World War II Honoree

John Robert Owens

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

McHenry, Kentucky

Honored By

Anna Marie Cosby, Jenny Joyce, and Jane Orton

Relationship

Daughters

LEFT WESTERN KENTUCKY STATE COLLEGE WHERE HE WAS A STUDENT TO WORK AT A WAR PLANT IN BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT AS A TOOL GRINDER. AS THE WAR ESCALATED, HE DECIDED TO ENLIST IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. INDUCTED ON MARCH 9, 1943 AND ENTERED INTO ACTIVE SERVICE AT FORT HARRISON, INDIANA ON MARCH 16, 1943. SERVED AS A RIFLEMAN 745 IN COMPANY F, 311TH INFANTRY REGIMENT OF THE 78TH LIGHTNING INFANTRY DIVISION. PARTICIPATED IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS. DEPARTED FOR EUROPE ON THE BRITISH SHIP HMS CARNAVAN CASTLE ON OCTOBER 14, 1944 AND ARRIVED ON OCTOBER 25, 1944. PARTICIPATED IN THE CAMPAIGNS OF ARDENNES AND RHINELAND. WOUNDED IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE ON JANUARY 3, 1945 AND WAS HOSPITALIZED IN ENGLAND. WHEN HE RECOVERED FROM HIS WOUNDS, HE REJOINED HIS COMPANY IN GERMANY WHERE THEY DID OCCUPATION DUTY IN THE GERMAN TOWNS AND TRAINED FOR INVASION OF JAPAN. THE BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI ENDED THE WAR JUST BEFORE HE WAS TO BE SENT TO JAPAN. DEPARTED FOR THE UNITED STATES ON THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON BB-56 ON JANUARY 10, 1946 WITH THE 84TH RAIL SPLITTERS INFANTRY DIVISION AND ARRIVED ON JANUARY 20, 1946. AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR , AMERICAN THEATER RIBBON, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER RIBBON WITH TWO BRONZE STARS, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, PURPLE HEART, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE AND CARBINE AND RIFLE SHARPSHOOTER BADGE. RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE FROM THE UNITED STATES ARMY ON JANUARY 25, 1946 FROM THE SEPARATION CENTER AT CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA.