World War II Honoree

Douglas Monroe 'Doug' Benbrook

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Woodward, Oklahoma

Honored By

Pauline Henrietta McClung Benbrook

Relationship

Wife

SERVED IN THE ARMY RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS AT OKLAHOMA A&M COLLEGE AT STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA FROM SEPTEMBER 1939 TO APRIL 5, 1943. SIMULTANEOUSLY SERVED AS A PRIVATE IN THE ENLISTED RESERVE CORPS WITH THE 1875TH SERVICE UNIT FROM JULY 1942 TO APRIL 5, 1943. INDUCTED AND CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY ON APRIL 6, 1943. REPORTED TO THE RECEPTION CENTER, FORT SILL, AT LAWTON, OKLAHOMA ON APRIL 12, 1943. ASSIGNED TO OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL AT FORT BENNING, AT COLUMBUS, GEORGIA FROM JUNE 21 TO SEPTEMBER 18, 1943. HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON SEPTEMBER 17, 1943 WITH THE RANK OF CORPORAL TO ACCEPT AN APPOINTMENT AS AN OFFICER. GRADUATED AND COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT IN THE INFANTRY ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1943. INITIALLY ASSIGNED AT FORT JACKSON, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA TO THE 124TH INFANTRY REGIMENT WITH THE ANTI-TANK COMPANY; THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE G-1 STAFF (PERSONNEL) OF THE 4TH INFANTRY ‘IVY’ DIVISION IN DECEMBER 1943. STAGED AT CAMP KILMER, AT STELTON, NEW JERSEY WITH THE DIVISION ON JANUARY 4, 1944 AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON JANUARY 18, 1944 AND ARRIVED IN WESTERN ENGLAND ON JANUARY 26, 1944. MOVED BY TRAIN TO TIVERTON, IN DEVON, ENGLAND FOR TRAINING IN PREPARATION FOR D-DAY. SAILED WITH DIVISION HEADQUARTERS ON JUNE 15, 1944 AND LANDED AT UTAH BEACH IN NORMANDY, FRANCE. SERVED WITH THE G-1 DURING THE DRIVE ON THE COTENTIN PENINSULA TOWARD CHERBOURG, FRANCE, THE OPERATION ‘COBRA’ BREAKOUT OF THE NORMANDY BEACHHEAD, THE ENTRY INTO PARIS, PENETRATION OF THE WEST WALL AND OPERATIONS IN THE HUERTGEN FOREST. IN EARLY DECEMBER 1944, IN LUXEMBOURG, ACCEPTED A REGULAR ARMY COMMISSION AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO C COMPANY, 1ST BATTALION, 8TH INFANTRY REGIMENT TO GAIN COMBAT EXPERIENCE. ON DECEMBER 16, 1944 WAS SUBJECTED TO THE FULL FURY OF THE GERMAN ARDENNES COUNTEROFFENSIVE DURING DENSE FOG, SNOWY AND FREEZING COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS. HIS UNIT MANAGED TO HOLD ITS LINES AND TOOK PART IN ATTACKS ON DECEMBER 22 TO TAKE THE TOWN OF ECHTERNACH, LUXEMBOURG. ADVANCED FROM SAINT VITH, BELGIUM INTO GERMANY ON FEBRUARY 1, 1945 BREAKING THROUGH THE OUTER DEFENSES OF THE WEST WALL ALONG THE SCHNEE EIFEL RIVER. LED A SQUAD-LEVEL RECONNAISSANCE PATROL THROUGH ENEMY-HELD LAND AT HILL 309 AND CAPTURED 16 GERMAN PRISONERS. ON FEBRUARY 9, MADE A NIGHT CROSSING OF THE PRUM RIVER ON PONTOON BOATS AND THEN ASSISTED IN TAKING THE TOWN OF PRUM. LED HIS PLATOON IN A NIGHT ATTACK BEHIND ENEMY LINES TO SECURE HILL 407. HELD THE HILL IN CLOSE COMBAT AGAINST GERMAN COUNTERATTACKS THAT NIGHT AND THE FOLLOWING DAY. CROSSED THE KYLL RIVER ON MARCH 6 AND ADVANCED TO THE HONERATH AREA. CROSSED THE RHINE RIVER AT WORMS AT THE END OF MARCH AND ADVANCED TO KITZINGEN AGAINST LIGHT RESISTANCE. CROSSED THE MAIN RIVER ON APRIL 2, 1945 AND OCCUPIED THE TOWN OF OCHENFUHRT. WHEN THE COMPANY COMMANDER WAS KILLED THAT NIGHT, HE WAS SELECTED AT ABOUT 2100 HOURS BY THE OTHER PLATOON LEADERS TO ASSUME COMMAND OF C COMPANY. HIS UNIT DROVE TOWARD ROTHENBURG AND ENTERED ANSBACH THE EVENING OF APRIL 17 WHERE HE TOOK A GERMAN SOLDIER PRISONER. CONTINUED COMBAT OPERATIONS TOWARD MUNICH, CROSSING THE DANUBE RIVER, THEN THE LECH RIVER AT SCHWABSTADL ON APRIL 27 AND PASSED THROUGH THE HORROR OF THE DACHAU CONCENTRATION CAMP. AFTER MUNICH, MOVED SOUTH TO STARNBERG AND WHILE THERE LEARNED THAT GERMANY SURRENDERED ON MAY 8, 1945. NEXT MOVED TO BAMBERG FOR OCCUPATION DUTY WITH THIRD ARMY. SAILED FROM LE HAVRE, FRANCE IN EARLY JULY AND ENTERED NEW YORK HARBOR AT 0400 HOURS ON JULY 10, 1945 TO A WELCOMING STATUE OF LIBERTY. SENT TO CAMP BUTNER, AT DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA TO PREPARE FOR THE INVASION OF JAPAN. WHILE ASSIGNED THERE, JAPAN SURRENDERED AND THE WAR WAS OVER. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, SILVER STAR, BRONZE STAR MEDAL WITH 'V' DEVICE FOR HEROISM IN COMBAT, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 5 BRONZE SERVICE STARS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH 'GERMANY' CLASP. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF 1ST LIEUTENANT AT SEPARATION CENTER, CAMP BUTNER ON APRIL 10, 1946. ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. CONTINUED IN SERVICE AFTER THE WAR WITH THE ARMY RESERVES AND RETIRED WITH THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL.