World War II Honoree

Richard Weldon 'Gil' Gilliam

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Tekamah, Nebraska

Honored By

Ray W. Butler

Relationship

Comrade In Arms

TECHNICIAN 5TH GRADE. SERVED HONORABLY WITH THE 17TH ORDNANCE BOMB DISPOSAL SQUAD, 1ST ARMY, 5TH CORPS. DEPARTED ENGLAND ON A NORWEGIAN COAL TUG LOADED WITH 2 TONS OF TNT. LANDED ON OMAHA BEACH WHERE HIS SQUAD REMOVED SHELLS FROM BIG GUNS THAT WERE LEFT BY THE GERMANS. THEN WENT TO UTAH BEACH, CHERBOURG AND ST. LO. FROM THERE THEY WENT TO CARENTAN, FRANCE TO DEFUSE A LIVE BOMB NEXT TO A HOSPITAL FULL OF WOUNDED AMERICANS. NEXT THEY WENT TO PARIS TO REMOVE THREE 500 POUND BOMBS UNDER A BRIDGE AND EXPLODED THEM SAFELY OUTSIDE PARIS. WENT ON TO BASTOGNE AND EUPEN, BELGIUM AS THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE STARTED. DELAYED A CONVOY ON THE WAY TO BATTLE OF BULGE DUE TO A BATTERED 1000 POUND BOMB THAT HAD LODGED NEXT TO A BRIDGE AS THERE WAS CONCERN THAT THE HEAVY VEHICLES MIGHT SET OFF THE BOMB. THE BOMB WAS SUCCESSFULLY REMOVED AND EXPLODED AWAY FROM THE BRIDGE. HIS SQUAD PROCEEDED THROUGH REMAGEN, WIESBADEN, FRANKFURT, NUREMBERG, KLATOVY, BUCHENWALD AND PLZEN WHERE THE WAR ENDED. RECEIVED THE SILVER STAR FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION FOR REMOVING THE BOMB NEXT TO HOSPITAL AT CARENTON, FRANCE. ALSO AWARDED THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER MEDAL, WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL AND GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL.