Remagen 1945 sign Autographed by WWII Heroes from 9th Armored Div & 128th AAB For Sale

"Remagen" autographed signIt was a quaint resort town on the Rhine until March 7, 1945, when the 9th Armored Division first laid eyes on the bridge at Remagen. As the Americans rushed the bridge, the German defenders triggered their explosives—but when the smoke cleared, the Americans were met by a miracle: the bridge still stood.
Assaulting under fire, GIs established a toehold on the other side, but they needed armor support—fast. Would the bridge hold the weight of tanks? It fell to Lt. C. Windsor Miller to find out. In darkness he led his platoon of Shermans over the creaking spans. Hold it did, and with Miller’s armor on the other bank, the road across the Rhine was open. Within ten days, five US divisions were across bringing victory in Europe in sight.
Our newest “Sites of Valor” sign pays tribute to these heroes. Featuring hand-embellished weathering, each aluminum sign looks like it was liberated by a souvenir-hungry GI. And notably, each bears the signatures of two soldiers who fought at Remagen: Paul Priest (9th AD) and Bob Chouinard (128th AAA), bios below!
This new sign is destined to become the ultimate item in any "Man Cave." With a strictly limited number worldwide, place your order now—before they're in black marker by Paul Priest (9th AD) & Bob Chouinard (128th AAA Bn.).EDITION:Sign is from 300 limited-edition autographed signs. Includes a seal of authenticity on the reverse side.SIZE:19.75" x 7"(SIGN)SHIPPING:Items ship flat via USPS Mail

ROBERT "BOOTS" CHOUINARD
Born in Newburyport, MA, Robert “Boots” Chouinard joined the Army after his mother rejected his idea of becoming a Marine. Assigned to the newly formed 128th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, “Boots” became part of a 90mm gun crew, within B-Battery, that specialized in targeting high altitude enemy aircraft.

Landing on Omaha Beach on D+5, “Boots” and B-Battery would find themselves attached to Patton’s divisions, spanning the 4th AD to the 10th AD and more, as they pushed across France.

After entering Germany, B-Battery was rushed to the Rhine to protect the newly formed Remagen bridgehead. There, "Boots" and his gun crew joined the largest concentration of Allied anti-aircraft artillery ever assembled and battled against some 400 Luftwaffe aircraft attacking the bridge over several days.

Following the fighting at Remagen, “Boots” and B-Battery were brought to Oppenheim where they protected the 5th ID during their surprise night crossing of the Rhine. In the weeks that followed, they continued to drive deeper into the Reich, now attached to the 11th AD, charging through Austria.

By the war’s end, “Boots” and the men of B-Battery had earned five battle stars and General Patton's deepest admiration when he called them: "The best damn 90mm gun battalion in the ETO!"

PAUL PRIEST
Born in Flint, Michigan, Paul was drafted into the Army in June 1944 and by winter, was part of the 9th Armored Division. First put into a Stuart tank as a replacement driver following the Bulge fighting, Paul wanted no part of being in a tank and was moved to the HQ Company of the division’s 52nd Armored Infantry battalion.

There, Paul excelled as a foot soldier, specializing in reconnaissance patrols carrying his favorite weapon - a captured Beretta pistol that he took from a dead German soldier.

Often riding tanks into combat, Paul was with the division when they crossed the Roer in late February 1945, and when they seized the bridge at Remagen in March. He crossed the Ludendorff bridge during the early hours of March 8th and helped hold the northern half of the bridgehead perimeter, with their HQ setup in nearby Erpel.

Expanding the bridgehead later in March, Paul and the 9th AD drove deeper into the Reich, to Frankfurt, and then assisted in closing the Ruhr Pocket in April. By the war’s end, they had fought all the way into western Czechoslovakia.

WHY BUY FROM VALOR STUDIOS?
EXPERIENCE /// Since 1999 we've been creating the world's finest hand-autographed military art and collectibles. We are the only art publisher to conduct signings with Major Dick Winters and Captain Ron Speirs, and we've had the honor of working with former Presidents Bush 41 and Bush 43, General Hal Moore (We Were Soldiers), aviators Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler (A Higher Call), MOH recipient Tom Hudner (Devotion), and many more military heroes.
THE REAL DEAL///Unlike so many autographs we see on , ours are hand-signed and we have the photos to prove it. Combine that with a reputation of being America's leader in military art publishing and you can shop with complete peace of mind.
HONESTY///Our veteran signers know the items they are autographing are for commercial purposes and they're paid generously for their efforts. We're proud to say that some of our veteran friends have been signing with us for 15+ years!
QUALITY///All the products we sell on are new and guaranteed in mint condition. They are printed on museum grade papers with archival inks and with proper care (utilizing archival-grade storage methods) will last longer than any of us.
VALUE///All our veteran signed items are limited in number. Once they sell out there is no creating more and as a result we often see our products appreciate in value.
FAMILY///We're a small family business based in southern Florida, we have New York Times bestselling author Adam Makos (Devotion, A Higher Call & Spearhead) as our company president, his brother Bryan is our art director, and their sister Erica, our sales manager.
MADE HERE///Our fine art lithos, giclees, photos, and books are all printed in America. By buying a Valor Studios product, you're not only supporting an American small business and our veteran signers, but also craftsmen across the country.