PFC George Lee Maxwell | M Co, 3rd Bn, 255th Infantry, 63rd Infantry Division | WWII Oral History

PFC George Lee Maxwell | M Company, 3rd Battalion, 255th Infantry Regiment | 63rd Infantry Division | WWII Oral History About This Interview This interview comes from the Library of Congress's Veterans History Project (VHP), which preserves firsthand accounts of American veterans. The 63rd Infantry Division Association, USAR, shares this recording to preserve the experiences of Soldiers connected to the Division. Private First Class George Lee Maxwell, born in Kansas City, Missouri, served with M Company, 3rd Battalion, 255th Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division, during World War II. Recorded on June 11, 2004, his interview covers his combat service in Europe, the Division's encounter with Nazi concentration camps, and his later military career. Drafted in 1943, Maxwell completed infantry training at Camp Roberts, California. After a prolonged hospitalization for a sinus infection, he passed through Fort Meade, Maryland, and joined the 63rd Infantry Division at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi, before deploying to Europe in late 1944. Maxwell recalls the fighting along the German frontier during the winter of 1944–1945, the breakthrough of the Siegfried Line in March 1945, and the Division's advance through Heidelberg and southern Germany. He describes being wounded by mortar shrapnel on April 5, 1945, for which he received the Purple Heart. He also recalls encountering prisoners in the Dachau camp system during the Division's advance into Bavaria. The 63rd Infantry Division's documented liberation activities took place at Kaufering subcamps near Landsberg am Lech, rather than at Dachau's main camp near Munich. See the historical reference note below. After Germany's surrender, Maxwell remained in Europe on occupation duty and later worked in an intelligence assignment at U.S. headquarters in Frankfurt. He received a Bronze Star Medal and returned home in March 1946. He subsequently completed college, earned an Army commission, and served in military intelligence and counterintelligence assignments in Japan, Germany, Korea, and the United States before leaving military service in July 1969. Maxwell reflects on the losses suffered by his company. He remembers his first sergeant telling him he was among only eight men from his original group who remained throughout the campaign, while others had been killed, wounded, or transferred. His testimony offers a personal perspective on the experiences of the 255th Infantry Regiment and the lasting influence of wartime service. Historical Reference Note Maxwell refers to entering Munich and liberating camps at Dachau. These recollections appear to conflate locations: the 63rd Infantry Division participated in the liberation of Kaufering concentration subcamps near Landsberg am Lech, part of the larger Dachau camp system, rather than the main Dachau camp near Munich. Recorded nearly sixty years after the events, his account also contains some inconsistent dates. This note clarifies the historical geography without altering his testimony. It does not establish that Maxwell's specific company liberated a particular subcamp. Reference: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, histories of the 63rd Infantry Division and Kaufering. Interview Information Veteran: PFC George Lee Maxwell Unit: M Company, 3rd Battalion, 255th Infantry Regiment Division: 63rd Infantry Division (Blood and Fire) Interview: June 11, 2004, Arlington, Virginia Collection: Veterans History Project, Library of Congress About the 63rd Infantry Division Association, USAR The 63rd Infantry Division Association, USAR, preserves the history of the 63rd Infantry Division and its successor Army Reserve organizations. Through its Organization History Program, the Association shares documents, photographs, films, oral histories, and personal accounts from World War II to the present. Explore the collection and learn more: https://BloodAndFireDivision.com #63rdInfantryDivision #BloodAndFire #255thInfantryRegiment #WorldWarII #WWIIHistory #VeteransHistoryProject #LibraryOfCongress #Kaufering #Dachau #HolocaustLiberation #MilitaryHistory #ArmyReserve