David E. Pergrin facts for kids

Colonel David E. Pergrin (born July 26, 1917 – died April 7, 2012) was a brave leader in the United States Army during World War II. He was the commanding officer of the 291st Engineer Combat Battalion. Before the war, he earned an engineering degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1940. While at Penn State, he was part of the ROTC program. He also played on the university's football team. He was elected to important engineering honor societies. He was even the senior class president. As president, he helped present the famous Nittany Lion Shrine to the university. This large stone monument symbolizes the Penn State tradition.

Military Service in World War II

Pergrin began his active duty in April 1941. He started as a 2nd Lieutenant. He helped train many engineering groups. In April 1943, he joined the new 291st Engineer Combat Battalion. He helped train this new unit. By August, he was given command of the battalion. This was after they finished their training in the United States. Pergrin believed in strong individual leadership. He said this was key to his unit's success. This was especially true when they were under enemy fire.

The Battle of the Bulge

Pergrin's battalion fought in France, Belgium, and Germany. They were very important during the Battle of the Bulge. This was a major battle in World War II. The 291st Engineer Combat Battalion helped slow down the German advance. They especially delayed a strong German tank group. This group was led by Joachim Peiper.

Small groups of Pergrin's engineers blew up bridges. They also placed land mines and defended roadblocks. They did this even when German tanks were coming. This caused a lot of confusion for the German plans. It is said that Peiper saw another bridge blown up. His tanks had just reached it. He reportedly said, "Those damned engineers! Those damned engineers!" Peiper's tank group was eventually stopped. The German soldiers had to leave their vehicles.

Parts of the 291st were the first American soldiers to find survivors. These were wounded soldiers from the Malmedy massacre. Pergrin was the first to report this terrible event. Later, the 291st helped find and identify soldiers. These soldiers had been killed at Malmedy.

Building Bridges at Remagen

The 291st Battalion was known for working well under fire. Because of this, they were chosen for a special mission. They had to build a temporary bridge across the Rhine river. This was near the Ludendorff Bridge. That bridge had been captured during the Battle of Remagen.

The 291st started building their bridge on March 9. It was about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) downriver. The crews and the bridge parts were hit by enemy artillery and tank fire. This slowed down their work. But they kept going. They finished the first tactical bridge across the river in 32 hours. This was on March 10. At 1,032 feet (315 m), it was the longest tactical bridge ever built under enemy fire. Later, a German observer was captured. The artillery fire then slowly stopped.

Awards and Recognition

The 291st was the most decorated combat engineering unit of World War II. They built more than 70 bridges. Nineteen of these were built while under enemy fire. They also cleared land mines. And they destroyed bridges during the Battle of the Bulge. The unit received the Presidential Unit Citation. They also earned other awards for their actions.

Colonel Pergrin received many personal awards. These included the Purple Heart, Silver Star, and Bronze Star. He also got the Presidential Unit Citation. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre from France and Belgium. In 1998, he received the George Washington Medal of Honor.

After the War

In 1988, Pergrin received an award from Penn State University. It was the Outstanding Engineer Award.

He also enjoyed woodcarving as a hobby. He even published three books about carving animals.

• The Carver's Handbook I: Woodcarving the Wonders of Nature. 1984. ISBN: 0-88740-015-9
• The Carver's Handbook II: Carving the Wild Life of the Forest and Jungle. 1985. ISBN: 0-88740-029-9
• The Carver's Handbook III: Woodcarving Wild Animals. 1985. ISBN: 0-88740-039-6