Task Force Richardson

This is MG (Ret.) Walter B. Richardson
In WW II he was a Lt. Col. C O of 1st. Bn. 32nd.
Reg. Known as Task Force Richardson, He led
his Task Force all the way from Normandy to
Dessau, Germany. He was wounded 4 times, but
never missed a day of action.

THIS INTERVIEW WAS TAKEN BY JACK B. WARDEN

Jack Served as a Platoon Commander in B Co., 36th, Armored Infantry, 3 AD Div. in WW II. He hails from Austin, TX. MG Richardson Lives in New Braunfels, TX Where The Southwest Chapter Of The Third Armored Division Assn. Held Their Meeting. Major General (Ret.) Walter B. Richardson Was Able To Attend The Meeting For A Couple Of Hours. He Now Has Parkinson's Disease And Is Forced To Use A Walker. But His Spirit Is Undaunted And He Still Has That Great Smile And Wit Of His Early Days. This Is His Story. As He Told It To Our Group. (By Jack Warden)

       Two American Armies Were In The Process Of Encircling The Ruhr Industrial Area In A Huge Pincers Movement.The Northern Claw Was Simpson, And The Southern Claw Was Hodges. Neither General knew As Soon As They Met And Entrapped Model's Entire Army Group American Hopes Would Be Relized Simpson Would Be Back Under Bradley's Command And The Americans Would Then Launch The Main Allied Attack.
       Spearheading The Hodges Claw Was The 3rd.Armored Division, And Spearheading The Division Was Task Force Richardson. Late On The Night Of March 28,Lieutenant Colonel Walter B. Richardson Was Ordered To Report To Colonel Robert Howze, Commander Of Combat Command Reserve, 3rd.Armored Division. Richardson Was A Bit Disgruntled. He Had Been Fighting For Over A Week With Almost No Sleep And Guessed He Was About To Lose Some More. at Howze's Command Post He Met His Old Friend And Fellow Texan Lieutenant Colonel Sam Hogan. They Had Fought Side By Side Across France, In The Bulge And Over The Rhine- Land.
       Howze, Usually A Calm Man, Was Exicited."We'll move," He Told The Two Lt.Col's." We'll Really Go!" He Pointed To Paderborn On The Map And Looked Meaningfully At Richardson. It Was More Than 100 Miles North Northeast. Richardson Couldn't Believe His Eyes. "You Mean-Get To Paderborne In One Day?"
       Howze Nodded." Tomorrow Morning You Leave For Paderborn. Just Go Like Hell! Get The High Ground At Paderborn Airport." Turning To Hogan, He Ordered Him To Cover Richardson, Slightly Echelon To The Left. Task Force Welborn From Another Combat Command, Would Come Up On Richardson's Right, With The Rest Of The Division Following As Best They Could." Get To Paderborn, Don't Stop," And The Colonel Explained That Simpson's 2nd. Armored Division Would Meet Them There. This Would Put The Entire Ruhr In A Sack.
       It Was This Kind Of Mission Richardson Liked, And He Forgot His Exhaustion. Back At His Own Command Post He Told His Commanders That They Were Going To Move Out At 6: am. He Said Howze Had Given Him Only One Order. "Go" and They Were Free To Move Anywhere-Off The Road On Trails, on Highways, As Long As They Got To Paderborn In One Day. It Was Typical Of Richardson That He Got Up At 4A.M.And Personally Reconnoitered Three Miles Ahead In His Jeep So The Task Force Could Start With Momentum. When He Found Nothing Out Front, He Returned And Inspected The Column To See That Extra Gas Was Aboard.
       At 6a.M.Task Force Richardson Started North Full Throttle At 32 Miles An Hour, with Orders To Circle Any Strong Roadblock And Move Crosscountry If Necessary. In The Lead Was A Half-track And Several

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