World War II Honoree

Dallas James Pool

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Speed, Kansas

Honored By

Tim Pool

Relationship

Son

CORPORAL. SERVED IN U.S. ARMY FROM SEPTEMBER 26, 1942 TO OCTOBER 14, 1945. INDUCTED IN LAWTON, OKLAHOMA. SENT TO FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS AND TO FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA FOR TRAINING. ASSIGNED TO 90TH INFANTRY DIVISION AT CAMP BARKELEY NEAR ABILENE, TEXAS. REPORTED TO FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY FOR STAGING TO ENGLAND. EMBARKED FROM NEW YORK AND TRAINED IN ENGLAND FROM APRIL 5, 1944 TO JUNE 4, 1944. LANDED ON UTAH BEACH ON JUNE 6, 1944 (D-DAY) AS PART OF ALLIED NORMANDY INVASION OF WESTERN EUROPE. AFTER DEFENSIVE ACTION ALONG DOUVE RIVER, FOUGHT AGAINST FIERCE RESISTANCE TO CLEAR FORET DE MONT CASTRE. TOOK CITY OF PERIERS AND CROSSED SARTHE RIVER TO HELP CLOSE THE FALAISE GAP, TAKING CHAMBOIS AND BRINGING DISASTER TO FLEEING GERMAN ENEMY. CRITICALLY WOUNDED AT FALAISE IN AUGUST 1944 AND HOSPITALIZED IN ENGLAND UNTIL DECEMBER 1944 AND THEN RETURNED TO COMBAT. PUSHED ACROSS SAAR REGION OF GERMANY AND ESTABLISHED BRIDGEHEAD NORTH OF SAARLAUTERN. WITHDREW TO WEST BANK AND WENT ON DEFENSIVE, RE DEPLOYING TO BELGIUM DURING GERMAN OFFENSIVE INTO THE ARDENNES (BATTLE OF THE BULGE). CROSSED THE RIVER, NEAR OBERHAUSEN AND ESTABLISHED BRIDGEHEAD, THEN SMASHED THROUGH SIEGFRIED FORTIFICATIONS ALONG BORDER OF FRANCE AND BELGIUM. CROSSED MOSELLE RIVER TO TAKE CITY OF MAINZ AND THEN CROSSED RHINE, MAIN AND WERRA RIVERS IN RAPID SUCCESSION. CONTINUED PURSUIT TO CZECHOSLOVAKIAN BORDER AND INTO SUDETEN HILLS. WAS EN ROUTE TO PRAGUE WHEN WAR IN EUROPE ENDED. RETURNED TO U.S. AND DISCHARGED FROM ACTIVE DUTY ON OCTOBER 14, 1945 AT FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY. AWARDED BRONZE STAR, PURPLE HEART, ARMY GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATRE MEDAL WITH 5 BATTLE STARS (NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, ARDENNES-ALSACE, RHINELAND AND CENTRAL EUROPE), WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH GERMANY CLASP.