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Lieutenant Francis and Sergeant Arnold die in an ambush

On December 19, 1944, the German army once again crossed Houffalize after the May 1940 campaign. Two members of the Military Police on patrol, Lieutenant Alonzo Francis and Sergeant Ernest Arnold, fell into an ambush. A monument in their memory is erected at the place of their death.

As rumors of a German counteroffensive in the Ardennes became increasingly felt among the civilian population, the American army was also informed. On December 18th, it began its departure from Houffalize. Some of the inhabitants, terrified at the idea of experiencing a second occupation, started to leave the town.

The Military Police (MP) was still present in the area. After managing the traffic, the 3rd Platoon of Company C of the 518th MP Battalion received orders to withdraw to Wibrin. On December 19th, around 8 AM, their leader - Lieutenant Alonzo Francis -, Sergeant Ernest Arnold, and driver Paul Salamone returned on patrol. On the road to Bastogne, they fell into an ambush by a German half-track positioned as an advance guard.

The armored vehicle opened fire on the American jeep, killing the lieutenant and his sergeant instantly. The driver managed to escape. He encountered a local resident who indicated the position of the rest of his troops on the bridge at the end of the town. With the authorization of one of the involved German soldiers, and as the first shells fell on Houffalize, the town's inhabitants came to retrieve the two bodies.

Lieutenant Francis and Sergeant Arnold were buried in the Houffalize cemetery by the Red Cross with the occupier's authorization. It was only after the final liberation that the former was reburied in the Hamm military cemetery. He was only 30 years old. The latter, Sergeant Arnold, was buried in Illinois. He was the father of a little girl and lost his life at the age of 33. Today, a monument is erected in their memory at the place of their death. It is inscribed: "May their sacrifice not have been in vain."

Rue de Bastogne, 6660 Houffalize
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