The Retan Rifles - Fork Union Military Academy

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In this remarkable photo taken near the Son bridge, an American trooper stands at one of the 88mm gun emplacements captured by the Americans, one of the three guns that killed Retan and killed or wounded so many of his men on that afternoon of September 17, 1944. artillery, the paratroopers then stormed the remaining yards toward the bridge to seize their objective, but the Germans set off pre-placed explosives just before the Americans set foot on the structure, blowing it up in their faces. As the smoke cleared and A Company regrouped, the costs of the short fierce battle were plain to see. “Our company lost nearly 30 percent of our officers and men in the Son Forest. Lieutenant Retan was among the first of our men to be killed in the woods,” recalls Don Burgett. “Within hours of our landing in Holland, A Company had been battered in battle and bathed in blood.” ‘Til the Boys Come Home Don Burgett would continue fighting through Europe with A Company of the 506th and return home from the war to write several gripping books about his experiences, each widely hailed for their first-person vividness. Ed Shames (who was just a quarter-mile or so away at Son and learned quickly of his close friend’s death) would continue to lead his platoon of Easy Company soldiers on through Belgium, Bastogne, Berlin, and into the pages of history as Stephen Ambrose’s famed “Band of Brothers.” Shames earned the distinction of returning more soldiers home, safe and alive, than any other platoon leader in the 101st Airborne Division. This despite the fact that his platoon was often called on to undertake dangerous patrols and assignments. For George Owen Retan, however, his war ended on September 17, 1944 in the Son Forest of Holland. He lies in Plot A, Row 4, Grave 8 of the Netherlands American Cemetery at Margraten. His resting place is attended to regularly by citizens of that country who have adopted the graves of the American fallen. His bright white headstone is cleaned regularly and flowers placed by these grateful citizens who insure that the sacrifice for freedom he made on their soil will not be soon forgotten. 54 Call to Quarters www.forkunion.com 55
FUMA Remembers George Retan was not forgotten on the campus of Fork Union Military Academy. As a four-year cadet and a high-performing student, Retan had made quite an impression on the staff and faculty as well. It is clear that the affection was mutual, as George Retan had expressly requested, before heading overseas, that if anything happened to him, his savings should be donated to Fork Union Military Academy. Dr. George M. Retan was devastated by his son’s death. He closed his private practice and spent much of his time building a log lodge on a remote lake in Canada, a kind of refuge for him. But Dr. Retan and his wife honored their son’s wishes, and his savings were donated to the Academy, where they helped fund the construction of the school’s new library. On October 11, 1949, Dr. and Mrs. George M. Retan came to the campus of Fork Union Military Academy for the dedication of the Retan Library. The Retan Rifles In the fall of 1960, another young freshman entered the Academy, the son of Lucille Retan Ramseyer, George Retan’s beloved sister. “From the moment I was born, I was destined to be a cadet at Fork Union Military Academy,” jokes George Owen Ramseyer. The arrival of George Retan’s nephew and namesake on campus apparently awakened fond memories among the faculty and staff who recalled his uncle’s arrival more than twenty years earlier. Early in 1961 it was decided that the Academy’s crack drill team, then called the Hatcher Rifles, would be renamed to honor George Owen Retan. In a special ceremony, a Retan Rifles banner was presented to young George Owen Ramseyer. The Retan Rifles carry that name to this day, and each year, a number of outstanding young cadets carry his name on their sleeves, a living memorial to honor his service and sacrifice. Recalling a Fallen Friend Standing beside the brass plaque on the wall dedicating the building to the memory of his friend, Ed Shames felt the memories come flooding back, these nearly 67 years later. “It’s incredible,” he said, of learning that his young comrade was one of FUMA’s most honored alumni. “It’s just indescribable.” Now a Colonel, though retired from his service to the nation, Shames had volunteered to come to FUMA to talk to cadets about his fallen friend. Standing in front of the entire upper school Corps of Cadets, Shames wore a bright yellow jacket covered in patches honoring the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the 101st Airborne Division of which they were a part, and Easy Company, his own band of brothers. The jacket was a gift from the HBO producers of the mini-series about his famed unit. “They made $190 million telling our story, “ quipped Shames. “All I got was this jacket.” Shames shared stories of the training that he and George Retan had endured together at Currahee Mountain. He answered questions about Bastogne, the daring rescue of British paratroopers across the Rhine River, and many other exploits with Easy Company. Current members of the Retan Rifles crowded around after his talk, and Shames autographed copies of the book “Tonight We Die As Men” for which he had authored the foreward. Shames had brought the books, which tell the story of the Third Battalion of the 506th, as a special gift to the Retan cadets and the school’s library. Although he only lived a short twenty-one years, the lessons to draw from Retan’s life seem clear. Study hard, volunteer where you are needed, do your best, accept responsibility, lead from the front, be kind and gracious to all. When asked how the young men of FUMA could best honor the memory of George Owen Retan, Shames offered the following simple advice: “Work hard. Try to be great at something. If you can’t be great, be good. If you can’t be a good leader, be a good follower. But be good. George was no angel, but he was good hearted. George Retan was a good man.” Donald Burgett returned to Holland a few years ago to revisit the ground where he and his comrades in A Company had battled in 1944. He took time to visit Margraten Cemetery and take this photo beside the grave of George O. Retan, one of the lieutenants in his company. Recommended Reading Tonight We Die As Men: The Untold Story of the Third Battalion 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment from Toccoa to D-Day By Ian Gardner and Roger Day Foreward by Ed Shames Currahee! The Road to Arnhem By Donald R. Burgett Colonel Ed Shames visited the campus recently to speak with cadets about Retan and World War II. After his talk he signed books as gifts for current Retan Rifle members. The article on the following pages (“Shuford and the Chief ”) is a chapter reprinted by permission of Flying Point Press from this book: Invasion: The Story of D-Day By Bruce Bliven, Jr. All these books are available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. 56 Call to Quarters www.forkunion.com 57
Page 1 and 2: Happy 50th Anniversary to The Retan
Page 3 and 4: Remembering Retan “A nation revea
Page 5: D-Day: The Normandy Invasion As the

The Retan Rifles - Fork Union Military Academy

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