World War II Honoree

Owen Rayner Birchman

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Detroit, Michigan

Honored By

Wilbert C. Fletke

Relationship

Friend

ENTERED THE SERVICE FEBRUARY 3, 1944 AT FORT RILEY, KANSAS AS LIGHT TANK CREWMAN, MECHANIZED CAVALRY. ON OCTOBER 4, 1944, JOINED F COMPANY, LIGHT TANK, 113TH CAVALRY RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON AS BOW GUNNER-ASSISTANT DRIVER. HIS UNIT AND THE 30TH INFANTRY DIVISION WERE THE FIRST ALLIED TROOPS IN THE NETHERLANDS. THE 113TH WAS DUG IN FOR SEVEN WEEKS, ON A LINE MILES LONG, UNDER STEADY ARTILLERY AND SNIPER FIRE. FROM LATE DECEMBER 1944 TO LATE JANUARY 1945, THEY WERE ON ANOTHER HOLDING MISSION ON THE WEST BANK OF THE ROER RIVER USING LARGER TANKS. THE 113TH SQUADRON WAS THE FIRST UNIT IN THE 9TH ARMY TO REACH THE ELBE RIVER, ABOUT AN HOUR FROM BERLIN. WHEN OPPOSITION STIFFENED, RECONNAISSANCE TROOPS OF THE 113TH WERE ASSIGNED TO INFANTRY OR ARMORED DIVISIONS AS SCOUTS, OR ENTERED BATTLE THEMSELVES AS INFANTRY. THE 113TH AND THE 125TH SQUADRONS, PLUS THE HEADQUARTERS UNIT FORMED THE 113TH CAVALRY GROUP. TOTAL GROUP CASUALTIES WERE: 126 KILLED IN ACTION, 26 DIED OF WOUNDS, 13 MISSING IN ACTION AND 5 DIED OF NON-COMBAT INJURIES. THE MEN OF HIS 113TH SQUADRON WERE AWARDED THREE BRONZE STARS FOR CAMPAIGNS IN NORTHERN FRANCE, THE RHINELAND AND CENTRAL EUROPE. HE RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE APRIL 16, 1946 AT CAMP ATTERBURY, INDIANA WITH THE RANK OF CORPORAL.