David E . Pergrin Colonel David E . Pergrin ( 26 July 1917 – 7 April 2012 ) was commanding officer of the 291st Engineer Combat Battalion during World War II . Before the war he earned an engineering degree at Pennsylvania State University , graduating in 1940 . While at Penn State he participated in the ROTC program . In addition , Pergrin played on the university ' s football team , was elected to the Tau Beta Pi and Chi Epsilon engineering honor societies , and was senior class president . Before graduation he was voted Outstanding Non - Fraternity senior . In his role as senior class president , he presented the university with the Class of 1940 gift - the Nittany Lion Shrine , a 14 - ton limestone monument symbolizing the Penn State tradition . However , the monument was not officially dedicated until 1942 . Military service . Pergrin was called to active duty in April 1941 , with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant . After helping train numerous engineering platoons and companies , he was transferred to the new 291st Engineer Combat Battalion in April , 1943 to assist in its training . In August , he was given command of the battalion when it completed its states - side training . During training in the United States and Britain , then Major , later Lt . Colonel , Pergrin emphasized individual leadership which he credited as the main reason for the unit ' s success in completing its missions , especially while under enemy fire . The battalion served in France , Belgium and Germany . It was particularly effective as the engineer unit that primarily caused the delay of the advance elements of the Sixth Panzer Army , especially the Kampfgruppe under command of Joachim Peiper , during the Battle of the Bulge . Individual squads and platoons blew bridges , planted mines , and defended roadblocks in the face of oncoming tank columns , causing further confusion in German plans . Upon seeing another bridge blown up just as his tanks reached it , Peiper is said to have uttered the words , " Those damned engineers ! Those damned engineers ! " Kampfgruppe Peiper was eventually contained and the Waffen - SS tankers had to abandon their vehicles . Elements of the 291st were the first American soldiers to contact and rescue wounded survivors of the Malmedy massacre , and it was Pergrin who initially reported the massacre to higher headquarters . Later , toward the end of the Battle of the Bulge , the 291st was assigned responsibility to uncover the bodies of soldiers massacred at Malmedy for Graves Registration Service troops and documenting officers . The 291st received the Presidential Unit Citation and other awards for its performance during the Battle of the Bulge . For his leadership during this period , Colonel Pergrin was awarded the Croix de guerre . Due to its stellar reputation for working under enemy fire , the battalion was selected to build a treadway bridge at Remagen . This was the longest ( 1 , 100 foot ) tactical bridge ever built under continuous enemy fire . The battalion accomplished this in 32 hours . It was also the first allied bridge built across the Rhine and was intended to replace the Ludendorff railway bridge , just a few hundred yards away , which was in danger of collapse . Post war . In 1988 , Pergin received Penn State University ' s Outstanding Engineer Award . He also took up woodcarving as a hobby and published several books intended as guides for carving animals .