World War II Honoree

Floyd LaSalle Purvis

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Mystic, Iowa

Honored By

Pamela Gibson

Relationship

Daughter

INDUCTED AT FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS IN MAY 1942. ADDITIONAL TRAINING AT CAMP ROBERTS, CALIFORNIA; FORT LEWIS, WASHINGTON AND CAMP PENDLETON. HE WAS SHIPPED OVERSEAS TO CASABLANCA, AFRICA AND TO FADILA, AFRICA. SPENT 3 MONTHS PREPARING FOR THE ANZIO LANDING. FOUGHT ON THE FRONT LINE 83 DAYS AT ANZIO, WAS WOUNDED AND RECEIVED 1 OF THE 3 PURPLE HEARTS HE RECEIVED DURING THE WAR. HE WAS ALSO WOUNDED IN AFRICA AND GERMANY (JUST OUTSIDE OF FRANKFURT). FROM ANZIO HE WENT TO ROME AND THEN ON TO NAPLES. FOUGHT THROUGH FRANCE AND ONTO SWITZERLAND. SERVED WITH THE 7TH INFANTRY, CANNON COMPANY. HONORED WITH THE BRONZE STAR AND SILVER STAR. 11/8/42, THE DIVISION FIRST SAW ACTION IN THE INVASION OF NORTH AFRICA, LANDING AT FEDALA AND CAPTURING HALF OF FRENCH MOROCCO. 7/10/43, THE DIVISION MADE AN ASSAULT LANDING ON SICILY, FOUGHT ITS WAY INTO PALERMO BEFORE THE ARMOR COULD GET THERE AND RACED TO CAPTURE MESSINA, ENDING THE SICILIAN CAMPAIGN. 9/18/43, THE DIVISION LANDED AT SALERNO, 9 DAYS AFTER THE INVASION OF ITALY. IT DROVE ACROSS THE VOLTURNO TO CASSINO. ON 1/22/44, AFTER A BRIEF REST, THE DIVISION WAS ORDERED TO HIT THE BEACHES AT ANZIO, WHERE FOR 4 MONTHS, IT MAINTAINED ITS TOEHOLD AGAINST GERMAN CENTER ATTACKS. 2/29/44, THE DIVISION FOUGHT OFF AN ATTACK BY 3 GERMAN DIVISIONS. IN MAY, THE DIVISION BROKE OUT OF THE BEACHHEAD AND DROVE ON TO ROME AND THEN WENT INTO TRAINING FOR THE INVASION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE. ON 8/15/44, THE DIVISION LANDED AT ST. TROPEZ, ADVANCED UP THE RHONE VALLEY, THROUGH THE VOSGES MOUNTAINS AND REACHED THE RHINE AT STRASBOURG. NOVEMBER 26-27, 1944, AFTER MAINTAINING DEFENSIVE POSITIONS IT TOOK PART IN CLEARING THE COLMAR POCKET. 1/23/45 - 2/23/45, ON MARCH 15TH, STRUCK AGAINST SIEGFRIED LINE POSITIONS, SOUTH OF ZWEIBRUCKEN. 3/26/45, THE DIVISION SMASHED THROUGH THE DEFENSES AND CROSSED THE RHINE, THEN DROVE ON TO TAKE NUREMBERG IN A FIERCE BATTLE CAPTURING THE CITY IN BLOCK BY BLOCK FIGHTING. APRIL 27-30, 1945, THE DIVISION PUSHED ON TO TAKE AUGSBURG AND MUNICH. IN THE VICINITY OF SALZBURG WHEN THE WAR IN EUROPE ENDED. THE 3RD HAD CAPTURED BERCHTESGADEN BEFORE BEING RELIEVED BY THE 101ST.