World War II Honoree

George R. Francis

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Lovington, Illinois

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE AND ASSIGNED TO OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL AT FORT BENNING IN COLUMBUS, GEORGIA. GRADUATED SEPTEMBER 18, 1943 AND WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT OF INFANTRY. SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER WITH THE 9TH INFANTRY TRAINING REGIMENT AT THE INFANTRY REPLACEMENT TRAINING CENTER AT CAMP CROFT AT SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA. REASSIGNED TO THE 13TH AIRBORNE DIVISION AT FORT BRAGG AT FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA ON OCTOBER 7, 1943. ASSIGNED TO THE 104TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 26TH INFANTRY 'YANKEE' DIVISION. STAGED WITH HIS UNIT AT CAMP SHANKS AT ORANGEBURG, NEW YORK ON AUGUST 19, 1944 AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON AUGUST 27TH AND LANDED IN NORMANDY, FRANCE ON SEPTEMBER 7, 1944. SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER AND PARTICIPATED IN THE NORTHERN FRANCE AND RHINELAND CAMPAIGNS. INITIALLY, WENT INTO DEFENSIVE POSITIONS IN THE SALONNES-MONCOURT AREA IN THE LORRAINE REGION OF FRANCE, NORTHEAST OF NANCY. TOOK PART IN A LIMITED ATTACK WEST OF MONCOURT ON OCTOBER 22ND, AND IN OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS TO SEIZE THE TOWN OF VIC-SUR-SEILLE, FRANCE AND CAPTURE ITS BRIDGES INTACT ON NOVEMBER 8, 1944. PUSHED AHEAD WITH HIS REGIMENT TO SEIZE THE TOWN OF RODALBE, FRANCE ON NOVEMBER 11TH AND WAS ADVANCING AGAINST STRONG GERMAN OPPOSITION TOWARD THE DIEUZE-BENESTROFF LINE WHEN HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION ON NOVEMBER 18, 1944. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, PURPLE HEART, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AUTHORIZED THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH PALM, AND FRENCH FOURRAGERE FOR HIS UNIT BEING CITED TWICE FOR THE CROIX DE GUERRE, FOR CONSPICUOUS COMBAT OPERATIONS IN LORRAINE.