World War II Honoree

Dale Edward Gill

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Surprise, Nebraska

Honored By

Dan & Dee Yost

Relationship

Friends

SWORN IN JULY 14, 1939 TO U.S. ARMY BATTERY A, 3RD COAST ARTILLERY AT FORT MACARTHUR, SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA. TRANSFERRED TO BATTERY A, 65TH COAST ARTILLERY. TRANSFERRED TO CAMP HAAN, RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA. RECEIVED RANK OF PRIVATE 1ST CLASS ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER INDUCTION. TRANSFERRED TO CAMP CLATSOP, ASTORIA, OREGON. IN JULY 1941 SHIPPED TO KODIAK ISLAND, ALASKA TO SET UP THE FIRST ANTI-AIRCRAFT INSTALLATION ON THE ISLAND. THEN SHIPPED TO FORT RICHARDSON, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA TO SET UP AN ANTI-AIRCRAFT DEFENSE UNIT NEAR ELMENDORF AIR BASE. ON DECEMBER 7, 1941 WHEN JAPAN ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR THIS UNIT WAS THE SOLE UNIT TO GIVE WARNING OF INCOMING AIRCRAFT. JULY 1943 WAS ASSIGNED TO A BATTERY 143RD ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN BATTALION AS A MACHINE GUN CORPORAL. AFTER A YEAR OF TRAINING IN THE MOJAVE DESERT, CALIFORNIA, SHIPPED TO EUROPE AND LANDED AT LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND AUGUST 1944. PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, RECEIVING A COMMENDATION FROM THE BATTERY COMMANDER AS A MACHINE GUNNER. FOLLOWED THE GERMAN ARMY UNTIL THEIR SURRENDER ON MAY 7, 1945 AT RHEIMS, FRANCE. DISCHARGED NOVEMBER 1, 1945 AT FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS AS A BUCK CORPORAL.