Favorite Firearms: A Testament To Service

The night of Dec. 15, 1944, my father, Sgt. Larry C. Kaup of the 2nd Infantry Division, 23rd Regiment, Company B, heard what sounded like machinery running way off in the distance in the Ardennes Forest. Toward morning, it became apparent that the noise was German tanks and infantry—it was the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge.

Sergeant Kaup and his fellow soldiers ran for three days and three nights through the snow, taking very heavy casualties. Upon reaching the high ground of the Elsenborn Ridge in Belgium, they dug in, spending Christmas holding back the Nazi forces. During the battle, Sgt. Kaup took a German major prisoner. While disarming the major, he found this Belgian Browning .380 ACP pistol, complete with a holster and spare magazine.

This handgun is a testament to my father’s service: He was wounded three times, earning a Purple Heart and two oak leaf clusters. He was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal for gallantry in action during the German defeat in the port city of Brest, France, earlier in July.

The handgun means more to me than I can say.

—Dennis Kaup