Pfc. Ulysses C. Mocas
Private First Class Ulysses C. Mocas was born on June 20th 1925 in Nashua, New Hampshire. After graduating at Nashua High School in 1942 Ulysses enlisted in the U.S. Army. After basic training Ulyses was assigned to Company E 101st Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Division.
Ulysses and the 101st regiment entered combat in early October 1944. He would be made Pfc. on October 31st 1944.
November offensive. For this action all troops were stripped of coats and jackets, haversacks and items that would slow them down. Or at least, that was the plan made by one of the officers of the 2nd battalion. As the attack jumped off it started raining, it didn't stop for days and the battalion could not be reached for supplies.
After clearing the town of Moyenvic the 2nd Battalion with E company on the right and F company on the left were halted at the Seille river. unable to find a way across. They could see no solution but the bridge over the river. Both companies were signalled towards the bridge, advancing on it together, where they interrupted a group of Germans preparing to destroy it. A sharp fire fight ensued, but with the concentration of the two companies in this area, the enemy began to give up. As soon as both companies got across the bridge they started shelling them. At the road junction they split up. E company and Ulysses would swing to the East of hill310 and would try to take the hill. The fields were deep in mud, which slowed the men down, and made movement up the steep slope very difficult, but they continued to go forward, firing as they went. The company pressed on with marching fire against developing hostile small arms fire from the upper slopes of the hill. As they reached the crest, exhausted from their hard climb in the mud, they were met with heavy small arms and automatic weapon fire from the far edge of the small plateau on top of the hill as well as sniper fire. The 2nd battalion dug in on the hill, receiving artillery fire from 3 sides, the North, East and the South. Here Ulysses would be wounded in action by shrapnell to his left hand.
After spending several months in a hospital he returned to the company in February 1945. After the bulge almost none of the original members were left. Besides the combat infantryman badge he earned a Bronze star medal and Purple heart. After the war ended he returned home in November 1945. Ulysses got married, finished college and lived a peaceful life until his passing in 2005 at the age of 80.
Dogtags, combat infantryman badge, presidential unit citation and other small items from Ulysses C.
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