World War II Honoree

William M. Hale

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Kemp, Texas

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

AN ACTIVE DUTY CHAPLAIN IN THE ARMY, INCLUDING SERVING WITH THE INFANTRY IN NORTH AFRICA AND ITALY. SOME DAYS, HE BURIED MORE THAN 100 MEN. HE TOLD A WASHINGTON POST REPORTER 'IF WAR WAS FOUGHT BY OLD MEN, IT WOULD NEVER BE FOUGHT.' A PHOTOGRAPHER CAUGHT HIS IMAGE AS HE LED THE RECOVERY PROCESSION FOR A PAIR OF PILOTS SHOT DOWN BY YUGOSLAV SOLDIERS IN THE WAR. THE PHOTO APPEARED ON THE FRONT PAGES OF NEWSPAPERS AROUND THE WORLD. AMONG HIS MILITARY AWARDS WAS A BRONZE STAR. THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN GORIZIA, ITALY ALSO HONORED HIM FOR REBUILDING ITS SYNAGOGUE USING GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR.