World War II Honoree

Vernon Charles Espel

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Cincinnati, Ohio

Honored By

Franklin M. Espel

Relationship

Grandson

IN JANUARY 1944, HE SAILED TO ENGLAND AS PART OF THE NEWLY FORMED 746TH TANK BATTALION. A FEW MONTHS LATER HE WAS PART OF THE LARGEST INVASION FORCE IN HISTORY ON D-DAY. HE LANDED IN APPROXIMATELY THE FOURTH HOUR ON OMAHA BEACH AND PROCEEDED TO ST. MERE EGLISE AFTER THE BEACH WAS SECURED. HE WAS A CORPORAL IN A HALF TRACK IN CHARGE OF TRACKING GERMAN FORCES. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE 746 WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 9TH INFANTRY DIVISION. HE FOUGHT AS PART OF THE 746TH IN SUCH HISTORY MAKING ENGAGEMENTS AS CARENTAN, THE GERMAN BREAKTHROUGH AT THE ARDENNES SECTOR, THE TAKING OF THE GREAT SCHAMMANUEL DAM AND IN THE VICINITY OF ST. LO AND AACHEN. HE AND HIS BATTALION WERE ONE OF THE FIRST UNITS TO ENTER BELGIUM AND ALSO TO MAKE ONE OF THE INITIAL PENETRATIONS OF THE SIEGFRIED LINE EAST OF AACHEN. HE WAS ALSO AT THE EXTERMINATION CAMP AT NORDHAUSEN AND HITLER'S RETREAT AT BERCHTESGADEN AS THEY WERE TAKEN. THE 746TH WAS AWARDED TWO SPECIAL BELGIUM ORDER OF THE DAY CITATIONS AND SPENT 277 OF 303 DAYS IN COMBAT BETWEEN JUNE 6TH AND MARCH 30TH, 1944. HE WAS AWARDED THE SILVER STAR FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION AGAINST AN ENEMY OF THE UNITED STATES. AFTER ACCRUING ENOUGH COMBAT POINTS, HE WENT BACK TO HIS FAMILY IN CINCINNATI, OHIO.