World War II Honoree

Jack Milton Givens

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Mangum, Oklahoma

Honored By

OAMC, ROTC Class of 1943

SERVED IN THE ARMY RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS AT OKLAHOMA A&M COLLEGE (OAMC) AT STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA FROM SEPTEMBER 1940 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 AT FORT SILL AT LAWTON, OKLAHOMA ON APRIL 12, 1943. ASSIGNED TO OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL AT FORT BENNING AT COLUMBUS, GEORGIA DURING THE PERIOD JUNE 24 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 SECOND LIEUTENANT IN THE INFANTRY ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1943. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH COMPANY C, 1ST BATTALION, 60TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 9TH INFANTRY 'OLD RELIABLES' DIVISION, INCLUDING ENGLAND, FRANCE, BELGIUM, AND GERMANY IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO). PARTICIPATED IN THE NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. HIS REGIMENT LANDED ACROSS UTAH BEACH IN NORMANDY, FRANCE ON JUNE 11, 1944 AS PART OF FOLLOW-ON INVASION FORCES. THE REGIMENT INITIATED AN ATTACK TOWARD SAINTE COLOMBE ON JUNE 14, 1944, HELPED ESTABLISH A BRIDGEHEAD ACROSS THE DOUVE RIVER ON JUNE 16, 1944, ADVANCED AGAINST DISORGANIZED OPPOSITION TO SEAL OFF THE COTENTIN PENINSULA ON JUNE 17, 1944, AND BLOCK GERMAN MOVEMENT SOUTH. HE TOOK PART IN THE FINAL ASSAULT ON THE PORT CITY OF CHERBOURG, FRANCE, ATTACKING THE SEMICIRCULAR DEFENSIVE BELT ON JUNE 21, 1944. HIS DIVISION CAPTURED THE GERMAN FORTRESS ON JUNE 27, 1944. HIS UNIT WAS RELOCATED TO THE TAUTE REGION ON JULY 9, 1944, WAS HIT BY GERMAN ARMOR WHICH PENETRATED DIVISION LINES ON JULY 11, 1944. ONCE THE BATTLE LINES WERE RESTORED, HIS UNIT MADE A SLOW ADVANCE TOWARD SAINT-LO, FRANCE AGAINST DETERMINED RESISTANCE. THEN, HELPED CLOSE THE FALAISE POCKET ON AUGUST 17, 1944. CROSSED THE MARNE RIVER AND THEN CROSSED THE DINANT RIVER IN BELGIUM AGAINST STRONG GERMAN OPPOSITION TO ESTABLISH A BRIDGEHEAD ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1944. ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1944, HIS REGIMENT DROVE NORTH ACROSS THE GERMAN BORDER TO TAKE THE TOWN OF KALTERHERBERG. HIS UNIT WAS NEXT ENGAGED IN CLOSE COMBAT IN THE HUERTGEN FOREST AREA AND FOUGHT IN SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS FROM OCTOBER-DECEMBER, 1944. WHEN THE GERMAN ARDENNES COUNTEROFFENSIVE STRUCK ON DECEMBER 16, 1944, HIS UNIT WAS ENGAGED IN CONTAINING ATTACKS AND DEFENSIVE OPERATIONS IN THE MONSCHAU, GERMANY AREA AND IN SECTOR FROM KALTERHERBERG TO ELSENBORN, BELGIUM. THE DIVISION ATTACKED THE 'WEST WALL' ON JANUARY 30, 1945, AND REACHED THE MONSCHAU FOREST BEFORE BEING REDIRECTED TO ATTACK THE RUHR AND URFT RIVER DAM COMPLEX TWO DAYS LATER. HIS REGIMENT REACHED THE HIGH GROUND SOUTHWEST OF DREIBORN, LUXEMBOURG AND THEN REACHED THE RUHR RIVER BANKS BY FEBRUARY 7, 1945. CROSSED THE RUHR RIVER ON FEBRUARY 28, 1945, ATTACKED TOWARD THE RHINE RIVER, REACHED THE REMAGEN BRIDGEHEAD ON MARCH 7, 1945, AND ASSUMED A DEFENSIVE ROLE. HIS REGIMENT LED THE CROSSING OF THE RHINE IN AN ATTACK TO MOVE TO AND CROSS THE WIED RIVER ON MARCH 22, 1945 AND THE LAHN RIVER ON MARCH 28, 1945, BEFORE GOING BACK IN A DEFENSIVE POSTURE. HE WAS WOUNDED IN ACTION SEVERAL TIMES DURING COMBAT OPERATIONS WITH HIS REGIMENT. ALSO TAKEN AS A PRISONER OF WAR (POW) BY THE GERMANS ON APRIL 1, 1945 DURING COMBAT OPERATIONS TO BLOCK GERMAN ESCAPE FROM THE RUHR POCKET. TAKEN TO STALAG 6A AT HEMER, GERMANY, HE WAS LIBERATED ON MAY 1, 1945 AT THE END OF HOSTILITIES. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, PURPLE HEART WITH 2 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS (3 AWARDS) FOR WOUNDS RECEIVED IN ACTION ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 SILVER SERVICE STAR (5 CAMPAIGNS), AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. ALSO AWARDED THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH BRONZE PALM FOR ACTIONS BY HIS REGIMENT ON THE COTENTIN PENINSULA IN FRANCE. AUTHORIZED THE BELGIAN FOURRAGERE FOR HIS REGIMENT BEING CITED TWICE IN THE ORDER OF THE DAY OF THE BELGIAN ARMY FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY IN COMBAT AT THE MEUSE RIVER AND AGAIN IN THE ARDENNES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED FROM ACTIVE DUTY WITH THE RANK OF FIRST LIEUTENANT AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. CONTINUED IN U.S. ARMY SERVICE AND SERVED ON INACTIVE AND ACTIVE DUTY AFTER THE WAR, DURING THE WAR PERIOD, UNTIL AGAIN HONORABLY DISCHARGED.