World War II Honoree

William H. 'Tass' Harwell

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Poplar Bluff, Missouri

Honored By

Novaro & Jan Nichols & Bill Harwell

Relationship

Friends & Son

SERGEANT. ENLISTED IN 1942 AND WENT TO BOOT CAMP AT CAMP ROBERTS, CALIFORNIA DURING LATE 1942 AND EARLY 1943. TRANSFERRED TO FORT BENNING, GEORGIA TO COMPLETE HIS INFANTRY TRAINING. PROMOTED TO CORPORAL, THEN SERGEANT AND WAS MADE A TRAINER OF JU-JITSU AND THE .30 CALIBER WATER COOLED HEAVY MACHINE GUN, WHILE THERE ALSO ATTENDED OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL. LANDED IN SOUTHERN FRANCE AROUND JULY OR AUGUST, 1944 ALONG WITH OTHER REPLACEMENTS. HE CAUGHT UP WITH HIS UNIT. THE 5TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 5TH INFANTRY DIVISION, 12TH ARMY GROUP AND WAS PUT IN CHARGE OF A MACHINE GUN SQUAD. IN MID-SEPTEMBER A BRIDGEHEAD WAS ESTABLISHED AND SECURED ACROSS THE MOSELLE, SOUTH OF METZ, IN THE FACE OF VERY HEAVY OPPOSITION. HIS COMPANY AS WELL AS OTHER 'HEAVY WEAPONS' COMPANIES WOULD PROVIDE COVER FIRE FOR THE LINE TROOPS, WITH MACHINE GUNS AND MORTARS. FIRST ATTEMPTS TO TAKE THE FORTRESS FAILED AND THE DIVISION WITHDREW, RETURNING TO THE ASSAULT ON NOVEMBER 9. METZ WAS REDUCED AFTER A HEAVY, 10 DAY BATTLE. THE DIVISION CROSSED THE GERMAN BORDER ON DECEMBER 4, CAPTURED LAUTERBACH ON THE 5TH AND ELEMENTS REACHED TO WEST BANK OF SAAR DECEMBER 6, BEFORE THE DIVISION MOVED TO ASSEMBLY AREAS. ON DECEMBER 16 THE GERMANS LAUNCHED THEIR WINTER OFFENSIVE, AND ON THE 18TH THE 5TH INFANTRY DIVISION WAS THROWN IN AGAINST THE SOUTHERN FLANK OF THE BULGE, HELPING TO REDUCE IT BY THE END OF JANUARY, 1945. IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH, THE DIVISION DROVE ACROSS AND NORTHEAST OF THE SAUER RIVER. HE WAS KILLED JUST AFTER THE SAUER RIVER CROSSING. HE WAS STANDING BY A TREE WATCHING THE LINE TROOPS OF HIS COMPANY GO OUT FOR THEIR ATTACK ON ERNZEN, AND WAS KILLED BY A GERMAN ARTILLERY ROUND CALLED A 'TREE BURST', OR AIR BURST. HE WAS REPORTEDLY TAKEN OFF THE FRONT LINES FOUR TIMES WITH BATTLE FATIGUE BEFORE HE WAS KILLED. BURIED IN THE LUXEMBOURG MEMORIAL CEMETERY.