World War II Honoree

George R. Wickware

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Pittsburg, Kansas

Honored By

Timothé Loock

DRAFTED ON U.S. ARMY ON FEBRUARY 18, 1943. SERVED AS STAFF SERGEANT ON 2ND BATTALION, 222ND INFANTRY REGIMENT, 42ND INFANTRY 'RAINBOW' DIVISION. ARRIVED ON NOVEMBER 1944 ON EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS WHERE THE 42ND DIVISION'S TASK FORCE LINDEN SAW HEAVY FIGHTING IN THE ARDENNES-ALSACE CAMPAIGN IN NORTHEAST FRANCE. ON 6 JANUARY 1945 AT GAMBSHEIM, FRANCE, AFTER LEADING HIS SQUAD IN AN ATTACK ON THE RAILROAD STATION, HE WAS WOUNDED IN THE ELBOW AND THIGH BY MORTAR FIRE, AS A RESULT OF WHICH HE WAS RENDERED UNABLE TO WALK. BECAUSE OF HIS WOUNDS HE WAS UNABLE TO BE EVACUATED WHEN HIS COMPANY WAS FORCED TO WITHDRAW BECAUSE OF ATTACK BY A SUPERIOR ENEMY FORCE AND TAKEN PRISONER OF WAR BY GERMANS ON STALAG 13C. TRYED TO ESCAPE FROM STALAG TWICE, RECAPTURED FIRST TIME BUT THE SECOND ESCAPED FROM A TRAIN AND RETURNED TO AMERICAN LINES. AWARDED BY SILVER STAR, PURPLE HEART, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL.