World War II Honoree

Walter E. Downs, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Stillwater, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

APPLIED FOR COMMISSIONED OFFICER STATUS ON OCTOBER 23, 1941, HIS 21ST BIRTHDAY. ENTERED ACTIVE SERVICE ON JANUARY 31, 1942. SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER AS A CAPTAIN WITH THE 13TH ARMORED REGIMENT, 1ST ARMORED 'OLD IRONSIDES' DIVISION. JOINED HIS REGIMENT IN NORTHERN IRELAND BEFORE DEPLOYING TO NORTH AFRICA FOR COMBAT OPERATIONS. PARTICIPATED IN THE ALGERIA-FRENCH MOROCCO, TUNISIA, NAPLES-FOGGIA, ANZIO AND ROME-ARNO CAMPAIGNS. HE TOOK PART IN ASSAULT LANDINGS AS PART OF COMBAT COMMAND B, DURING OPERATION 'TORCH,' THE ALLIED INVASION OF NORTH AFRICA THAT BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 8, 1942. CITED FOR GALLANTRY FOLLOWING THE BATTLE FOR ORAN, ALGERIA SHORTLY AFTER THE INVASION LANDINGS, AND WAS AWARDED THE SILVER STAR. RECEIVED MINOR SHRAPNEL WOUNDS TO THE HEAD, ARMS AND HANDS IN AN ENGAGEMENT BUT WAS TREATED ON THE BATTLEFIELD AND RETURNED TO DUTY WITH HIS UNIT. SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN ACTION ON APRIL 23, 1943 WHILE ATTACKING GERMAN-ITALIAN FORCES IN THE APPROACH TO MATEUR TO OPEN THE WAY TO BIZERTE IN TUNISIA. THEN, FIRST LIEUTENANT DOWNS WAS BADLY BURNED ON THE FACE AND LEFT LEG IN A BOMBARDMENT THAT KNOCKED OUT HIS TANK AND KILLED HIS RADIO OPERATOR. FOLLOWING THE BLAST, HE REMAINED WITH HIS COMPANY AS ITS COMMANDER FOR THE REST OF THE DAY UNTIL THE BATTLE ENDED. HE WAS MEDICALLY EVACUATED AND SHRAPNEL REMOVED FROM HIS BACK AND LEFT ARM BEFORE BEING EVACUATED FURTHER TO THE REAR. HE RETURNED TO HIS REGIMENT AND LANDED AT NAPLES, ITALY ON OCTOBER 28, 1943 TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGNS. CAPTAIN DOWNS WAS KILLED IN ACTION JUNE 26, 1944 DURING COMBAT OPERATIONS IN THE ROME-ARNO CAMPAIGN IN ITALY. AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH, HE WAS ONE OF ONLY FOUR REMAINING OFFICERS IN HIS UNIT WHO HAD SURVIVED ACTIONS IN THE NORTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGNS, ON THE ANZIO BEACHHEAD, IN THE LIBERATION OF ROME, AND OPERATIONS IN NORTHERN ITALY. AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS FOR ACTION IN TUNISIA, THE SILVER STAR FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION ON NOVEMBER 8, 1942 IN NORTH AFRICA, THE PURPLE HEART WITH TWO BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS FOR WOUNDS RECEIVED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH BRONZE ARROWHEAD DEVICE AND 1 SILVER SERVICE STAR, AND THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL.