World War II Honoree

William Warren Nabours

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Tucson, Arizona

Honored By

Mr. Warren R. Nabours

Relationship

Son

Member of the 44th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop of the 44th Infantry Division. Arrived at Cherbourg, France in September 1944. Unit moved eastward beginning October 8, 1944 to near Le Mans, France, then onward in the next weeks to Belleville, Epinal, Charmers and Luneville, France. They were positioned on the front line in the Forest de Parroy where they first received enemy fire. In the next month, his unit provided reconnaissance support to the Division moving toward Saarburg and the Saverne Gap. Later, they operated near the Saar River. In late December 1944, as the German Army initiated an offensive action known as the Battle of the Bulge, he and his unit engaged in several fire fights. In February 1945, he was given the hazardous mission of infiltrating through enemy lines. He risked being discovered by circling a nearby woods and spending the remaining daylight hours observing. He was able to obtain extremely important information regarding enemy locations and movements. His courage, initiative and aggressiveness were recognized by the U.S. Army with the awarding of the Bronze Star Medal. In March 1945, he moved on toward Frankenstein, Germany and eventually crossed the Rhine River near Worms. In these days, he and the other troop members were constantly engaged in coping with snipers and pushing through defended road blocks, which were set up at frequent intervals along the heavily wooded mountain roads. In April, his unit was directed to move toward the Austrian Tyrol area and by May were located in the Austrian Alps near Imst, Austria. They were at that location when hostile action ceased. In June, he participated in moving some elements of the 19th German Army from Landeck, Austria to an assembly area near Munich, Germany. He and his unit were then re-deployed back to an assembly area near Reims, France. Within a few days, he was moved by train to Le Havre, France were his unit was transported across the English Channel to South Hampton. Train transportation then took them north to Camp Tidworth for a few days to enjoy sightseeing London. Then they were transported to Glasgow, Scotland, where he boarded the Queen Elizabeth for the U.S. From New York they were transported to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas to prepare for deployment to the Pacific. While in Arkansas war operations ceased and he was given an Honorable Discharge.