Timmermann gained fame as the first U.S. Army officer to cross the Rhine River in Germany during World War II.

He also had been exposed to taunts regarding his father's supposed cowardice, desertion from the army, and disgrace of the Timmermann family name.

Large-scale maneuvers continued in August on the Olympic Peninsula, with IX Corps defending Tacoma, Washington, until the two divisions from California could arrive to assist.

[2] In October 1942, the 3rd Infantry Division headed for Norfolk, Virginia, then sailed for Morocco and Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa.

His company's entire kitchen staff and supply sergeant were captured and later executed by the German SS troops in what became known as the Malmedy massacre.

[1] In late February 1945, Timmermann and the 9th Armored Division were supporting the right flank (or southern portion) of British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's forces.

[3][4] At about 1530 hours, Timmermann was ordered to assault the bridge with his company in an effort to seize and hold it intact.

I spotted this lieutenant, standing out there completely exposed to the machine gun fire that was pretty heavy by this time.

[4]As Timmermann's men were approaching mid-span at 1540 hours, the eastern portion of the bridge was blown up by order of German Major Hans Scheller, but somehow remained standing; the bridge span had lifted slightly, and then dropped safely back into place.

After being replaced by the engineers, the rest of Timmermann's men followed the first half of the company eastward across the Rhine.

[3][4][5] At about 1545 hours, one of Timmermann's squad leaders, Sergeant Alexander A. Drabik of Holland, Ohio, was the first American soldier to cross the bridge.

Drabik ran the entire 117-meter-long (384 ft) bridge with his squad through the settling dust and smoke from the explosion at the eastern end, without having a single soldier wounded or killed.

Other infantry units were moving up, but were being harassed by anti-aircraft weapons covering the western side of the bridge.

Timmermann ordered some of his men up around the Erpeler Ley, a large hill just beyond the eastern end of the bridge, to destroy the weapons.

Timmermann's other men raced over the hill to cover the end of the railroad tunnel under the Erpeler Ley to prevent any enemy from reinforcing the Germans there.

[9][10][11] The first, named Willi Felten, yelled that they were surrendering and moved to the tunnel entrance; he was killed by a shot to the stomach.

Another youth, named Karl Busch, stepped forward when a woman asked him to try to talk to the Americans.

Busch knew some English from school and remembered a war film where the actor René Deltgen yelled "Stop firing" over and over to end the fighting.

"He had German parents and wanted to test me," thought Busch, who made it through the negotiations with "lots of fear".

General Dwight D. Eisenhower declared the bridge "worth its weight in gold"[12] and "one of those bright opportunities of war which, when quickly and firmly grasped, produce incalculable effects on future operations".

The Allies used the bridge for truck and tank traffic, and eight thousand soldiers crossed it during the first 24 hours after capture.

[4][5] A large sign was placed on one of the stone towers marked "Cross the Rhine with dry feet courtesy of 9th Armd Division".

The sign is now displayed at the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor at Fort Knox, Kentucky, above an M26 Pershing tank, a type used in the battle.

There, he read a Stars and Stripes article about the attack on the Remagen Bridge and learned he was the father of a baby girl.

He met Ernie Pyle and other reporters who listened to Timmermann describe how his men were the real heroes.

[1][4][5] Sergeant Alexander A. Drabik and Timmermann were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for their actions.

Timmermann's Distinguished Service Cross citation reads: For extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy on 7 March, in Germany.

Upon reaching the Ludendorff railroad bridge across the Rhine river, Second Lieutenant Timmermann, aware that the bridge had been prepared for demolition, and in the face of heavy machine gun, small arms, and direct 20 mm gun fire, began a hazardous trip across the span.

By his outstanding heroism and unflinching valor, Second Lieutenant Timmermann contributed materially to the establishment of the first bridgehead across the Rhine river.

His wife LaVera recalled, "He detested cancer because of the fact that it was killing him and depriving him of a soldierly duty ...