The Rhine in Nierstein | Photo from HardyS via Pixabay ()
For many years, a casual passerby in Nierstein, a small city on the west bank of the Rhine River some 20 miles south of Wiesbaden, would have hardly suspected the part this amiable wine town played in the waning days of World War II. Since 2017, a handsome monument, explanatory panels, and German and American flags waving side by side indicate the spot, where, as the plaque reads:
At this location, on March 22 & 23, 1945, the 249th Engineer Combat Battalion, after supporting the U.S. Army 5th Infantry Division at Oppenheim, in the first successful Rhine river assault crossing since Napoleon, completed the construction of a 366 meter floating bridge to carry elements of General George S. Patton’s 3rd Army across the Rhine. The bridge was completed in18 hours. This remarkable engineering accomplishment undoubtedly contributed to the shortening of the war, thus saving countless lives on both sides of the conflict.
As the 75th anniversary of the crossing approaches, plans for a commemoration ceremony that’s open to the public have been announced. On March 22, city officials and the Nierstein History Association, working in cooperation with the Rhineland-Palatinate State Center for Political Education, have organized a number of activities. The event begins at 2:30 p.m. with a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument. At the Guntrum winery located just a short walk away, remarks will be delivered by city and state officials, as well as Lt. Gen. Christopher Cavoli, Commanding General, United States Army Europe.
Military historian Russ Rodgers will serve as the guest speaker. He will deliver a speech titled “The Human Side of War: The Campaign in the Palatinate and Patton's Rhine Crossing.” Rodgers, Command Historian for the U.S. Army, is the author of a book titled “Nierstein and Oppenheim 1945: Patton Bounces the Rhine,” which will be released in June of this year. His speech will be followed by a discussion with German eyewitnesses of the event.
