World War II Honoree

Holly A. Cornell

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Boise, Idaho

Honored By

Vince Rybel

Relationship

Co worker

OBTAINED A ROTC COMMISSION UPON GRADUATION FROM OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY IN 1938. ENTERED THE U.S. ARMY IN EARLY 1941 AND TOOK TRAINING AT FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA. STATIONED AT FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI WHEN PEARL HARBOR WAS ATTACKED. THEN SERVED AS AN ASSISTANT ENGINEERING OFFICER AT FORT BENNING, GEORGIA. THEN DEPLOYED OVERSEAS IN THE FALL OF 1944 AND SERVED WITH A COMBAT ENGINEERING REGIMENT IN PATTON'S 3RD ARMY IN EUROPE. THIS UNIT WON RECOGNITION FOR THEIR ACTIONS AT THE REMAGEN BRIDGE OVER THE RHINE RIVER IN THE EARLY SPRING 1945. WHEN THIS BRIDGE COLLAPSED AFTER REPEATED GERMAN FIRE, NEARLY 1/3 OF THE ONE OF THE REGIMENT'S COMPANY WAS LOST. AT THE TIME OF THE GERMAN SURRENDER IN MAY 1945, HIS UNIT HAD REACHED THE DANUBE RIVER IN AUSTRIA. WITH THE WAR OVER IN EUROPE, HE WAS REASSIGNED TO CAMP GRUBER, OKLAHOMA IN PREPARATION FOR THE UPCOMING INVASION OF JAPAN. WITH THE DROPPING OF THE 2 ATOMIC BOMBS IN AUGUST 1945, THAT INVASION BECAME UNNECESSARY AND HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED FROM THE U.S. ARMY AT THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL. HIS MILITARY AWARDS INCLUDED THE BRONZE STAR.