The Capture and Collapse of the Remagen Bridge - Interview with WWII Veteran Robert Lovell

In this interview segment, 99-year-old Bob Lovell shares his firsthand account of the intense battle for the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen. WATCH NOW:

As a member of the 73rd Field Artillery Battalion, 9th Armored Division, Bob entered combat in early 1945, just after the Battle of the Bulge. At only 18 years old, he served as a machine gunner and radio operator on a half-track as Allied forces pushed deeper into Germany. On March 7, 1945, Lovell and his unit took part in the historic capture of the Ludendorff Bridge, the last major bridge standing across the Rhine River. Despite being rigged with explosives, the bridge survived long enough for U.S. forces to cross into the heart of Germany. For ten intense days, Lovell’s unit defended the western side of the bridge from enemy attacks, enduring mortars, artillery, strafing runs, and bombings. Lovell watched the bridge collapse on March 17, killing 28 American engineers. But the successful crossing at Remagen had already changed the course of the war.