World War II Honoree

Wallace Jefferson 'Wally' Foster

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

East Chicago, Indiana

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

STATIONED INITIALLY AT FORT SHERIDAN, ILLINOIS. DEPARTED FROM NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION FEBRUARY 26, 1942 WITH 61ST COAST ARTILLERY REGIMENT (ANTI-AIRCRAFT) FOR OVERSEAS DUTY. STATIONED IN ICELAND MARCH 3, 1942 TO AUGUST 2, 1943. THEN SERVED IN EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH 634TH ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY AUTOMATIC WEAPONS BATTALION. STAGED IN ENGLAND BEGINNING AUGUST 1943 AND LANDED ON THE BEACHES IN NORMANDY, FRANCE JUNE 13, 1944. TOOK UP POSITIONS AT ST. LO, FRANCE TO DEFEND THE BEACHHEAD. DECEMBER 1944, UNIT WAS AT SAINT VITH, BELGIUM AT THE BEGINNING OF BATTLE OF THE BULGE; HAD A BRIEF, THOUGH LIVELY, ATTACHMENT TO GENERAL PATTON'S 3RD ARMY. LATER UNIT WAS CITED AS BEING THE 1ST MECHANIZED UNIT TO CROSS THE RHINE RIVER AND ENTER GERMANY AT LUDENDORFF RAILWAY BRIDGE AT REMAGEN, GERMANY. PARTICIPATED IN THE NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS.