Top Photo: Walt, on the left, with his mother Marie and brother Roland. The National WWII Museum, The Walter D. Ehlers Collection, OH.0677.
On June 6, 1944, two brothers from Kansas landed at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. One was later awarded the highest military honor our country can bestow, and one made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.
Roland and Walter Ehlers enlisted in the US Army in 1940 and first saw combat with the 3rd Infantry Division in North Africa in 1942, before being transferred to Company K, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, later known as “The Big Red One.” In 1943, Roland was wounded in Sicily, requiring medical treatment before reuniting with Walter in England to prepare for the assault on D-Day. There they learned that Walter would be transferred to Company L prior to the invasion, but the brothers promised to meet on the beach after the fighting was done—a promise that would remain unfulfilled.
As Roland Ehlers was exiting his landing craft at Omaha Beach, a mortar shell struck the ramp, killing him and his entire squad. Unaware of his brother’s fate, Walter tried to find Roland that evening, only to discover he was reported as Missing in Action. Despite his concern for his brother, he led his men off the beach toward their next objective, the small town of Trévières. He did not find out his brother was killed on D-Day until mid-July, when Roland’s commanding officer personally delivered the grave news.
Click here to watch Walter Ehlers' full, unedited oral history.
On June 9, 1944, near Goville, France, Walter led an attack on two mortar pits and single-handedly defeated multiple enemy machine gun nests. By the next day, German forces surrounded his company, forcing their retreat. Walter and his rifleman laid down covering fire aiming at numerous German positions to allow their squad to withdraw safely. Both men were wounded by a sniper, but Walter eliminated the threat. The bullet entered his back, glanced off his rib, and exited out his back, passing through a bar of soap, a photograph of his mother, and the shovel on his pack. Despite being shot, he carried his rifleman to safety and returned for the Browning Automatic Rifle that the squad desperately needed under heavy fire. When the medics finally assessed Walter, they said he should be dead until he showed them the bullet’s trajectory. He refused to be medevacked determined to lead his men by example.
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Walt Ehlers carried this photo of his mother in his pack. When Walt was shot the bullet ripped through the card holding the photograph. The National WWII Museum, Gift of Walter D. Ehlers, 2014.524.007
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Bath soap of Staff Sergeant Walter Ehlers after a bullet entered his back, glanced off his rib and exited through his pack. The National WWII Museum, Gift in Memory of Walter D. Ehlers, 2023.175.001.
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Service cap of Sergeant Roland Ehlers. The National WWII Museum, Gift of Walter D. Ehlers, 2014.524.00.6
Walter was wounded twice more, from aerial bombardment near Saint-Lô and a mortar shell in the Hürtgen Forest, which required hospitalization. On the train back to his unit, he learned he was being awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in June 1944, after reading the announcement in the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. He was presented with the medal in December 1944, and after a brief respite at home, requested to rejoin his unit.
Sergeant Roland Ehlers and Lieutenant Walter Ehlers left a legacy of courage, honor, and devotion to their fellow men and country.
Erin Scheaffer
Erin is a graduate of the University of Leicester with a Masters in Archaeology and Heritage.
