscana, Italy. A memorial service was held at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Decatur on Monday March 11, 1945. He was the fourth member of the St. Mary's parish to be killed in the war.

For his service and sacrifice, Technician Metzger earned the Purple Heart, American Defense Ribbon, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal. Tec 4 Metzger also earned the Combat Infantryman Badge.

Information collected and researched by Noah Harner, 2015.

SOURCES

            "Ancestry Education." Ancestry Education. National Archives, 2005. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. http://ancestryk12.com/.

            “Decatur Daily Democrat 8 March 1945 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana’s Digital Historic Newspaper Program.” Newspapers.library.in.gov, newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DCDD19450308.1.1&srpos=3&e=------194-en-20-DCDD-1--txt-txIN-edward+metzger----1945--. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024.

            “Decatur Daily Democrat 4 April 1945 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana’s Digital Historic Newspaper Program.” Newspapers.library.in.gov, newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DCDD19450404.1.1&srpos=1&e=------194-en-20-DCDD-1--txt-txIN-edward+metzger----1945--. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024.

Wilkinson, Jeff. "Battle of the Bulge Profiles: 10th Armored First to Bastogne." The State. 31 Aug. 2010. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. http://www.thestate.com/news/military/article14388251.html.

"Sgt. Bud Metzger Is Killed in Action with Army in Germany." The Daily Democraft 5 Mar. 1945. Print.

“Tec4 Edward J Metzger (1913-1945) - Find a Grave...” Www.findagrave.com, www.findagrave.com/memorial/56062529/edward_j-metzger. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024.

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