World War II Honoree

William E. Pickard, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Albany, Georgia

Honored By

Patty P. Ruch, William E. Pickard, Cindy Cartwright

Relationship

Children

LANDED ON D-DAY PLUS 2 IN NORMANDY WITH THE 186TH FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION, 5TH CORPS, 1ST ARMY. ENGAGED IN COMBAT UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR INCLUDING 5 BATTLE CAMPAIGNS; NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, ARDENNES IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE; RHINELAND AND CENTRAL EUROPE. HE USED 155-MM HOWITZERS. DURING THE 5 BATTLE CAMPAIGNS, THE BATTERY CONSISTED OF 4 HOWITZERS THAT FIRED OVER 19,000 ROUNDS. THE 186TH FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLE OF ST. LO IN NORMANDY AND THE BATTLE OF FALAISE GAP IN WHICH 80,000 GERMANS WERE CAPTURED OR KILLED BEFORE RETREATING THROUGH PARIS BACK THROUGH THE GERMAN BORDER. THE 186TH BATTALION PARTICIPATED IN MOP UP OPERATIONS OF THE RETREATING GERMAN ARMY AND IN ONE INSTANCE CAPTURED 72 GERMANS AND HELD THEM CAPTIVE IN A SMALL TOWN MOVIE THEATER. AFTER THE STAND WAS MADE BY THE GERMANS IN THE ARDENNES, THE 186TH BATTALION HELD THE AMERICAN LINES DURING THE FALL OF 1944. THE 186TH BATTALION SOLDIERS HEARD THE FIRST SHOTS FIRED BY THE GERMANS IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE WITCH SKIMMED THE TREES OVER THEIR HEADS. AFTER THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, THE 186TH FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION ADVANCED TO THE RHINE RIVER AND CROSSED IT ON A PONTOON BRIDGE. THE BATTALION BECAME ATTACHED TO THE 9TH ARMORED DIVISION AND TRAVELED ACROSS GERMANY, EXPERIENCING SOME RESISTANCE UNTIL THEY CROSSED MOST OF GERMANY INTO PLZEN, CZECHOSLOVAKIA WHERE THEIR LAST SHOT WAS FIRED IN THE WAR.