World War II Honoree

William John Elser

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Rochester, New York

Honored By

William S. Stegall, Historian & Fellow Lion

ENTERED U.S. ARMY OFFICER TRAINING IN JUNE 1943 AT FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA. ASSIGNED TO ARTILLERY TRAINING IN AUGUST 1943 AT FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA. TRANSFERRED TO THE 87TH DIVISION AND MOVED TO THE TENNESSEE MANEUVER AREA BY DECEMBER 3, 1943. EMBARKED FROM CAMP KILMER, NEW JERSEY TO ENGLAND IN JULY 1944. STAGING FROM OMAHA BEACH, FRANCE, AUGUST 21, 1944. BEGAN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS WITH PATTON'S 3RD ARMY. ASSIGNED TO THE 695TH ARMORED FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION IN NORTHERN FRANCE AND ADVANCED DURING DECEMBER 1944 ONTO THE ARDENNES SOUTHERN TIP, 15 MILES SOUTH OF BASTOGNE, BELGIUM, CONTAINING THE GERMAN WESTERN PINCER. AFTER JANUARY 25, 1945, MOVED WITH THE 5TH INFANTRY AND 5TH ARMORED DIVISIONS ONTO THE SIEGFRIED LINE CROSSING THE RHINE RIVER INTO GERMANY IN THE MORNING HOURS OF MARCH 24, 1945. AFTER GERMANY'S CAPITULATION, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION'S OCCUPATION DUTIES. AWARDED THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 4 BRONZE CAMPAIGN STARS, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL AND WITH THE 695TH ARMORED ARTILLERY BATTALION WAS PRESENTED THE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION. ALSO WAS AWARDED THE FRENCH LEGION OF HONOR. SERIAL NUMBER O 520854.