Veterans' Memorial Project

Phillip Frederick Ortman

Canton, IL

World War II

Lt. Ortman served with the 141st Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division. He was killed during the Battle of Monte Cassino, a Benedictine Abbey the Germans were using against the Americans. The abbey was on top of a mountain. He is buried at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Nettuno, Italy, Plot I Row 4 Grave 53. He was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
The following account was found on the Web describing the events of February 11, 1944, involving the 141st Infantry Regiment: The attack, at 1100 hours, February 11th, had to be launched from the uncertain positions gained along the slopes south of “Snake’s Head” Ridge. These positions, reported clear by other units, were actually secured by fighting when the regiment moved into position. The 1st Battalion, coordinated with other attacking elements, began its advance at the appointed hour. Extremely heavy fire of all types was encountered. The chief obstacle consisted of enemy fire directed into our flank from German positions to the west. No means had been provided for countering or evading the fire. Only short gains were made, primarily by crawling along the barren and rocky surfaces of the ridge and dislodging the enemy from his positions with hand grenades. The fierce close-in struggle continued through the afternoon. Over 1300 hand grenades were used by the battalion during the fight. The Germans launched two counterattacks, one of severe intensity at 1200 hours and one of smaller proportions at 1600 hours. While both of these attacks were repulsed with heavy losses to the enemy, their total effect was to neutralize our efforts to advance, and our position remained relatively the same throughout the afternoon. Our regiment, which had never recovered from the losses at the River Rapido, now had a fighting strength in the 1st Battalion of but 10 officers and 66 men while in the 3rd we had only 12 officers and 94 men. These two depleted battalions were combined as one unit and instructed to hold present positions, keeping in close touch with the enemy by constant patrolling. The large number of casualties suffered during the initial occupation and during the attack accentuated the difficult problem of evacuation of wounded from the mountains. Additional litter teams were provided from the Cannon and Anti-Tank Companies and from a group of replacements. To bring one wounded man from the positions in a litter often took a reinforced team of six men from eight to nine hours. We were not alone in suffering casualties. The enemy, bleeding from our hammering assaults, asked for a truce in order to remove his dead. We watched him remove over 160 German bodies from the area.

– taken from Web site above and University records

Further information: https://www.abmc.gov