World War II Honoree

Norman G. Raner

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Guthrie Center, Iowa

Honored By

Norman G. Raner

ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY AT FORT DES MOINES, IOWA APRIL 18, 1941. ASSIGNED TO COMPANY I, 133RD REGIMENT, 34TH INFANTRY DIVISION AT CAMP CLAIBORNE, LOUISIANA FOR BASIC TRAINING. JANUARY 1, 1942 THE UNIT WAS TRANSPORTED BY TRAIN TO FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY AND EQUIPPED AND PREPARED FOR OVERSEAS DUTY. EMBARKED FEBRUARY 1942 TO NORTH IRELAND IN THE CASTLE ROCK AREA FOR EXTENSIVE COMBAT TRAINING. VOLUNTEERED FOR THE RANGERS AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO SCOTLAND FOR THREE WEEKS TRAINING. FAILING THE SWIMMING REQUIREMENT HE RETURNED TO HIS UNIT WHICH WAS THEN MOVED TO KNOTSFORD, ENGLAND. PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF CORPORAL AT THAT TIME. DECEMBER 1942, LEFT ENGLAND AND LANDED AT ORAN, NORTH AFRICA ON THE DOCKS. AT THAT TIME HE WAS PROMOTED TO BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLEMAN SERGEANT. THE COMPANY THEN WENT ON TO TUNISIA, NORTH AFRICA BY TRUCK AND MARCHING. MET THE ENEMY AT HAJEB EI ALOUN. KNOCKED OUT A GERMAN HALF-TRACK AND RECONNAISSANCE CAR. THEY THEN HAD ORDERS TO PULL OUT AND HONOREE WAS ORDERED TO THE HEAD OF THE COLUMN WHERE CAPTAIN JOHN AGNES, BATTALION S-3, GAVE HIM A COMPASS READING AND SAID 'GET US OUT OF HERE'. THEY MARCHED THE REST OF THE NIGHT AND THE FOLLOWING DAY UNTIL AFTER SUNDOWN, ARRIVING AT THE SEBIETLA AREA, FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS IN THE AREA, THEY ENGAGED IN THE BATTLE OF FONDOUK, TUNISIA. THEY LOST 10 MEN OUT OF THE PLATOON. AS A RESULT OF THIS ACTION HONOREE WAS PROMOTED TO STAFF SERGEANT AND PLATOON LEADER. THEY CONTINUED ON TO HILL 609 ON MAY 15, 1943 AND THE END OF THE AFRICAN CAMPAIGN. THEY WERE THEN RETURNED TO TUNIS, BACK TO THE ORAN AREA AND RECEIVED REPLACEMENT TROOPS. ON APPROXIMATELY SEPTEMBER 15, 1943 THEY SHIPPED OUT TO ITALY. LANDING AT SALERNO, THEY BROKE OUT OF THE BEACHHEAD THREE DAYS LATER TO THE BATTLES OF BENEVENTO DE ALIEFE, THREE CROSSINGS OF THE VOLTURNO RIVER, ST. MARIE OLEVETO COLLI, MT.MARONE AND RIGHT FLALNK OF BLOODY PANTANO. RETURNED TO ALIEFE FOR CHRISTMAS 1943. RECEIVED A FIELD COMMISSION AND GENERAL MARK CLARK PINNED ON SECOND LIEUTENANT BARS. THEN TRANSFERRED TO CANNON COMPANY, 133RD REGIMENT AS A FORWARD OBSERVER. WOUNDED FEBRUARY 13, 1944 AT CASSINO, ITALY. WHILE IN CONVALESCENCE HE LEFT WITHOUT BEING RELEASED AND REJOINED HIS UNIT ON ANZIO BEACHHEAD. LATER ON AFTER THEY BROKE OUT HE RECEIVED HIS ORDERS FOR ROTATION HOME MAY 25, 1944. ARRIVED BACK IN THE STATES SEPTEMBER 1944. AFTER HIS FURLOUGH HE RECEIVED A NEW ASSIGNMENT AT CAMP BLANDING, FLORIDA AS A VILLAGE FIGHTING INSTRUCTOR. RECEIVED THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN SERVICE MEDAL WITH THREE BATTLE STARS, BRONZE STAR, PURPLE HEART, COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, AMERICAN THEATRE MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE AS 2ND LIEUTENANT SEPTEMBER 15, 1945.