The new World Military History Blog has a concise history of the US Berlin Brigade.

On 26 January 1945, Audie Murphy conducted the action near Holtzwihr, France that led to his receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor. The citation for the award tells it best;

"2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective."

From the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Web Site

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Motorcycle Ride

Start at the point where Murphy was wounded whilst operating the .50 cal. Then head over the Rhine to the Schwarzwald east of Freiburg for some beautiful woodlands and some great switchbacks. Finish in Freiburg. Its a great university town with lots of old world charm.

Maps

On 18 January 1919, the warring parties of the First World War met in Paris to discuss terms. Knowing the Germans were on the verge of collapse, both militarily and domestically, the Allied powers exacted a "just peace."
The terms of the Treaty of Versailles are still debated today and, famously, became the basis for the rise of German militarism again in the mid to late 1930's.
The German's sent a list of complaints, but the victors were in no mood to listen.

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On 18 December 1916, the Battle of Verdun* ends after 10 months and almost a million casualties. The Germans had cynically wanted a protracted struggle with the hopes that it would drive the French (and by the French submission, the British) to the bargaining table. The Germans got exactly 1 half of what they wanted...the protracted bit, but the French had more fortitude than expected. The war was to continue for almost 2 more, gruelling years.

*Battle of Verdun ends, http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=17 (last visited Dec 18, 2006).

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Motorcycle Ride

Check out RealClassic.co.uk's trip around Verdun for some great ideas for riding in the area. There are some great pictures of classic bikes at the museum they visited.

Maps

On 13 December 1939, the first significant naval engagement of World War II occured near the mouth of the River Plate (Rio Plata), near Argentina and Uruguay. The Brits caught the German ship Admiral Graf Spee and a major battle ensued with the Royal ships, Exeter, Ajax and Achilles. After being seriously damaged, the Admiral Graf Spee limped into Montevideo and called home. Their instructions were to sink her in the River Plate, where she remains today, although attempts in recent years to re-float her are underway.

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Motorcycle Ride

When you take that lifleong dream ride through South America, take the ferry between Buenos aires and Montevideo to travle across the Rio de la Plata, (River Plate)