World War II Honoree

Eugene Dewey Wright

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Brigham City, Utah

Honored By

JoAnne Wright

Relationship

Daughter

DRAFTED ON MAY 29, 1943. HE WAS COMMISSIONED AS AN OFFICER ON JANUARY 19, 1945. DURING THE WAR HE SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN THEATRE. WHILE SERVING AS AN INFANTRY UNIT COMMANDER ON APRIL 17, 1945, HE WAS STRUCK BY ENEMY MACHINE GUN FIRE SUSTAINING A HEAD WOUND TO HIS RIGHT TEMPOPARIETAL LOBES. DURING HIS RECOVERY IN FRANCE AND ENGLAND, HE WAS ONE OF THE SOLDIERS WHO RECEIVED PENICILLIN (AN EXPERIMENTAL DRUG THAT SAVED HIS LIFE). ONCE BACK IN THE U.S., HE WAS ASSIGNED TO BUSHNELL GENERAL HOSPITAL, A HOSPITAL HE HAD HELPED BUILD BEFORE HE WAS DRAFTED. AFTER EIGHT MONTHS OF HOSPITALIZATIONS AND REHABILITATION, HE WAS GIVEN AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE ON JANUARY 23, 1946, DUE TO THE EFFECTS OF HIS INJURIES. HE HAD CONSIDERED THE MILITARY AS A CAREER BUT WAS UNABLE TO FULFILL THAT DREAM BECAUSE OF HIS DISABILITIES, HE, HOWEVER, FULFILLED DIFFERENT DREAMS.