World War II Honoree

Arlo Peterson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

North Dakota

Honored By

Jon C. Peterson

Relationship

Son

HE WAS IN NEW ORLEANS WHEN THE JAPANESE STRUCK PEARL HARBOR AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED HOME TO NORTH DAKOTA TO SIGN UP FOR THE ARMY. INITIALLY TRAINED AT CAMP SNELLING, MINNESOTA AND LATER TRANSFERRED TO FORT BLISS IN TEXAS WHERE HE ENTERED OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL AND BECAME 90-DAY WONDER (2ND LIEUTENANT). FROM THERE HE WAS ASSIGNED TO COASTAL ARTILLERY IN ALASKA WHEN IT WAS BELIEVED THE JAPANESE MIGHT ATTACK THE U. S. THROUGH ALASKA AND CANADA. WHEN THE ARMY NO LONGER DEEMED THIS THREAT AS SERIOUS, HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE EUROPEAN THEATRE AND LANDED AT CAMP LUCKY STRIKE IN LA HAVRE, FRANCE. AS A MEMBER OF PATTON'S 3RD ARMY, HE MARCHED EAST THROUGH FRANCE AND ENTERED GERMANY, WHERE HE AND HIS COMPANY ENCOUNTERED STIFF GERMAN RESISTANCE WHILE CROSSING THE MOSELLE AND RHINE RIVERS. WHEN HIS 1ST LIEUTENANT WAS KILLED BY A SNIPER HE TOOK OVER COMMAND OF THE COMPANY AND PUSHED FORWARD. AT ONE POINT HIS COMPANY ENGAGED A GERMAN 'PILLBOX'. WHILE RECONNOITERING TO THE COMPANY'S FRONT, TWO MEN WERE SERIOUSLY WOUNDED WHEN THEIR 1/4 TON TRUCK WAS HIT BY A PANZERFAUST (BAZOOKA). OBSERVING THAT THE ENEMY FIRE COMING FROM NEARBY WOODS MADE THEIR EVACUATION IMPOSSIBLE HE LED ONE PLATOON FORWARD AND AGGRESSIVELY MANEUVERED TO THE ENEMY'S FLANK WHERE HE AND HIS MEN KILLED SIX AND ROUTED THE REMAINDER. LATER HE LED AN ATTACK ON THE COMPANY OBJECTIVE AGAIN FORCING THE ENEMY TO WITHDRAW. FOR THESE ACTIONS HE WAS AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR. LATER AS HE LED HIS COMPANY EASTWARD THROUGH GERMANY THEY DISCOVERED THE OHRNSDRUF PRISON CONCENTRATION CAMP. UNFORTUNATELY ALL OF THE PRISONERS WERE DEAD AND THEIR BODIES WERE STACKED LIKE CORDWOOD AND COVERED IN LIME; THE PRISON GUARDS HAD EARLIER ABANDONED THIS CONCENTRATION CAMP, BUT SOME WERE LATER CAPTURED AND TOLD OF THE NATURE OF THE CAMP. THE CAMP WAS SECURED AND TURNED OVER TO ALLIED FORCES. FURTHER EAST HE AND SEVERAL SOLDIERS OUT ON A SCOUTING MISSION SURPRISED A GROUP OF HIGH RANKING GERMAN OFFICERS WHO WERE HAVING A FORMAL SOCIAL GATHERING. THE OFFICERS, WHO INCLUDED A GERMAN GENERAL WERE SURPRISED THAT THE AMERICANS HAD MADE IT SO FAR EAST SO QUICKLY. IN A GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT THE SOLDIERS ALLOWED THE OFFICERS TO CONTINUE UNTIL MIDNIGHT AFTER WHICH THEY FORMALLY SURRENDERED. DURING THIS EASTWARD DRIVE THE COMPANY CAPTURED AND OCCUPIED THE FORMAL RESIDENCE OF THE WALTHER FAMILY WHO WERE INVOLVED WITH GERMANY'S MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, THERE HE SECURED THE ARMS FACTORY THAT WAS LOCATED THERE. THE COMPANY WAS ORDERED TO HALT THEIR PUSH EASTWARD NEAR THE CZECHOSLOVAKIAN BORDER TO ENABLE THE RUSSIAN TROOPS TO OFFICIALLY LIBERATE CZECHOSLOVAKIA. BY THIS TIME THE WAR IN EUROPE WAS NEAR ITS END AND THE SOLDIERS WERE GRANTED LEAVE TO PARIS. THE CEASE-FIRE WENT INTO EFFECT ON MAY 9, 1945.