SSGT Mariano S. Ferra
Today we honor and remember SSGT Mariano S. Ferra of the 101st Airborne Division.
Staff Sergeant (SSGT) Mariano Sierras Ferra of Baker Company, 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion (AEB), 101st Airborne Division, was born in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, to Nicolas Estrada and Leonarda S. Sierras on April 29, 1915. He had at least three older sisters, Mercedes, Manuela, and Pedra, and two brothers, Robert and William.
SSGT Mariano Ferra is well-known for the staged pictures taken at Exeter airfield in England on June 5, 1944. You can also see these men in this short video from YouTube.
SSGT Ferra and an unknown corporal of the 326th AEB were last-minute additions to the plane of the 440th Troop Carrier Group that carried the Regimental Headquarters, 506th Demolition Platoon, to Drop Zone D. The task of these men was to deny the enemy the use of two bridges that crossed the Brévands River, a footbridge and road bridge. The bridges were to be rigged with explosives in case they needed to be destroyed.
At the marshaling area, SGT Jake McNiece painted some war colors on the face of SSGT Ferra as he was assigned to stick #21, which carried the members of the famous “Filthy 13.” Because SGT McNiece was part Choctaw, a Native American tribe, his idea was to honor his heritage with the mohawk hair styles and war paint.
SSGT Ferra survived the harsh combat in Normandy, where he earned his first Purple Heart Medal, as well as the Netherlands, but he would be killed while fighting the Germans at Bastogne, probably during the battle for Marvie.
One of his last actions is mentioned in the famous book of George Koskimaki, “The Battered Bastards of Bastogne.”
The Germans had sensed that the best place to break through on their way to take Bastogne was by taking control of the southern side of the Bastogne perimeter. The 901st Panzergrenadier Regiment controlled the sector and reported that the American forces near Marvie were weak. For the main attack at Marvie, German General Heinz Kokott chose the 901st Panzergrenadier Regiment, and set the date for December 23, 1944.
The 101st Airborne Division Headquarters had sensed a major build-up taking place on that same southern perimeter and ordered one of its engineer platoons, 3rd Platoon of Baker Company, 326th AEB, from the Ile-le-Pre and Senonchamps front, to move to Marvie to support the defensive positions of 2nd Battalion of the 327th GIR.
PVT Edward Carowick of that engineer platoon described in a letter to George Koskimaki in part what happened, but did not mention how SSGT Ferra exactly was killed that night.
“On the eve of December 23, the commander of ‘B’ Company received orders for our unit to be attached to the 327th Glider Regiment in an infantry role. The 3rd Platoon was ordered to prepare, assemble, and depart for Marvie, to assist in its defense along with 2nd Battalion of the 327th. We were to leave as soon as possible. It was pretty dark when we arrived. LT Robert Coughlin went immediately to Marvie to reconnoiter the platoon sector that would be assigned.
He took along the three squad leaders with him so they would know their assignments. LT Steinhaus, his assistant, and SSGT Ferra were to bring the platoon to the triangle where LT Coughlin would take us to our assigned squad sectors. There were some buildings burning in Marvie and, due to the snow on the ground, the area was pretty well lit up.
As we started out to the assigned sectors by squads, we began receiving some artillery and mortar fire but it was more or less to our left rear. […] The 3rd Platoon took up positions on an east-west line north of a small stream [with (water-cooled) machine-guns at four positions: #1, 2, 3, and 4]. The 1st and 2nd squads had a fence row along the small stream (which was covered with snow) and the banks along the stream were such that tanks could not negotiate them along our two-squad front. […]
After setting up my air-cooled machine gun, I could hear tank traffic on the road to my front. They were moving quietly as the engines were not revved up. The bogie suspensions were not making any noise. Then, about fifteen minutes later, a flare went up and the area was lit up. I saw the three tanks and also saw infantrymen with the tanks. (They were clad in snowsuits.) It seemed like everyone saw these developments about the same time as they all opened fire. Machine-guns #2 and #3 were water-cooled weapons. Privates Mason and Murry from the 1st squad, and Privates Becerra and Reardon on #3 were firing at the infantry.
When [two German] tanks saw the two positions, they fired simultaneously at the machine guns. I saw the bursts of shells exploding above them when they struck the small trees in the fence row. Mason and Murry stopped firing (later said to ‘have the enemy think we were knocked out’). Becerra and Reardon continued firing. They received another round into their position (probably from a more rapidly moving tank now). Due to the fact my machine-gun was behind the view of the tanks, I did not receive any fire from the tanks. Also, I took out the tracers where I had a tracer every 15 rounds instead of five. SSGT. Ferra thought machine-guns #2 and #3 were firing at the tanks. He sent a runner (crawling) to tell machine-gun #2 to stop firing at the tanks. As the runner was crawling to within a few feet of #3 gun, he was killed by the second round fired at Becerra and Reardon’s position.”
That runner could have been PVT Douglas G. Dieckman, the only other KIA person mentioned in Baker Company’s morning report at around the day these actions at Marvie took place. SSGT Ferra was killed in action on December 23, 1944, by a bullet according to his medical files, probably during the engagement with the Germans at Marvie.
SSGT Mariano S. Ferra was first buried in a temporary cemetery facility in Europe and would be reburied at the Calvary Cemetery at East Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, in November 1948. May he rest in peace.
Happy Birthday in Heaven, Mariano. Lest we forget! 🇺🇸
Sources
The Battered Bastards of Bastogne (by George Koskimaki)