Phil Gingrey: “with the 60th anniversary of World War II on all our minds, I thought it important to pay tribute to the proud veterans…”

“with the 60th anniversary of World War II on all our minds, I thought it important to pay tribute to the proud veterans of the 11th District of Georgia and, indeed, America for the heroism that they displayed that has made possible the unprecedented freedom that we enjoy today. They deserve our gratitude and our full support. One such veteran from Marietta, Georgia, is Lieutenant Colonel Faye Knodle. Colonel Knodle was drafted into the Army on December 2, 1942. He attended boot camp at Camp Beale, California, and in December 1943, he was moved to Camp Bowie, Texas, for combat training in preparation for combat duty in Europe. Like the proud stories of so many brave Americans, Colonel Knodle hit Omaha Beach on June 10, 1944, D-Day plus 4, as a platoon sergeant in Patton's Third Army. Two days later, for his exemplary service, he received a battlefield commission from General Patton himself, raising him to the officer ranks. Knodle fought his way through France and Germany into the Ruhr Pocket. He was later transferred to the 20th Armored Division and was assigned a section to free prisoners at Dachau. There he rejoined the Third Army and was part of the drive to Bavaria and the takeover of Hitler's hometown of Branau, Austria, on May 2, 1945. He became Commandant of Branau until July of 1945 when he received orders to return to the States in preparation for the invasion of Yokohama, Japan.…”