Lyle Joseph Bouck, Jr. (December 17, 1923 – December 2, 2016) enlisted in the Missouri National Guard at age 14. During World War II, he was a 20-year-old lieutenant in charge of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon, 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division. On the first morning of the Germans' advance during the Battle of the Bulge, his 18-man unit along with four forward artillery observers held off an entire German battalion of more than 500 men for nearly an entire day, killing or wounding 92, and significantly delayed the German advance in a vital sector of the northern front. Every single member of the platoon was later decorated, making it one of the most decorated platoons in all of World War II. Bouck was one of the youngest commissioned officers in the U.S. Army.
Early life and enlistment
Bouck was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the second child of Lyle Joseph and Magdalen M. Bouck. His father, a Private First Class in the U.S. Army during World War I, was a carpenter and Bouck grew up during the Depression and moved frequently with his family. With four siblings, (Robert, Bernice, Eugene and John) they often lived in homes with only one bedroom and no indoor plumbing or electricity. Bouck enlisted in the Headquarters Company, 138th Infantry Regiment of the Missouri National Guard at age 14 so he could earn one dollar per drill day to help his family. He was never asked his age. He was rapidly promoted to Supply Sergeant at age 16, making more than most of his civilian friends.
Active duty
On December 23, 1940, the 35th Infantry Division was activated for one year of federal duty. His unit participated in the Texas-Louisiana maneuvers of 1941. Bouck was assigned responsibility as transportation sergeant for the regimental Headquarters Company and performed very well. While attending a transportation course, and just before their federal duty was completed, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Their active duty status was indefinitely extended and Bouck's unit was sent to protect California against a possible enemy invasion.
When his unit was subsequently moved to advance duty on the Aleutian Islands in May 1942, he decided to volunteer to attend Officer Candidate School, the newly created Parachute School, or the Army Air Corps. An offer to attend Officer Candidate School arrived first, and Bouck was transferred to Fort Benning, Georgia for four months of intensive training. On his first day there, he was ordered to drill his men. Bouck performed well enough to draw the attention of his commanding officers. He graduated fourth in his class of 57 officers on August 25, 1942. The top ten graduates of each class were retained to teach the next class at Fort Benning, and Bouck was assigned to teach small unit defensive tactics. He spent a year at the school before he was transferred and assigned to the 99th Infantry Division for deployment to Europe.
Movement to Europe
His division arrived at Le Havre in early November, 1944. By mid-November, without any battle experience, they were in the Ardennes, where they relieved the 60th Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. For the next few weeks his reconnaissance platoon established and maintained regimental listening and observation posts and gathered information. As they were not trained for direct combat, they were kept from direct engagement with the Germans. Bouck earned the Combat Infantryman Badge during this period. The platoon consisted of two nine-man reconnaissance squads and a seven-man headquarters section who worked in the 394th regimental S2 section. Their mission was to conduct reconnaissance up to and through the German lines, including missions to capture German soldiers, to obtain intelligence about the enemy forces' disposition.