THEN

March 7, 1945

Soldiers of the 9th armored Infantry rush through the town of Remagen on the west bank of the Rhine river as they dash to seize the Ludendorff railway bridge; the last intact bridge over the Rhine. Capture of the bridge and the establishment of a bridgehead on the east bank of the river was a significant achievement enabling the subsequent encirclement of the Ruhr valley and capture of approximately 300,000 German soldiers. The war was almost over.