World War II Honoree

Dee Richard Eberhart

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Toppenish, Washington

Honored By

Lt. Col. Charles T. Borg, USA (Ret)

Relationship

Friend

SERGEANT. DRAFTED INTO U.S. ARMY ON MAY 26, 1943 AT SPOKANE, WASHINGTON. IN NOVEMBER 1943 TRANSFERRED TO ARMY SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAM AND THEN INTO AIR CORPS CADET PROGRAM AT BUCKLEY FIELD, COLORADO. IN APRIL 1944, TRANSFERRED TO CAMP GRUBER, OKLAHOMA TO JOIN THE 42ND RAINBOW INFANTRY DIVISION, 1ST SCOUT, COMPANY I, 242ND INFANTRY REGIMENT. IN NOVEMBER 1944, SHIPPED TO THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS, WHERE THE 42ND DIVISION'S TASK FORCE LINDEN SAW HEAVY FIGHTING IN THE ARDENNES-ALSACE CAMPAIGN IN NORTHEAST FRANCE. AT THE BATTLE OF HATTEN, JANUARY 8-21, 1945 ELEMENTS OF THE 42ND, 79TH AND 14TH ARMORED DIVISIONS WITHSTOOD ATTACKS BY 3 GERMAN ARMORED, INFANTRY AND PARACHUTE DIVISIONS. ON JANUARY 20, 1945 THE 42ND DIVISION AND OTHER UNITS OF THE VI CORPS WITHDREW TO THE MODER RIVER LINE, BOTH EAST AND WEST OF HAGUENAU, FRANCE WHERE THE 242ND REGIMENT TO THE EAST WITHSTOOD ATTACKS BY THE GERMAN 10TH SS PANZER DIVISION. HIS PLATOON CAPTURED 12 GERMAN TROOPERS. THOSE FAILED GERMAN ATTACKS ON JANUARY 25 AND JANUARY 26 EAST AND WEST OF HAGUENAU WERE THE LAST MAJOR GERMAN ASSAULTS ON THE WESTERN FRONT. . BY THE END OF THE WAR 9 OF THE 10 MEN IN HIS SQUAD HAD BECOME CASUALTIES. ON APRIL 29, 1945 HIS UNIT WAS A LIBERATOR OF THE NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMP AT DACHAU, GERMANY. FROM MAY 1945 TO FEBRUARY 1946 SERVED OCCUPATIONAL DUTY AT TIROL, SALZBURG AND VIENNA, AUSTRIA. IN FEBRUARY 1946 TRANSFERRED TO THE 83RD DIVISION FOR RETURN TO THE U.S. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AT FORT LEWIS, WASHINGTON APRIL 8, 1946. RECEIVED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 3 BRONZE STARS (ARDENNES-ALSACE, RHINELAND, CENTRAL EUROPE), WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL.