World War II Honoree

Robert L. 'Bob' Williams

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Pateros, Washington

Honored By

Bette Williams & LTC Charles T. Borg, USA-Ret.

SERVED IN B BATTERY, 463D ANTI-AIRCRAFT-AUTOMATIC WEAPONS BATTALION AS GUNNER ON THE QUAD 50 MACHINE GUN AND 40 MM CANNON. ARRIVED IN ENGLAND LATE 1943, BASED NEAR STOKE-ON-TRENT TO PREPARE FOR INVASION OF HITLER'S FORTRESS EUROPE. JUNE 28, 1944, LANDED IN NORMANDY, FRANCE, AT UTAH BEACH TO LINK UP WITH THE 79 INFANTRY 'CROSS OF LORRAINE' DIVISION PROVIDING PROTECTION FROM GERMAN AIRCRAFT. ON JULY 10, SHOT DOWN FIRST GERMAN FIGHTER PLANE. AFTER HEAVY FIGHTING IN NORMANDY AND THE BREAKOUT AT ST. LO, THE 463D, UNDER GENERAL GEORGE PATTON, CONTINUED TO KEEP PRESSURE ON THE GERMAN ARMY RETREATING ACROSS FRANCE. WHILE PROTECTING AN IMPORTANT CROSSING ON THE SEINE RIVER THEY SHOT DOWN 21 GERMAN AIRCRAFT IN FOUR DAYS AND HELPED SAVE THE BRIDGE FOR CONTINUED ARMY ADVANCES TOWARD BELGIUM. ADVANCED TO THE GERMAN SIEGFRIED LINE WHERE THEY ENCOUNTERED THE GERMAN JET FIGHTER ME262. DECEMBER 16, 1944, FOUGHT THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE OPERATION NORTH WIND KNOWN AS THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. LATE DECEMBER FORCED TO RETREAT AT THE BATTLE OF HAGENAU WHERE THEY WERE SHELLED BY THE GERMAN 15-INCH RAILROAD GUN KNOWN AS 'ANZIO ANNIE.' BY JANUARY THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE HAD BEEN HALTED AND THE 463D RENEWED THE ATTACK. THEY SHOT DOWN A GERMAN JET FIGHTER. MID-JANUARY, PROTECTED THE DIFFICULT CROSSING OF FLOODED ROER RIVER AND CONTINUED ADVANCES TO THE RHINE RIVER WHICH THEY CROSSED ON MARCH 24, 1945, UNDER GERMAN ARTILLERY FIRE. THEY SHOT DOWN TWO MORE GERMAN AIRCRAFT. ON APRIL 10, AFTER 12 MONTHS OF CONTINUOUS FIGHTING THEY CAPTURED THE GERMAN CITY OF ESSEN IN THEIR LAST ATTACK OF THE WAR. THEY CONTINUED SOUTHEAST TO CZECH BORDER AND ASSUMED OCCUPATION DUTIES. HE WAS DISCHARGED IN LATE 1945 HOLDING THE RANK OF CORPORAL. EARNED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN THEATER MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 4 BATTLE STARS, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.